Seminars on Language Development and Intercultural Teaching
Anyone who in discussion relies upon authority uses, not his understanding, but rather his memory. ~ Leonardo da Vinci
New opinions often appear first as jokes and fancies, then as blasphemies and treason, then as questions open to discussion, and finally as established truths. ~ George Bernard Shaw
This workshop for faculty will explore strategies for creating and maintaining discussions that foster active learning in the classroom.
Introduction
- Your burning questions about discussion (on small anonymous cards)
- Agree/Disagree statements about benefits of discussion
Structuring the class session
- Advantages of student learning
- Fifteen Benefits of student learning (Brookfield and Preskill, 1999, p. 17)
- Creating Rapport
Setting expectations
- Discuss with students the nature of a good discussion: Set some ground rules
- Example ground rules (English for Academic Purposes, University of Tartu 2007)
Facilitating the discussion
- Ten ways to start a discussion (Frederick, 1981)
Techniques for encouraging participation
- Potential problems (and solutions)
- How to get students to talk in class from Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning
Questioning strategies
- What are your goals?
- to encourage students to synthesize ideas from different readings?
- to encourage comparison?
- to stir up criticism?
- to have students apply ideas to experiences drawn from outside the texts?
- to test or evaluate?
- Question development and preparation
- Some example questions
- Questions and appropriate responses from Cornell University
- Designing effective discussion questions from Center for Teaching and Learning at Stanford
Resources and references
Barton, J., Heilker, Pl., & Rutkowski, D. (n.d.). Fostering effective classroom discussions. English Department at Virginia Tech.
Brookfield, S. D., & Preskill, S. (1999). Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and techniques for university teachers. Buckingham: The Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
Center of Teaching Excellence. (n.d.) Tip sheets: Teaching and learning activities. University of Waterloo.
Columbia University (2005). Teaching manual leading discussions. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Teaching Center.
Frederick, P. (1981). Ten ways to start a discussion. Improving College and University Teaching, 29, 109-114.
Gottschalk, K. K. (2001). Leading discussions. Cornell University.
Middendorf, J. (2003). Learning student names. Teaching Resource Center, Indiana University.
Nee, R. A., & Wiemer, M., eds (1989). Classroom Communication: Collected Readings for Effective Discussion and Questioning. Madison, Wisconsin: Magna Publications.
Schaible, R., & Rhodes, G. (1992) students/listening teachers: The student-led discussion. Issues & Inquiry in College Teaching & Learning, 15, 44.
Teaching Effectiveness Program, University of Oregon. (2006). Tips on leading an effective discussion. University of Oregon.
Vanderbilt Center for Teaching. (n.d.). Discussions. Vanderbilt.
VanDruff, D., & VanDruff, M. (1995). Conversational terrorism.
