A way of teaching
Discussions can play a valuable role in lecture courses, seminars, quiz sections, labs, studios and a variety of other settings. A well-planned discussion can encourage and stimulate student learning and add variety to your class. While “good” discussions can be a powerful tool for encouraging student learning, successful discussions rarely happen spontaneously. Preparing ahead of time will help you define a clear focus by establishing goals and student expectations for the discussion. Establish goals for the discussion: Determine goals based on an assessment of what material students already understand and the areas that they need to explore. Decide what you want students to learn from the discussion. Do you want them to apply newly learned concepts, mull over novel subject matter, learn to analyze arguments critically, or hear each other’s points of view? These goals are not mutually exclusive but they require different types of leadership on ...