Tips for Leading Discussions

Although initially designed for a classroom context, the following suggestions are equally valid online.

Motivating Students to Participate

• Choose topics that capture attention and arouse curiosity
• State incentives to participate in discussions
• Be enthusiastic about the topic
• Make it relevant
• Organize the discussion
• Aim at an appropriate level of difficulty
• Actively involve students
• Plan for variety
• Demonstrate student – teacher rapport
• Use concrete, appropriate and understandable examples
• Consider what we may inadvertently do that destroys student motivation

Initiating Discussions

• Develop a strategy for beginning the discussion or restarting it if it stalls
• Start with a common experience, an open-ended question, a controversy, or a document or product to critique
• Offer an example if the problem seems too abstract
• Allow sufficient wait time

Guiding Discussions

• Ask questions that promote discussion, don’t give answers
• Give and take control
• Move around the room
• Watch for non-verbal cues
• Ask for responses in writing

The Role of Questions

Depending on the level of the discussion, ask the following questions:

• Comprehension: Retell
• Application: How is … an example of…? How is … related to…?
• Analysis: What are the parts of …? How would you compare/contrast …? What evidence is there for…?
• Synthesis: What do you predict/infer…? How would you create/design …? What would the result be if you combined…?
• Evaluation: What are your points of agreement/disagreement and why? What criteria would you use to …?

Concluding the Discussion

• End with a summary so that students know what important points were covered
• Fill in points that weren't covered
• Praise the class for the quality of their responses

Suggestions

• Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students' belief that they can do well
• Ensure success by setting realistic task difficulty
• Help students find personal meaning and value in the material
• Create an open and positive atmosphere
• Help students feel they are valued members of a learning community
• Students bring research and/or questions to share
• Students write out questions in class
• Small groups address a task/discussion question
• Quickly review lecture notes to see if major points were covered
• Call on people – invite them to join the conversation
• Ask follow-up questions
• Use supplemental methods such as Discussions on Canvas

Common Problems

• Moderate the student who talks too much
• Help guide students who make unclear or hesitant comments
• Get back on track if the discussion goes off on a tangent
• Use a "parking spot" to record points that are off track/beyond the scope but important for another time
• Neutralize the student who attacks
• Redirect the student who tries to embarrass

Some material adapted from:
Teaching at Ohio State University: A Handbook, Center for Teaching Excellence & Tools for Teaching, Barbara Gross Davis, University of CA, Berkeley.