Discussion
Technique
Exchange
of ideas between several people is the best process of learning and teaching
from one another. In the classroom environment, discussion is the best way of
promoting conducive learning and convenient teaching situation. It refers to
the technique, which give pupils an opportunity to express their views or
opinions orally on certain issues. One person speaks at a time, while others
are listening. It doesn't always involve the presentation of new information
and concepts. It also involves sharing of ideas and experiences, solving
problems and promoting tolerance with understanding. Discussion technique is
suitable in many situations and can be used in many situations of teaching and
learning. There are different forms of discussion that can be used in the
classroom.
Kochhar(1985)identifies
two major types of discussions which are formal and informal. Informal
discussions are governed by pre-determined set of rules and it includes debates,
panels, symposia etc. Whilst formal discussions may involve whole group or
small groups of people divided with the intention of discussing themes. These
are not governed by pre-determined set of rules.
In
a 2010 survey IUB new faculty reported that
gaining student attention and engagement during class was very challenging. The
primary method to bring about active learning is discussion according to
Svinicki and McKeachie (2011). But the purpose of discussion is not just to
have students discuss; the purpose of discussion is to provide practice and feedback for the kinds
of thinking that are the goal of the course.
Characteristics of the
Discussion Method
1.
Experiential Learning
We
learn best when we are actively involved in the learning process.
Using
the discussion method, a student’s concrete, personal experiences are followed
by observation, reflection, and analysis of these experiences. This process
leads to formulation of abstract concepts and generalizations, which, in turn,
leads to hypotheses to be discussed and tested in future experiences.
2.
Emphasis on Students
Students’
experiences serve as the basis for the discussion
Although the teacher
must have a specific goal in mind and a general framework for reaching the
goal, student input determines the specific direction the discussion takes.
3.
Focus on Critical Thinking
Developing
critical thinking skills involves consideration of three areas: instructional
design, a focus on learning by doing, and strategic teaching.
Role
of teacher
- Place a point for discussion
- Encourage students for discussion
- Provide direction to discussion in a way that leads to learning
- As guide, moderator, leader, director
Role
of Students
- Need to be prepared with content which is decided for discussion
- Collect as much as information they can related to content
- Exchange and share their ideas and information
- Take part in discussion
Phases/ stages of
discussion technique:
1. Formulation of group: teacher form group of students, and do necessary preparation for discussion.
Could be done through a series of
questions or give some challenging problem
2. Posing question:
Students and the teacher clarify the students’ initial ideas
3. Encourage students for discussion: Activity or situation
that challenges the students’ initial idea.“What if…”
questions are used to stimulate student thinking about the consequences of the
criteria used
4. Application Phase:
Students have the opportunity to practice using the new material in a variety
of contexts. At this point in the critique unit, students could view videotaped
speeches, critique them, and then discuss their critiques.
5. Conclusion: The topic is concluded by teacher at the end of discussion.
Eighteen Discussion
Suggestions
Below are some further
suggestions for promoting useful classroom discussions.
1. Discussion requires
preparation. For thought-provoking issues, allow students time to get prepared.
Give the questions ahead of time or at least allow students time for reflection
before they talk. Also, remember to give yourself plenty of preparation time
before the class begins.
2.Break large problems
into smaller, more specific ones. Discussions often appear disorganized because
different students are working on different parts of the problem and thus
become frustrated by what seem irrelevant comments by other students. You
should break the discussion problem into smaller parts, so that all students
are working on the same part of the problem at the same time. You can then
attempt to keep the students aware of the discussion problem that is the current
focus. For many problems, typical steps might include formulating the problem,
suggesting propositions or hypotheses, getting relevant data, and evaluating
alternative solutions (Maier, l963).
3.Ask questions at
different levels of abstraction. Don't get stuck at some particular level of
analysis, stay at the factual level. Also, ask questions that require analysis,
application, synthesis, and evaluation.
4.Provide
encouragement and praise for correct answers and risk-taking. Be positive,
non-judgmental, and supportive. Encourage participation by at least a smile, a
verbal or nonverbal acknowledgment, or a few words of encouragement. Avoid
moralizing, preaching, threats, warnings, judging, ridicule, or blaming. Such
practices tend to stifle effective discussion.
5. Don't use
unnecessary jargon. Explain your terminology. Phrase your questions carefully
so that they will not confuse students.
6. Adopt the 10-second
rule. Learn to be patient and to tolerate silence. Silence, after all, can be a
powerful motivator for speaking. Practice waiting as long as 8 to 10 seconds
for responses to difficult and thought-provoking questions.
7. Learn to paraphrase.
Paraphrasing, sometimes called "active listening," involves
interpreting what students say, reformulating it, and presenting your
interpretation back to the student in your own words. It is a method of
communicating understanding and involvement which, if practiced
conscientiously, involves more than merely repeating or "parroting"
the student's comment (Gordon, l974).
8. Allow students to
answer. Resist the temptation to answer your own questions.
9. Learn students'
names. Learning their names displays your concern and lets students know you
care about them as individuals. Although simple, it is one of the most
important techniques to promote discussion. If you have trouble remembering,
use devices such as assigned seating or name tags during the first two weeks to
help you and students learn each other's names.
10. Seat students
facing one another. Seating students in rows may reduce discussion among them.
Seat them in a circle to promote classroom interaction.
11. Adopt the role of
troubleshooter. Reduce ambiguity by presenting facts or requesting the
discussion, by summarizing, or by preventing premature closure of the
discussion.
12. Creatively handle
disagreements. List the pros and cons of an issue on the blackboard, allow
representatives to offer points of view to debate, make people temporarily
argue from a perspective opposite from their own, or employ other techniques to
reduce destructive classroom conflict.
