Discussion
Teaching
Leading Classroom Discussion (PDF file)
It
presents approaches for building class cultures that sustain interactions
and a variety of discussion formats and strategies that can be used
for different instructional purposes.
Answering & Asking Questions
This
website is concerned with the answering and asking of questions in college-level
courses. It makes suggestions regarding questioning techniques that
are appropriate for lecture classes as well as for discussion groups.
Effective Techniques of Questioning
Explain
Effective Techniques of Questioning. For instance, Give students time
to think after they are questioned.
Types Of Questions Based On Bloom’s TAXONOMY
As teachers we tend to ask questions in the "knowledge" category
80% to 90% of the time. These questions are not bad, but using them
all the time is. Try to utilize higher order level of questions. These
questions require much more "brain power" and a more extensive
and elaborate answer. There are the six question categories as defined
by Bloom.
Effective Questioning
Explanation: Effective Use of Questioning, Techniques of Effective Questioning.
The types of questions and the manner in which questions are asked have
a direct impact on the effectiveness of the questioning
Encouraging Student Participation in Discussion
Students'
enthusiasm, involvement, and willingness to participate affect the quality
of class discussion as an opportunity for learning. Your challenge is
to engage all students, keep them talking to each other about the same
topic, and help them develop insights into the material.
Why Discussion Is Important in Learning
There
are many ways to support learning, but discussion and writing are two
very powerful ones. Traditional classroom instruction has made extensive
use of these formats. Electronic communication now makes it possible
to use discussion and writing in at least two additional ways:
Goals for the Electronic Discussion
Just
as there should be a reason for the use of in-class discussion, it is
important that electronic discussions be planned to complement what
happens in the rest of the course. Some possible uses and examples are
below.
Electronic Discussion Tips
Both
instructors and students at Ohio State were asked what advice they would
give to those who use electronic class discussion in the future. Their
main points included the following:
Encouraging Students' Participation in Discussion
This
student was referring to the form I use to let students know both what
grade they have so far earned for their participation in discussions
and what they need to do to improve that grade.
Teaching Strategies: Effective Discussion Leading
Here
are four strategies that can help faculty and TAs encourage students
explore issues themselves:
Using E-mail outside of class to enhance discussions
E-mail
can be a good way get students to admit what they don't understand about
a text or assignment, as well as a chance for them to be analytical
about what they are studying.
Leading Discussions
This
handout presents some general principles for leading good discussions,
and offers answers to questions that are frequently asked by faculty
members about problems with discussion sessions
Getting Students Involved in the Classroom (PDF file)
There
is generally no single reason why some students are in varying degrees
uninterested and unwilling to participate in the classroom. Usually
a combination of factors are responsible and the instructor is faced
with diagnosing the problems in each individual class. The following
represents some of the more common causes of student non-involvement.
Classroom Structures Which Encourage Student Participation (PDF
file)
There
is a chart that explains when, what kind of method they need to use.
Assign readings to represent a variety of viewpoints
Because
the most controversial issues covered in the course are ones on which
the students have strong opinions but little information, I try to expose
them to diametrically opposite positions or theories
Present each of several competing theories
Even
though they do have a distinct point of view, several other excellent
teachers report that they also present the best case for each of several
competing theories before they reveal their own preferences.
Invite guest speakers with differing viewpoints
A
professor of education makes a point of doing this in his courses so
that students are exposed to a variety of positions. "I want them
to understand what the different points of view are, and one of the
best ways I have found to do that is to invite a colleague or practitioner,
whom I know to be an adherent of each view, to make a presentation to
the class."
Draw upon the diverse backgrounds of your students
Drawing
upon the diverse backgrounds and experiences of your students to introduce
different points of view.
Requiring students to read current newspapers or periodicals
Requiring
students to read current newspapers or periodicals
Share your professional "junk mail" with your students
In
his graduate courses, a professor of education makes a point of passing
around program announcements for local conferences, program proceedings,
and advertisements for new books and journals in the field. "In
this way I inform students about professional activities and recent
developments of which they might not otherwise be aware," he says.
