Roughly half-way through the course I divide the students in three tiers based on their participation so far and send each tier some variation of the emails below to encourage continuing or stimulate more participation.
Subject: Mid-course Participation Feedback - Keep up the good work!
I wanted to reach out and express my appreciation for your engagement in class and/or office hours so far. Your consistent level of engagement, thoughtful questions, and insights have contributed to making lectures more dynamic and interesting. It’s clear that you come prepared and think critically about the materials. Keep up this great level of engagement!
Best regards,
Subject: Mid-course Participation Feedback - We’d love to hear more from you!
I’m reaching out regarding your participation in our class discussions this semester. I notice that you’ve been quite reserved during our lectures, and I wanted to encourage you to share your thoughts and questions more openly. Please remember that active participation is an important part of the learning process, and your perspective is valuable to your peers and to me. There are no “wrong” questions – in fact, questions you have might help clarify concepts for others as well. If you feel hesitant about speaking up, I’m happy to discuss strategies to help you feel more comfortable participating in class. If there are any specific concerns or barriers that are holding you back from participating more actively, please don’t hesitate to meet with me during office hours to discuss them.
Best regards,
Subject: Mid-course Participation Feedback - Your contributions matter!
I’m writing to thank you for your contributions to the course so far. When you participate, your insights add value to our conversations. I would love to hear even more from you during our lectures, as I believe you have valuable perspectives to share and insightful questions. Please feel free to voice your thoughts and questions more frequently – your contributions help create a richer learning environment for everyone. If you feel hesitant about speaking up, I’m happy to discuss strategies to help you feel more comfortable participating in class. If there are any specific concerns or barriers that are holding you back from participating more actively, please don’t hesitate to meet with me during office hours to discuss them.
Best regards,