Abstract Willingness to communicate (WTC) is hypothesised as individuals' predisposition to speak (McCroskey and Baer, 1985). At the core of this construct lies the fundamental assumption of free choice. However, the notion of free choice has often been taken for granted, particularly when examining WTC in instructional contexts. To address this gap, the present study conducted a case study using a multi‐method qualitative text and discourse analysis of 35 course outlines to explore the manifestation of WTC in the curriculum, with a specific focus on assessment and its assessment criteria for class participation. A collection of assessment schemes was extracted from course outlines published by the English department at a university in Hong Kong. The results reveal that the free choice of communication is absent, as 34 of the 35 courses assess students' class participation. As such, WTC is not optional but mandatory. However, despite WTC being nearly universally assessed, there is a lack of explicit assessment criteria where standards are not clearly articulated. Three discursive themes on the assessment criteria for participation are identified: (1) participation has emphatic stress on attendance, (2) participation accentuates modes of engagement and (3) participation requires communication. An assessment transparency matrix is created to conceptualise these discursive themes according to their explicit–implicit and objective–subjective dimensions. The paper concludes by discussing pedagogical considerations of how class participation assessment can be made explicit and inclusive. Specifically, it is important to acknowledge individual differences in WTC and provide varied and flexible options that enable all students to participate. Context and implications Rationale for this study Dialogue, facilitated by students' willingness to communicate, is critical for learning as communication enables knowledge and meaning to be co‐constructed. However, when communication, as a major form of class participation, becomes so essential that it is assessed, it raises the question of whether students are entitled to free choice not to communicate. This case study explores the manifestation of willingness to communicate in the curriculum, with a specific focus on assessment and its criteria for class participation, in the English department at a university in Hong Kong. Why the new findings matter The results reveal that 34 of 35 courses assess students' class participation. Three discursive themes are identified: (1) participation has emphatic stress on attendance, (2) participation accentuates modes of engagement, and (3) participation requires communication. However, clear and explicit assessment criteria for participation are largely absent. The new findings matter because they uncover that students do not have free choice in communication within the teaching and learning context. Equally important is that class participation is widely assessed, yet its criteria are poorly defined. Without explicit criteria, students are kept in the dark and do not know what is expected of them, especially when the quality of participation is often implicit and subjective. Implications There are two major implications in this study. First, when assessing students’ class participation, clear and explicit criteria should be made readily available. This can be supported by scaffolding that includes explicit teaching of participation and open dialogue with students. Second, grading class participation may disadvantage some students, as their willingness to communicate can vary significantly. Therefore, alternative and diverse forms of communication should be explored and integrated into the assessment criteria.
Lin et al. (Wed,) studied this question.