Let your students know about relevant events and resources
If
you want to discuss recent developments in the field, Setting aside
class time to let students know about community events and resources
which will expand their understanding of the subject matter
Divide your lecture into blocks of time
For
the first 20 minutes of class time, he builds up to a discussion question
by presenting evidence, facts or issues. The next 30-40 minutes is devoted
to student discussion even though the class has several hundred students.
The instructor asks students for possible explanations or interpretations
of the facts or issues presented in the first part of lecture.
Make one of the lecture periods a discussion section
Turning
one of the lecture periods into a discussion section. An engineering
professor teaches a lecture course which enrolls about 40 students.
Because of its size, there is no Teaching Assistant for the class and
no formally scheduled discussion section.
Move around the room to promote discussion
A
professor of business administration finds that the way in which he
moves around the room alters the kinds of interaction he is able to
generate among the students. "When a student asks a question, it
is natural for an instructor to move toward that student," he points
out. "However, this tends to exclude the other students and focuses
the interaction between the teacher and each participating student in
a series of dialogues.
Redirect student questions
Whenever
you have reason to believe that there are students in the class who
know the answer to a student's question, it is useful to redirect the
question to one of those students or to the class as a whole.
Postpone student questions
Sometimes
students ask questions which go beyond the topic of discussion. These
are questions which anticipate an upcoming topic, take a topic to a
deeper level than expected, or raise a new issue. The question may be
important to the student, but irrelevant for the current discussion.
The teacher must decide either to put the question aside for after class
or to deal with it at the moment.
Admit when you don't know the answer
"Students
don't expect you to know everything," notes a professor of architecture.
"They admire your candor when you tell them you don't know, and
they appreciate your interest when you find out the answer and tell
them later."
Explain the purpose of discussion
To
get students involved in class discussion, it is helpful to explain
the value of their participation and what they can expect to get out
of the experience.
Create an appropriate physical setting for discussion
A
circle or U-shaped arrangement of chairs is the most useful for discussion.
Instructors also find that if they sit with the students rather than
stand or sit on a table, it helps promote true class discussion in place
of student-faculty exchanges
Identify discussion questions/issues in advance
Students
are more inclined to participate when they know the focus or intent
of the discussion. A preview of the discussion topics can help students
organize their thinking and prepare to express their views. Several
faculty members develop discussion questions in advance and distribute
them to their students.
Have students read different books and journal articles
A
class discussion of the topic follows the quiz. "Because the students
have not read identical sets of articles, these discussions allow them
to share complementary knowledge. I try to get them to generate their
own question, to take positions, to engage in debate," he says.
Use an assignment as a basis for discussion
An
engineering professor identifies several key questions or issues which
are given to students a week or two before they are to be discussed.
Students prepare written responses of no more than one typewritten double-spaced
page. As a result of writing their answers, students come to class well
prepared to discuss the material. Their written responses are turned
in at the beginning of the period and are subsequently graded, as is
their participation in the discussion of the topic.
Use an opinion questionnaire as a basis for discussion
Having
students complete a brief opinion questionnaire and using the results
as a basis for discussion.
Assign students specific leadership responsibilities
"I
find this procedure very effective in getting students to take responsibility
for class discussions," notes an architecture professor. Students
select topics for which they will serve as discussion leaders. The number
of leaders per topic depends on the size of the class (usually from
one to three students per topic). Each student leads a discussion two
or three times per semester."
Begin with common experiences
Beginning
the discussion with questions based on common experiences. Students
often feel more comfortable talking about an experience they have in
common: a field trip, a slide show, a demonstration, a film, a book,
an exhibit, etc. A shared experience can stimulate good discussion because,
as they exchange their observations, students frequently discover that
they have different perceptions and reactions to the same event. The
discussion can then focus on how and why perceptions vary.
Divide the class into smaller groups
An
education professor divides his class into groups of six to eight students.
Each group is assigned a specific question or topic to discuss, selected
from a list of questions prepared in advance. But, because students
do not know beforehand which questions their group will be assigned,
they must be prepared to discuss all of them.
