In the modern age of technological advancement, we are constantly seeking and inventing new methods of learning and teaching. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for accessible and efficient educational platforms and learning management systems (LMS) has increased as instructors seek alternative, virtual course delivery methods that will engage and motivate students in a non-traditional learning environment.
A student’s engagement is considerably linked to their success in their academic journey, and is often affected by multiple factors. For instance, fostering an environment that encourages students to create meaningful relationships with peers, faculty, and the larger campus community will allow students to build stronger social networks and develop necessary communication skills.
In a recent UK university case study conducted by O. Raphael Oseghale et al, it was discovered that, among postgraduate business students, class participation points significantly enhance student engagement in three aspects: behavioral, cognitive, and emotional (2025).
Behavioral Engagement
Behavioral engagement refers to a student’s overall ability to engage in academic activities, such as attending classes, participating in class discussions, and completing assignments. The results of the experiment indicate that students who were informed that they would receive participation grades for attending tutorials had a higher attendance rate of 97% that persisted throughout the observation period (Oseghale et al., 2025).
Cognitive Engagement
When institutions and instructors cultivate a learning environment that offers students opportunities to think critically, students demonstrate higher cognitive engagement as they are more invested in their studies, take on more challenges, and facilitate deeper thinking. Observations of the experiment show that students who were awarded participation points studied preparatory materials before they attended tutorials (Oseghale et al., 2025). In addition, most students admitted during interviews that they would not complete pre-tutorial activities without participation marks (Oseghale et al., 2025).
Emotional Engagement
Higher emotional engagement suggests that students are more committed to their academics because they feel valued, supported, and heard by the institution and faculty. By offering participation marks for engaging in open tutorial discussions, the experiment found that students felt stimulated and motivated to speak more often (Oseghale et al., 2025). In the case of students who were shy, the experiment found that they engaged with peers when the TA created a supportive environment and provided clear instructions (Oseghale et al., 2025).
Following these observations, it is undoubted that students’ overall engagement is pivotal to their success. From the results of this study, as well as of other studies mentioned by the authors, we can see that participation points can boost student engagement and enrich a student’s learning journey. With the recent YuJa Engage v26.1.0 release, instructors are now able to split scores on poll questions, allocating a certain percentage of the question score to participation and the rest to correctness. With this new feature in the YuJa Engage Student Response system, students can become more motivated to prepare for tests and examinations, and instructors can award students for their efforts and perseverance.
Citation
Oseghale, O. R., Ochie, C., Oyelere, M., & Nyantakyiwaa, A. (2025). Class participation points and postgraduate business students’ engagement: The case of a UK university. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 62(1), 86–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2279576
