Discussion as a Way of Teaching

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Discussion as a Way of Teaching

• STEPHEN BROOKFIELD

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Why Discussions Fail

• Unprepared Students
• Unrealistic Expectations
• No Ground Rules
• Reward Systems Askew
• No Teacher Modeling

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Creating Ground Rules

• Individuals reflect on features of best worst
  discussions theyve experienced
• Groups discuss commonly agreed features of best
  worst discussions
• For each feature group asks how can this be
  encouraged /or eliminated
• Class creates ground rules with teacher
  assistance (the 3 person rule, rotating roles,
  building on others contributions, providing
  evidence)

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Circle of Voices

• Individuals reflect on the discussion topic (1-3
  minutes)
• Participants go round the circle in order - each
  person has up to 1 minute of uninterrupted air
  time to give their viewpoint on the topic. No
  interruptions are allowed.
• Move into free discussion with the ground rule
  that every comment offered must somehow refer
  back to a comment made by someone else in the
  opening circle of voices. This need NOT be
  agreement - it can be a disagreement, a question,
  an elaboration or extension, an illustration, and
  so on.

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3 PERSON RULE

• ONCE YOU HAVE SPOKEN YOU MAY NOT MAKE ANOTHER
  COMNTRIBUTION UNTIL AT LEAST 3 OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN
  - UNLESS SOMEONE ASKS YOU DIRECTLY TO EXPAND ON
  YOUR COMMENT

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SPIRAL CONVERSATION

• ONCE YOU HAVE SPOKEN YOU DO NOT SPEAK AGAIN UNTIL
  EVERYONE IN THE GROUP HAS CONTRIBUTED.
  FACILITATOR MONITORS THIS PROCESS - LATER
  CONTRIBUTORS CAN AGREE, DISAGREE OR PASS

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Conversational Moves

• Bring 3x5 cards to class with moves typed on each
  of them. Participants choose 1 of these cards
  randomly.
• EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC MOVES
• Ask a question or make a comment that shows you
  are interested in anothers comments
• Make a comment that underscores the link between
  2 previous contributions
• Make a comment clearly building on what someone
  else has said - make this link explicit
• Make a summary observation on a recurring theme
  in the discussion
• Express appreciation for how anothers comments
  have helped your understanding
• Disagree with someone in a respectful way

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Conversational Roles

• Problem Poser
• Reflective Analyst
• Scrounger
• Umpire
• Detective

• Devils Advocate
• Theme Spotter
• Textual Focuser
• Evidential Assessor

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Hatful of Quotes

• Type out 5-6 provocative quotes from assigned
  reading on a 3x5 card (each quote will be on
  several cards)
• Put these in a hat have participants choose a
  card at random
• Participants take turns (at their choosing) to
  respond to these quotes - or to earlier comments
  on these quotes

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Quotes to Affirm Challenge

• Each participant brings in a quote she wishes to
  affirm, one she wishes to challenge, from the
  assigned reading
• Quotes to affirm - resonate with experience,
  explain difficult concepts clearly, add
  significant new information, are cogently
  expressed, are rhetorically powerful etc.
• Quotes to challenge - immoral/unethical, poorly
  expressed, factually wrong, contradict experience
• Quotes are shared in small groups each group
  chooses ONE to affirm ONE to challenge
• In large group conversation the small group
  communicates rationales for each of these choices

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Circular Response(Eduard Lindeman)

• Individuals reflect on a topic for discussion
• Form into circles of 6-8
• One person starts by giving her reflections on
  the topic. Up to 1 minute allowed - no
  interruptions
• Person to left of 1st speaker goes next -
  whatever she says MUST somehow refer to/build on
  previous speakers comments (can be a
  disagreement or express confusion). Up to 1
  minute allowed - no interruptions
• Process continues leftwards around the circle
  with people speaking in order until all have
  participated
• Group moves into open conversation with no
  particular ground rules in force

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Snowballing

• People spend time individually reflecting on the
  topic
• Form into pairs share reflections
• Pairs form into quartets
• Quartets form into octets
• AND SO ON SO ON!!
• (An alternative way to move from small to whole
  group discussion)

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Newsprint Dialogue

• Small groups put their deliberations on newsprint
  sheets - no reporter is chosen to report these
  out
• Newsprint sheets are then posted around the room
  blank sheets posted next to each sheet
• Each participant takes a marker wanders by
  herself around the room - she writes her
  questions, reactions, agreements etc. directly
  onto the sheets or on the blanks posted next to
  them
• Groups reassemble at their postings to see what
  others have written

