Cold calling, done fairly
How to use cold calling and random pick in a college class without making students anxious: warm-up time, fair selection, and a way to pass.
Why cold calling helps
When anyone might be asked, everyone prepares an answer. Cold calling spreads participation beyond the few who always volunteer and keeps attention up through the lecture.
How to make it fair
- Pick at random, openly. A visible random pick from the roster removes any sense of favouritism.
- Think first. Pose the question, give everyone time, then pick.
- Allow a pass. A student can pass once and come back later.
- Praise the attempt. Treat a partial answer as a starting point, not a failure.
- Spread it out. Avoid picking the same student twice before others have had a turn.
Extempore: short speaking practice
A random pick also works for extempore speaking: the student gets a topic and a minute to prepare before speaking briefly. It builds confidence in small, predictable steps.
How Sessional does it
Sessional’s Random Pick and Extempore draw from the class roster on the projector, so the selection is visible to everyone. Students can also spend coins on “skip one cold call”, which makes passing a normal, respectful choice.
Questions people ask
Is cold calling bad for anxious students?
Done with warm-up time, random selection and a way to pass, research and classroom experience suggest it can reduce anxiety over time, because speaking becomes routine.