Participation is critical to learning particularly
as a way to challenge our ideas and beliefs, share our thoughts and discover
new ways of thinking. But what does ‘participation' typically look
like? Does all participation need to be verbal or loud?
Well, participation is not always about being the
first to respond or about having lengthy group discussions and debates. Participation
can be facilitated via a simple voting activity with a yes/no response or using
social media tools and technologies – for example, tweet a reflection or write
a blog post, etc. Being shy, anxious or not much of a talker does not
absolve anyone from the responsibility of participating in a learning
experience. Having said that, it is important to realize
that participation may be different for different people.
Silence, often misunderstood, also speaks. It gives
us the pauses that we need to learn and to teach. Some times, silence is
about being respectful and at other times, it is
self-protective. But silence is also participative. One participant's
silence enables another participant's voice to be heard.
"In his "Lecture on Nothing" from his
book Silence, John Cage states that "What we require is silence;
but what silence requires is that I go on talking." Silence and speech
exist together in a symbiotic relationship. Silence is not merely the
antithesis of speech but rather the necessary precondition for authentic,
lively, and engaged speech."
To me, participation is as much a collective
responsibility of the group as it is an individual responsibility. Everyone
needs to feel that their contribution is adding to the learning experience and
is ultimately facilitating new conversations. The learning environment has a
role to play as do the facilitators in encouraging the right kind of
participation. But participation is not about the frequency or the quantity of
conversations. Participation is about engaging fully and authentically and
sometimes being silent is a way to do it.