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STRUCTURED SILENCE

• Every 15 minutes students write individually on
  3x5 cards ONE of the following - most important
  point, most puzzling point, question theyd most
  like to discuss, something new theyve learned -
  in the discussion so far.
• Cards shuffled responses read out by different
  students

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Rotating Stations

• Small groups record their deliberations on
  newsprint sheets and hang these on the wall - a
  blank sheet hangs next to each groups posting
• Staying in their small groups, each group visits
  the posting next to theirs - as a group they
  post their reactions to the posting on the blank
  sheets
• Groups rotate until they arrive at their own
  posting. They review all the previous groups
  comments
• Whole class discussion follows on how groups
  reacted to other groups postings

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Speech policy

• Silence is allowed and will not be interpreted as
  mental disengagement, lack of intelligence or
  lack of commitment
• Speech will not be interpreted as a sign of
  intelligence, extreme engagement or superlative
  diligence
• (This helps take the performance anxiety off
  studentsshoulders)

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Mutual Invitation(Eric Law - The Wolf Shall
dwell with the Lamb)

• Facilitator begins by sharing her views on the
  topic
• Facilitator chooses who will speak next - this
  person can pass but then chooses who will speak
  in their turn
• No-one can interrupt the chosen speaker
• Once all have spoken participants move into open
  discussion with no ground rules

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Critical Conversation Protocol

• Storyteller tells the tale - no interruptions
• Detectives ask questions about story
• Detectives report out assumptions they hear
• Detectives offer alternative interpretations
• Participants do an experiential audit (what have
  we learned, would do differently etc.)
• Umpire enforces ground rules throughout

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Critical Incident Questionnaire

• Moment most engaged as a learner
• Moment most distanced as a learner
• Most affirming/helpful action
• Most puzzling/confusing action
• What surprised you most
• These are anonymously completed - the
  instructor reads these reports main findings at
  start of next class with time for discussion (if
  needed)

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Learning Audit

• As a result of todays discussion
• What do you know that you didnt know this
  time last week?
• What can you do that you couldnt do this time
  last week?
• What could you teach someone else to know or
  do that you couldnt teach them this time last
  week?

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What Would it Take?

• Former resisters testified to its utility
• Faculty modeled their own participation
• My silence was not misconstrued

• Open - not a guessing game of what the teacher
  thinks
• Group developed observed ground rules
• Participation was assessed by multiple indicators

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Critical Debate

• Motion is framed participants volunteer to work
  on teams to draft arguments that either support
  or oppose the motion
• Facilitator switches teams!
• Teams conduct debate w/rebuttal time
• Debrief the debate - assumptions that were
  confirmed challenged, new viewpoints,
  overlooked evidence

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Discussion Inventory

• Tell students you reserve 5-10 minutes at the end
  of the discussion to offer your thoughts
• On a notepad record-
• - clear errors of fact or understanding,
• - perspectives that are ignored,
• - oppositional views that are smothered
• Articulate these for 5-10 minutes before giving
  participants the last word the CIQ

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GRADING FOR PARTICIPATION BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS

• Ask a question of a peer that draws out their
  thinking
• Bring in a resource not covered in the syllabus
  that adds new info. or ideas
• Make a comment that underscores the link between
  2 peoples comments
• Use body language to show interest in a persons
  contribution

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PARTICIPATION (II)

• Post an online comment that summarizes our
  discussion or suggests a new direction
• Make a comment (online is ok) about how you found
  anothers comments useful or interesting. Be as
  specific as possible.
• Contribute something that builds on what another
  has said - be explicit about how you are doing
  this

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PARTICIPATION (III)

• Make a comment on the CIQ or online that helps us
  examine discussion dynamics
• Ask a cause and effect question
• Express appreciation for how the discussion has
  helped you understand something better (online is
  OK). Be specific about exactly what was helpful.
• Summarize several peoples comments

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NOMINATING QUESTIONS

• Small groups come up with 1-2 questions they want
  to discuss further
• Groups post questions on posters or black/white
  board
• Students individually put a check against 2
  questions they would like to discuss more
• Whole class discussion is structured around
  questions with most votes

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Discussion as a Way of Teaching Tools
  Techniques for Democratic Classrooms
• Brookfield Preskill (2006)
• Education, Democracy Discussion
• Bridges (1988)

• Active Talk The Effective Use of Discussion in
  Learning Van Ments (1990)
• Discussion-Based Online Teaching to Enhance
  Student Learning
• Bender (2003)