Class Discussion
Faculty began a whole class discussion.
About
Class discussion is a time honored teaching activity which still dominates in the Humanities, the Social Sciences and the Arts. The picture of a rapt circle of students, hands raised around small seminar table, is one of the defining images of college. It implies equality, democratic participation, exchange of ideas and perspectives, and the freedom and format to follow a truth-seeking quest. Realistically, it is hard to manage even in mid-sized classes, allows unprepared or freeloading students to hide and not participate, and can be irritatingly dominated by a few students, or even the professor. To overcome the weaknesses, and get the maximum benefits, many faculty require either a pre-class or in-class writing prior to the discussion to insure preparedness, ask for every member to share in turn, or take time to teach discussion principles. Class discussion relies on social behaviors, and in fields where knowledge is often thought of as a social construct, it will continue to be heavily relied on by many professors. And in fields where knowledge is thought of as natural or inherent, it will be used by fewer faculty.
The original study's data and analysis for "Class Discussion" can be found on this link.
What Faculty Have To Say
Strengths (13)
- Active involvement from all students
- Introduces a range of perspectives
- Improves comprehension and retention
- Builds community
- Is student-centered and social
- Real-time response to questions,
- Faculty and students can clarify, challenge, affirm or add material
- Models respectful dialogue
- Allows for creative exploration
- Is relatively easy to manage
- Works well in small classes
- Helps gauge student positions
- Teaches listening and speaking skills
Weaknesses (14)
- Uneven participation
- Quiet and shy students can hide:
- Can be dominated by a few students
- Takes a lot of time
- Can wander off course
- Encourages groupthink
- Can squelch opinions, or belittle beliefs
- Hard with more than 15 students
- Hard to lead well
- Note taking is harder
- Takeaways vary
- Professor can still dominate
- Unfamiliar to many students
- Suffers if student are unprepared
Pedagogy Usage
Bucknell faculty was asked their best estimate for how often in the semester they used Class Discussion and the average class time it took.
Average Duration: 30 min (mode=20)
Remote Suggestions
As with face-to-face discussions, one of the most importatnt things is establishing a discursive culture, which usually requires setting clear expectations and procedures to minimize over-talkers, and encourage under-talkers. Zoom has some tools that can help (raise hand, thumbs up, a running chat), and though rudimentatry, students should be encouraged to use them frequently. Video discussions are usually halting affairs, as people are unsure of when to talk, what is polite, and how to signal normal conversational behavior. It can help if you assign discussants in rotation on different days, as those students become more empowered to speak.
Resources for Additional Learning
Articles & Books
- Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms by Stephen D. Brookfield
- Leading Scintillating, Stimulating, Substantive Class Discussions, Columbia University
- Facilitating Effective Group Discussions: https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/sheridan-center/teaching-learning/effective-classroom-practices/discussions-seminars/facilitating