NURSING EDUCATION

Lecture Method, Demonstration,

Discussion In General

CONTENT

Lecture method
 Introduction
 Definition
 Purposes of lecture method
 Use of lecture method
 Characteristics of the lecture method
 Principle of lecture method
 Types of lecture method
 The plan or structure of the lecture method
 Strategies to deliver an effective lecture method
 Lecturing techniques
  Learners criteria of a good lecture
 Factors influencing planning lecture
 Advantages of Lecture Method of Teaching
 Disadvantages of Lecture Method of Teaching
 Strategies to overcome disadvantages of lecture method
 Interactive lecture method
DEMONSTRATION
 Introduction
 Definition
 Objectives
 Purpose of demonstration
 Characteristics of demonstration
 Types of demonstration
 Guidelines for good demonstration
 Phases of Demonstration
 Advantages of demonstration
 Disadvantages of demonstration
GROUP DISCUSSION
 Introduction
 Different concepts in group discussion
 Definition
 Purpose of discussion
 Values of group discussion
 Functions of group
 General principles for organization of discussion
 Forms of group discussion
 Preparation and conduct of discussion method
 Class room discussion techniques
 Teacher evaluation of discussion
 Advantages of discussion method
 Disadvantages of discussion method
Conclusion, References
 Lecture method
Introduction
Lecture method is the oldest method of teaching based on the philosophy of idealism and is
an autocratic style of teaching. The term lecture was derived from the latin word ‘lectare’
which mean to ‘read aloud’.in this method, the teacher is more active while students are
passive learners. This method is centered on the presentation of content and does not consider
the abilities, interests and personality. The purpose of this method is to achieve cognitive and
affective objectives. Despite severe criticism leveled against it, lecture still continues as the
most preferred teaching method.
Definition
“Lecture is a teaching activity whereby the teacher presents the content in a comprehensive
manner by explaining the facts, principles and relationships, during which the teacher is
expected to elicit student participation by employing appropriate techniques.(B
Sankaranarayanan)
 It is the presentation of the content by the teacher to the students usually accompanied
by some type of visual aid or handout.
 Lecture method is talk giving specified information to the class or long serious
speech. (oxford Dictionary)
 The lecture is an excellent method for presenting information to a large number of
persons in a short period of time. (A. Adivi Reddy)
Purposes of lecture method
 To provide a structure of knowledge.
 To motivate and guide in hunting knowledge.
 To arouse student interest in a subject.
 To clarify difficult concept.
 To assist in preparing student for a discussion.
 To promote critical thinking.
 Appropriate method for large size class.
 To facilitate good human relationship.
 To motivate, sensitize and to stimulate students in their pursuit of learning objective.
Use of lecture method
 It is useful for providing new information such as a new policy, treatment, protocol
etc.
 The lecture method is excellent for presenting large number of facts in a short period
 A lecture should be well organized with ideas developed in sequence.
 A lecture should relate past, present and future materials on the subject
 More economical
Characteristics of the lecture method
 It is an organized presentation.
 It can be used to cover thoroughly the subject matter.
 It conserves time.
 Results are easy to check.
 Two – way communication.
 Obtain regular feedback.
 Variety of supporting media.
Principle of lecture method
 Principle of aim: Lecture is based on aim, nobody likes aimless lecture. Even the best
teacher will fail if his lecture is not based on some objectives.
 Principles of activity: if you want to learn you have to actively participate.
 Principles of correlation: the lecture is not effective in scientific planning. The subject
matter of the topic which is sort to be thought should be well planned.
 Principles of looking ahead: good lecture is always prognostic on the basis of the past
experiences of a teacher,certain predictors are made about the future of the child.
