Handbook Table of Contents > Teaching Methods > Discussion
Indiana University Teaching Handbook
Teaching Methods
Discussion
Introduction
Discussion is important to learning in all disciplines because it helps students process information rather than simply receive it. Discussion sections differ from lectures in many ways. Two major differences are that the students can be more active and that there can be more personal contact. But discussion is an instructional activity that has uses in classes of all sizes and disciplines. Students can and should talk to each other and the instructor even in a large class, as well as in small to medium-sized classes. Good discussions give students an opportunity to formulate principles in their own words and to suggest applications of these principles; they help students become aware of and define problems implied in readings or lectures; they can also increase students’ sensitivity to other points of view and alternative explanations (adapted with permission from Unruh, 1986).
Leading a discussion requires skills different from lecturing. The goal of a discussion is to get students to talk purposefully about the course material. Your role becomes that of facilitator. You moderate the discussion rather than convey information. If you want to hold a discussion, don’t do all the talking yourself; don’t lecture to the group or talk to one student at a time. Remember that the discussion isn’t just a matter of your communication with your students; it’s a chance for your students to share ideas and pool resources. Many instructors overlook this potential and end up trying to carry the whole conversation themselves. Remember that as long as you’re speaking, the students cannot (adapted with permission from Ronkowski, 1986).