Prompt discussion through the use of key phrases
Before
class, an education professor prepares a set of 3 x 5 index cards, each
containing an important phrase or issue relating to the topic or readings
for that week. He makes three to six cards depending on the amount of
time he wishes to spend on the topic. A student draws a card out of
a hat and has three minutes to respond to the prompt. The class then
discusses and elaborates on the student's presentation. At the beginning
of the course, students are told that they will be called on to speak
two or three times throughout the semester.
Try brainstorming techniques
The
rules are very simple. Students are encourage to contribute ideas rapidly
and each idea is written down on the blackboard. During the formation
of the list no idea is to be questioned or criticized by any member
of the class. Spontaneity and inventiveness are to be encouraged. Only
after a set period of time (ten minutes, for example) or when the group
has pretty well exhausted its ideas is an analytical or critical discussion
of the ideas permitted.
Encourage heated debates
Faculty
members in several disciplines find it useful to make leading remarks
to stimulate or revitalize class discussion.
Intercede if the discussion breaks down
Interceding
if the discussion is breaking down. In general, a faculty member can
usually refocus and revitalize a discussion with the introduction of
new questions. If these signs of a deteriorating discussion seem endemic
to a group, however, it may be useful to shift from working on the task
to discussing the interaction itself and the feelings of the members
about the functioning of the group.
Keep notes during discussion
Some
teachers find it useful to keep a clipboard handy during discussion
so that they can jot down notes. As the class is discussing a topic,
one education professor makes notes about important points, confusing
concepts, or ideas that may have been overlooked in the discussion.
At the end of the period, he makes a brief summary of the topics discussed,
reinforcing the main points, and clarifying or elaborating as appropriate.
Assign students responsibility for summarizing major points
A
variation on this technique is for the professor to tell the class,
at the beginning of the discussion, that someone will be called on to
summarize, but not identify who that student will be. This strategy
is designed not only to encourage students to participate more actively
in the discussion but to listen more carefully for the main ideas, since
they may be called upon to give the summary.
Call on students who might provide an interesting viewpoint
Several
teachers stress the fact that by getting students to share experiences
you can quadruple the amount of knowledge the students take away from
the course.
Leading Discussions
Do
you know how to plan and lead an effective discussion? The general value
of discussions is that they allow students to "process" information
and ideas, and this in turn leads to better understanding, better retention,
a feeling of being more involved in their own learning, seeing the value
in the perspectives of others, etc.
Peer Teaching in Lectures
Rather
than regurgitating the text, I concentrate on the basic concepts and
every 10 or 15 minutes I project a "Concept Test" on the screen.
These short conceptual questions generally require qualitative rather
than quantitative answers. The students get one minute to think and
choose an answer. They are also expected to record their confidence
in their answer. After they record their answers, I ask their students
to turn to their neighbors and to convince them of their logic.
Suggestions for Classroom Discussion
Although
lecture can certainly be an efficient means of instruction, it often
functions as an information delivery system rather than a learning experience.
Engaging students in a carefully planned classroom discussion stimulates
a more active role in the learning process. Learning is rooted in the
experiencing of information, not in the information. Manipulating, extending,
and expressing one's understanding of information is what classroom
questioning and answering is all about.
Classroom
Structures that Encourage Student Participation
Classroom
Structures that Encourage Student Participation
Leading
Discussions Groups
Prepare
the focus or theme for the class (or understand what the focus/theme
is as directed by the Professor for the course) Ask students to introduce
themselves by pairing and then introducing their partner - this way
you get to know a little about them and they get to know a little about
Types of questions
As
teachers we tend to ask questions in the "knowledge" category
80% to 90% of the time. These questions are not bad, but using them
all the time is. Try to utilize higher order level of questions.
The Renaissance of Educational Debate: Results of a Five-Year Study
of the Use of Debate in Business Education.
Debate
is an educational tool that has existed since ancient Greece. This article
briefly covers the history and benefits of educational debate, then
describes how debates were used in a senior marketing class. In a five-year
study of the effectiveness of this instructional method, students reported
that debates both enhanced their learning and improved their speaking
skills.
Talkers and Listeners
When
running seminar or discussion classes for undergraduates, the major
issue instructors face is unbalanced participation, with some students
dominating the discussion while others remain silent.