 Good lecture needs effective preparation: the lecturer has to be prepared
physically,socially,emotionally and spiritually to enable him to take the lecture.
Types of lecture method
According to Walters and Marks, there are three kinds of lecture. They are:
The ideal lecture: The participants attend the lecture of their own willing and commitment
on their part.
The classical lecture: The students attend the lecture with the focus of getting good grades
and marks and this is more specific in its subject matter.
The experiential lecture: This form of lecture is used prior to experiential learning and is
given to participants to explain the basic concepts and explanation about the issue in
question.
The plan or structure of the lecture method
A lecture has three parts that should receive proper attention while preparing the text of the
lecture. These are:
 Introduction
 Body of the content
 Closure or conclusion of the lecture
 Introduction of the lecture
The first few words of the lecture should grip the audience, arouse their curiosity and get
their undivided attention. There are variety of ways to open the talk. The teacher should
provide a general idea and framework for the lecture’s content in this stage so that students
get familiar with the ongoing topic. During the introduction of the lecture, the teacher must
ensure the following;
 The teacher should establish a good rapport to with the students.
 The teacher should maintain a consistent and affectionate relationship with students
so that the students feel comfortable while approaching the teacher.
 Teacher should assess the preexisting knowledge of the student.
 The teacher should relate the student’s goal and interest with the topic of lecture.
 The teacher should introduce the topic by raising some related issues for student
participation.
 The body of the lecture
The body of the lecture covers the content in an organized way. The body lays emphasis on
the presentation of the content. The teacher is more active, while students are relatively
passive participants. The teacher uses question answer techniques to keep students attentive
in class. The teacher generally uses maxims of teaching to make the students understand the
concept using various examples, situations etc.
 Conclusion
Conclusion help the teacher summarize and reemphasize the key points of the lecture and
also get feedback from the students. The teacher can motivate the students to ask questions by
focusing their mind to specific points. Students can also clarify their doubts and raise
questions at this stage.
Strategies to deliver an effective lecture method
The lecture has to be well organized so that the learners can follow throughout the lecture.
Planning for a lecture should include the following:
 Preparation
-Set the objectives. Teacher while lecturing should keep the educational objectives
clearly in her mind.
 Sequencing the lecture
-identify the main points that need to be stressed. Should keep a central concept of the
lecture in mind and its relativity to the educational objectives.
 Organizing the material
-sub divide the lecture under headings
-select appropriate A V aids
-plan student preparation and follow up activities
-have a written teaching plan
 Delivering the lecture
-beginning the lecture by arousing interest
-present aims and objectives of the lecture in the beginning
-recognize the limitation of time
-do not speak fast, 100 words per minute are ideal
-vary the pace and loudness to avoid monotonic
-appear confident, look at the learners, have eye contact and establish non-verbal
contact
 -access learner response and react accordingly
-give 2-3 minutes break between main parts
-present a summary at the end
 Steps to improve active participation by learner
-Open the lecture with a series of questions that the learners should be able to answer
at the end of the lecture.
-Have wider eye coverage of the student
-Club the lecture with discussion
-Allow time near the end of the lecture for students to write a summary of the main
presentation
-Follow the principles and techniques of questioning
 Evaluation of the effectiveness of the lecture
-Informal feedback in the class could be sought by noticing student behavior
-Formal student evaluation helps in assessing the effectiveness of the lecture.

