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Facilitating Effective Discussion - Coggle Diagram
Facilitating Effective Discussion
Preparing for a discussion
Help students prepare for the discussion.
Establish ground rules for participation in a discussion.
Reevaluate your course participation and attendance policies
Ask students to state their name before they begin speaking.
Plan how you will conduct the discussion
Keep background noise to a minimum.
Clearly communicate how much time you have for questions or discussion
Slow down when you are using big words or complicated phrases
Starting a discussion
Use a brainstorming activity.
Pose an opening question and give students a few minutes to record an answer.
Use a partner activity.
Divide students into small groups to discuss a specific question or issue.
Make a list of key points.
Pose a controversial issue and organize an informal debate.
Refer to questions you distributed.
Encouraging student participation
Use online resources and content management systems to extend class discussions.
Have students take turns writing down questions and answers on whiteboard.
Facilitate smaller activities before discussion and questions start.
Positively reinforce student contributions.
Facilitate smaller discussions among students before you ask students to share with the entire class.
Use a "token system" to encourage discussion.
Give students low-stakes opportunities to think and discuss content.
Limit your own involvement.
Allow students to ask questions or share ideas in class anonymously.
Balance students' voices during the discussion.
Create an inclusive discussion environment.
Be alert for signs that the discussion is deteriorating.
Making remarks such as: “Slow down,” “Take a breath,” or “Relax
Take notes
Prevent the discussion from deteriorating into a heated argument.
Repeat the key point of all comments
Bring closure to the discussion
Keep the discussion focused
Remember that not all students are comfortable with extended direct eye contact.