DISCUSSIONS

(From Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom, by D. W. Johnson, R. T. Johnson, and K. Smith, Interaction Book Company, 1991, p. 5:1-5:9; and

Teaching Tips, Wilbur McKeachie, Houghton Mifflin, Berkeley, 1999)

 

ADVANTAGES

 

á      Increases instructor awareness of student learning

á      Better suited to developing higher order cognitive skills

á      Makes students feel more engaged and welcome

á      More likely to change attitudes

á      Gives more responsibility to students for learning

 

PROBLEMS

 

á      Less information is conveyed

á      Some students may not contribute to discussions

á      Some students may dominate or be abrasive

á      Difficult to keep discussion focused on topic

á      Judging the appropriate amount of talking by the instructor

 

 

ENEMIES OF THE DISCUSSION

 

á      Students may feel that they are not learning

á      Students not sure what they are discussing

á      Agreement arrived at too easily

á      It is believed that the instructor already knows the ÔrightÕ answer or is looking for the ÔcorrectÕ viewpoint

á      Students have not done the reading

á      Students feel that the atmosphere is not safe to make errors or to voice tentative, unformed ideas