Class Discussions

How do you set up a successful discussion?

I think three features create successful discussions: prepared students, good questions, and equal participation. First, students should be prepared for discussions by coming to class having already read the material and formed opinions about it. It’s difficult to discuss something you are not familiar with. Secondly, teachers need to prepare good, meaningful questions. These questions need to be thought-provoking, controversial, or open-ended. Finally, everyone should have equal opportunity to contribute to the discussion. This means that a few students don’t dominate the discussion while the more silent students go unheard. For this to happen, teachers can use homogenous small-group discussion or silent conversations, to name a few strategies. Ultimately, students need to be held accountable for contributing their opinions.