13. Promote openness
and honesty. Try not to be defensive. Don't be afraid to admit ignorance and
learn to say, "I don't know." Use alternative views as teaching
resources and try to promote a friendly atmosphere in the classroom.
14. Promote student
self-help. Help students learn to evaluate their own progress and to identify
discussion problems and barriers that have developed. Encourage good thought
habits and help students identify their own mistakes.
15. Encourage student
interaction. Encourage students not only to ask you questions, but also to
react to one another's ideas. Promote the idea of education as a democratic
endeavor in which people learn together. Ask students to comment on each
other's remarks and ask them to respond directly to one another.
16. Be a positive role
model. Actions are often more important than words. Be careful to provide an
example through your actions of your most important values.
17. Draw on student skills.
Draw on the tremendous reservoir of existing skills and practical life
experiences already present in the class. Get individual class members to
contribute to problem areas where they have special knowledge or experience.
18. Summarize,
summarize, summarize. Periodically, and at the end of the class period,
appraise the progress of the class by summarizing the main points of the
discussion. Restate issues, point out diversions and barriers, and praise
classroom successes.
BASIC ELEMENTS OF
COOPERATIVE TEAMS
Positive
Interdependence
Team members perceive
that they need each other in order to complete the group's task ("sink or
swim together"). Instructors may structure positive interdependence by
establishing mutual goals (maximize own and each other's productivity), joint
rewards (if all group members achieve above the criteria, each will receive
bonus points), shared resources (members have different expertise), and
assigned roles (summarizer, encourager of participation, elaborator).
Individual
Accountability
Assessing the quality
and quantity of each member's contributions and giving the results to the group
and the individual.
Face-to-Face Promotive
Interaction
Team members promote
each other's productivity by helping, sharing, and encouraging efforts to
produce. Members explain, discuss, and teach what they know to teammates.
Instructors structure teams so that members sit knee-to-knee and talk through
each aspect of the tasks they are working to complete.
Interpersonal and Small
Group Skills
Groups cannot function
effectively if members do not have and use the needed social skills.
Instructors emphasize these skills as purposefully and precisely as job performance
skills. Collaborative skills include instructorship, decision-making, trust
building, communication, and conflict-management skills.
Group Processing
Groups need specific
time to discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective
working relationships among members. Instructors structure group processing by
assigning such tasks as (a) list at least three member actions that helped the
group be successful and (b) list one action that could be added to make the
group even more successful tomorrow. Instructors also monitor the groups and
give feedback on how well the groups are working together.
v Some
Creative Techniques for Discussion Teaching – Prepared by Professor David Dunne
Buzz Groups:
Students form pairs, or groups of four or five, to discuss issues from a
reading assignment. Questions may or may not be assigned by the instructor and
the groups can be allowed 5-15 minutes depending on the complexity of the
issues.
Poster Tour:
Groups of students record their discussion on a flip chart or on the
chalkboard. At the end of the allotted time, groups tour all posters in the
room.
Rotating Stations:
Groups discuss an issue for ten minutes and switch positions, leaving their flip
chart behind. The discussion then continues, with each group using the flip
chart as a new basis for discussion. As an alternative technique, groups can
stay in place and trade one or more members.
Snowballing:
This technique involves progressively expanding groups. Students prepare a
question alone, then discuss it with a partner, then join another pair to form
a group of four, then eight, and so on until the whole class has been brought
together.
Cocktail Party:
The professor assigns a reading or question, and on class day brings in and
serves hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic drinks. To create the right atmosphere,
the professor serves students from a tray carried around the room. The only
expectation of the students is that they find interesting and engaging ways to
explore the issue; the class is then brought together for whole-class
discussion.
Jigsaw:
Students become “experts” by researching a topic, and explain it to other
students in class. For a class of 25, about 5 topics would be assigned and each
student would choose one to research. In class, students who have chosen the
same topic gather to raise questions and explore areas of understanding/
misunderstanding. Now groups are formed that include at least one expert on
each topic; students take turns to lead discussion in the groups.
Critical Debate:
Students are asked to vote, by a show of
hands, on a contentious issue. They are then asked to form a debating team
favouring the opposite side to the one they voted for.
Each team elects a
spokesperson and the debate ensues. The debrief focuses on what new ways of
thinking were opened up, the strengths and weaknesses of their own and others’
positions, etc.
Lineup or “Stand Where
You Stand”: A line of masking tape is placed on the
floor, with each end of the line representing a position on a contentious
issue. Students are asked to stand at the point in the line that represents
their opinion. To do this, they need to talk to their neighbour about his/her
position and develop reasons for their own. In “stand where you stand”, the
professor provides a statement of a position and and displays four signs around
the room, reading STRONGLY AGREE, AGREE, DISAGREE and STRONGLY DISAGREE.
Students first write down their views and then choose a position accordingly.
Dramatizing Discussion:
Students are invited to report their discussions of an issue through some sort
of theatrical offering. This may take the form of a role play of the “right”
and “wrong” way to approach an issue, or may personalize an abstract subject
(e.g. “Mr. Debit” and Ms. Credit”).
Drawing Discussion:
Students are supplied with flip chart sheets, pens, rulers, scissors and tape.
They are asked to provide a visual representation of the important themes in
their discussion. They are encouraged to be creative and playful while
maintaining an underlying seriousness about the ideas they want to communicate.
E-Mail/Online
Discussion: Students are asked to comment on a
topic online. (The Rotman portal can be used for this). The professor can
assign a topic and students have time to reflect and read about it before
commenting. In one approach, the professor explains that each student is
expected to make some sort of online contribution each week. Students may
initiate a topic or respond to topics raised by others. As the term proceeds,
students are expected to play the role of both initiator and respondent.
Reference:
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