Increase student participation by injecting a touch of royalty and its trappings—kings, queens and diamonds, too

By April Brown

There seems to be a point during the first day of my writing classes where I stare at a sea of faces. Most of them are static with a dull-glazed, apathetic “I know I have to be here, but I’m not exactly thrilled” look about them.

I have been struggling to find a way to spark students’ enthusiasm about learning to write concisely or the value and application of Associated Press style. I’m still struggling with that while also trying to increase participation in the lessons beyond the handful of mildly interested students who regularly raise their hands to answer questions or make suggestions. Many of the others fiddle, hide behind their books (and sometimes phones and laptops) trying to look busy. Often, I’ll just see a stricken face with wide eyes pleading, “Don’t call on me.”

One of the ways I’ve managed to get more students involved is with a tool my father— Edward Brown, a retired university professor—shared with me. He added a deck of playing cards to his teaching toolkit:

I started using cards in my classes when I taught at West Texas State in the late ’60s. I used them in two ways: to call on students individually and to form small groups. I reduced the number of cards in the deck to match the number of students in the class and wrote the name of each student on a separate card. I usually asked for volunteers before using the cards to select a student, depending upon the circumstances. 

In some of my classes I would assign a list of questions to prepare for in advance, either from the book itself or questions that I had made up. I always shuffled the cards and asked a student to cut the deck immediately before using them. In some classes, I formed small groups to discuss an issue during the class and present the results to the rest of the class near the end of the hour. The first person chosen was the "captain" and would be the group's speaker. At the end of the semester, I would give students their cards as a souvenir or to use as a bookmark.

My card games are somewhat similar. At the beginning of each semester, I ask students to choose a card and write their name on it. As they do, I tell them that they are not expected to know all the answers to questions they may be asked, but it’s important to think, use the knowledge they do have, and try to figure out the answer. 

I tell them the cards will be used to determine who will try to answer the question. But I let them know that trying is rewarded, just as a correct answer would be, and that rude or dismissive comments from classmates will not be tolerated. Every student who makes an effort to answer a question receives one extra participation point (maximum of one each day).

Some days, I start by asking for volunteers; if they dry up, the cards come out and shuffling ensues. Sometimes students are only chosen to participate through the cards, randomly selected of course. But after a time, it seems they become less afraid of answering, especially if they are unsure of the answer, because their classmates are doing the same and no one is ridiculed for trying.

And as my father before me, I’ve found the cards are also useful for creating groups, a method by which one can avoid the “I want to work only with Joe or Jane” argument. We simply let the cards fall where they may.

It’s not the royal relationship my students first thought it might be. But at least when they go on that inevitable trip to Las Vegas or Atlantic City, they’ll already have met the Queen of Hearts and the Jack of Spades.

April Brown is an Assistant Professor of journalism at Northern Arizona University. She has an M.A. in International Broadcast Journalism and is an award-winning journalist and Special Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. She has also worked for the BBC and ITN based in London, and as freelance producer for ABC News and NBC News in the United States.