Classroom

Discussions
 Most widely used method after lectures.
 Also one of the most difficult methods.
 Involves expert handling skills.
 Among the problems that cause teachers to dread discussions
are the following: asking an opening question that evokes
responses rather than silence and asking follow up questions
to sustain the discussion; handling digressions and a dialogue
with an especially combative student; dealing sensitively with
shy, reticent, and avoidant students as well as with dominating
ones; responding to inappropriate statements, either of error
or of outright racism, sexism, or homophobia; suffering
through silences; worrying about having to say, "I don't know";
and bringing closure on a discussion so that students leave
class with a clear sense that they have learned something.
 Advantages
 The fundamental value of discussions is that
through them students develop a sense of
ownership and responsibility for their own
learning.
 In discussions, students cannot sit back and
wait for the professor's answers but must exert
an effort to discover their own answers.
 Discussions further students' appreciation for
intellectual complexity.
 Students develop cognitive skills by their
participation in discussions.
 By practicing these skills in
interaction with others, with frequent
positive reinforcement, students
develop greater confidence in their
mastery of conceptual materials,
thinking skills, and expressive
abilities.
 Limitations
 Like any teaching and learning strategy,
discussions should be used as one approach among
many--the choice depending on goals.
 Discussions are inappropriate for providing an
overview of the structure of a course, for
introducing unfamiliar material and explaining
difficult concepts, and for doing a literature review.
 Discussions cannot provide charismatic inspiration
to undertake a new and difficult unit or learning
project.
 Types
 There are two basic models for
effective student-centred
discussions:
 1) Developmental problem solving
and
 2) Open-ended discussions.
 ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE
DISCUSSION
 Quality "Texts"
 Preparation
 Clarity of Purpose
 Common Focus
 Going to the Text
 Summary Interventions
 Staging
 Shifts of Energy and Voice
 Immediate Inclusion
 Classroom Climate and Evaluation
Thank You!
Any Questions?