Davis (1993) and Frederick (1981) provide a number of excellent suggestions.
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One of the most important things to consider when formulating a strategy is how to get the discussion jump-started. Digressions may be productive if your primary purpose is to explore connections, and undesirable if the goal of your discussion is more focused. For example, correcting factual inaccuracies might be critical in some circumstances, less so in others. Your answers to these questions will depend on your goals. How will I (or my students) synthesize the ideas at the end of the class period?.How will I correct students’ misconceptions or inaccuracies without stifling participation?.How will I deal with digressions or unanticipated shifts in topic?.
How do I want students to prepare: read a case study? (if so, in class or as homework?) do a team exercise? watch a documentary? reflect on a set of questions?.Some of the questions to consider when formulating a plan include: Plan a strategyĪfter determining the objectives for your discussion, ask yourself: How will I make sure that students meet these objectives? Plan the discussion out, even if you end up deviating from your plan. Communicating your objectives to your students, moreover, helps to focus their thinking and motivate participation. When you can clearly envision the purpose of the discussion, it is easier to formulate stimulating questions and an appropriate strategy for facilitating the discussion. Suggest and justify design changes to optimize the benefits for the most number of people. Imagine a particular approach to the design of cities and discuss the impact such a design would have on the lives of people in different socioeconomic categories.Formulate arguments and counter-arguments for a legal position.Evaluate the arguments alone and in comparison with one another and discuss their contemporary policy implications. Articulate the arguments made by the authors of two assigned readings and assess the evidence used to support them.You might, for example, want students to be able to: How do the ideas and information to be discussed fit into the course as a whole? What skills, knowledge, perspectives, or sensibilities do you want students to walk away from the discussion with? Your goals for a particular discussion should be consistent with your course objectives and values as an instructor. Creating a setting conducive for discussionĬognitive Factors Determine and communicate learning objectivesįor discussions to accomplish something valuable, they must have a purpose.Make high-quality participation “count”.Determine and communicate learning objectives.When planning a discussion, it is helpful to consider not only cognitive, but also social/emotional, and physical factors that can either foster or inhibit the productive exchange of ideas. Fortunately, careful planning can help us ensure that discussions are lively without being chaotic and exploratory without losing focus. While discussions provide avenues for exploration and discovery, leading a discussion can be anxiety-producing: discussions are, by their nature, unpredictable, and require us as instructors to surrender a certain degree of control over the flow of information. They create opportunities for students to practice and sharpen a number of skills, including the ability to articulate and defend positions, consider different points of view, and enlist and evaluate evidence. (Some sections adapted from Davis, 1993 Brookfield and Preskill, 1999)ĭiscussions can be an excellent strategy for enhancing student motivation, fostering intellectual agility, and encouraging democratic habits.
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