Lecturing techniques
A thoughtfully prepared content along with appropriate techniques helps the teacher deliver
lecture in a more interesting and comprehensible manner.
 Voluntary dissemination of information or spontaneity: This is the essence of
lecturing. Instead of reading continuously from a prepared note teacher has to
converse freely with the students. Looking in between at the prepared note is needed,
as it helps the teacher maintain the sequence, but reading continuously from the note
will hamper spontaneity and reduce the interest of students.
 Voice gradation and voice quality: Voice gradation is the periodical alteration of
both pitch and volume while lecturing and with some conscious effort voice gradation
will become the part and parcel of the teaching activity. Lecturing in a monotone
make students more passive.
 Adequate pacing: Too slow a pace and too fast a pace are not advisable as the former
creates boredom and the later leads to confusion.
 Proper body language:Action often speaks louder than words, the teacher has to
keep inmind and aware about the body language while lecturing. Maintaining eye
contact with student is very essential. Occasionally move towards the students rather
than continuously standing behind the podium.
 Control annoying mannerism: Annoying mannerisms are very distracting to the
students. Crushing, or tossing chalk, breaking the knuckles, waving hands
unnecessarily, pinching the nose and repeatedly saying ‘so’ , ‘right’ are the common
annoying mannerisms.
 Judicious use of audiovisual aid: In addition to chalk board, charts and graphs,
advancements in educational technology offers help through a handful of
sophisticated av aids to the teacher to facilitating learning by way of the lecture
method. Judicious selection of visual aids is important, as they are very useful in
delivering lecture effectively.
 Simple plans and key points: When planning for a lecture always go for a simple
plan instead of complicated ones. Select some of the key points from content and
build the whole lecture around them.
  Elicit feedback from students: Even though feedback is a vital technique, due to the
hurry in finishing the content, many teachers neglect it while lecturing. To a certain
extend feedback assists the teacher to assess the amount of knowledge received by the
students and the progress they have achieved.
 Providing further clarification: one of the purposes of lecture is to clarify difficult
concepts by citing examples or through illustrations.
 Time management: Time factor is very important in lecturing. Certain teachers cover
the content within the stipulated time while some others find it very difficult to do so.
Skill in managing time is essential for conducting lecture in a smooth way.
Learners criteria of a good lecture
 Present material clearly and logically
 Clearly audible, writes legibly and concisely
 Has mastery of the content and is an expert of the subject
 Maintains appropriate pace in lecture
 Stimulates critical thinking on the part of the learners
 Presents the material using the principles of learning
 Appears confident and at ease
 Avoids excess of factual details
 Possesses good sense of humor
 Utilizes instructional aids judiciously
 Avoid personal mannerism
 Is democratic and friendly
 Maintain eye contact
Factors influencing planning lecture
Learner factors
 Educational background of the student
 Previous knowledge
 Class size
 Learning styles
 Personality and intelligence.
Subject matter factors
 Domain of the objective
 Content to be learned
 Nature of the content, simple or complex
Related to teacher
 Knowledge and mastery over the subject matter.
 Teaching tactics include voice, gestures, eye contact and manners.
 Teacher-learner relationship.
 Preparation of lecture before presentation.
 Purpose or reason to be taught.
Related to environment
 Time of the day.
 Duration and length.
 Use of audiovisual aids.
 Good light facility
 Noise and climate
 Infrastructure facilities
 Seating arrangement
Psychological factors
 Emotion
 Mood
 Memory
 Abstract thinking
 Concept formation
Advantages of Lecture Method of Teaching
 In this teaching method a large amount the topics can be covered in a single class
period.
 Using of this method exclude the using of any equipment or Lab.
 Learning material is not required.
 Student listening skills developed.
 Logical arrangement of the material in order to present it orally
 Help to learn languages 
 Lecture facilitate inter- disciplinary approach to topics.
Disadvantages of Lecture Method of Teaching
 Teacher delivers the same lecture to both students without recognizing the individual
differences.
 Learning is an active process thus study should encourage to actively participate in
the class room instead of just listening the teacher.
 Language using in the lecture is above the standard of the students. They are not able
get full advantage of the lecture.
 Lecture are often forgotten by the students soon after while learning is retained if
activities are experienced.
 Attention level is not the same while student listening the lecture.
 It is a waste of time to repeat the matter already presented in book.
 Lecturing makes the learner more passive in the lecturing process
 Communication in one- way
 Less attention given to problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making.
Strategies to overcome the disadvantages
Gibbs, Habeshaw, Newble and Cannon recommend the below mentioned strategies to
overcome the disadvantages.
 1. Emphasis higher level intellectual skills: Ensure that the teaching objectives specify
more than just facts and technical skills by emphasizing higher level intellectual
skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking and the exploration and development
of appropriate attitudes.
2. Signposting for clear direction: As well as organizing and ordering the content, tell
learners what youare doing by providing good signposts about the structure and
direction of the learner. Including such things as: a) links between sections like what
is coming next and what has just been completed, b) summaries, c) reviews, d)
statements, which indicate a change of topic and e) highlight principles or key ideas
so that they stand out from the details and examples.
3. Make lectures more interactive: Include teaching activities that promote cognitive
challenge and require learners to demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject
matter and relevant problems.
4. Less memorizing of facts and more construction of meaning: Decrease the amount
of factual material that has to be memorized. When learners are pressed for time and
overloaded with content, they will usually take a surface approach. Learners need to
know what to listen for, how the lecture links to and supports subsequent learning
activities and what they should be doing with what they hear. Spend more time in
helping learners to understand and use basic principles rather than memorizing facts.

Interactive Lecture
Interactive lecture is a combination of lecture, discussion and questioning. It is a modified
version of traditional lecture method and developed by retaining the merits and deleting the
demerits of the lecture, discussion and questioning. Sandra De Young has beautifully
explained the interactive lecture in a following way. “the technique of lecture, discussion and
questioning can be effectively blended together into an interactive lecture, utilizing the
advantage of all the method and reducing their disadvantages. Class time can be logically and
efficiently divided into sections for lecture, informal discussion, questioning, more lecture
and so on. In this way, subject matter is presented for discussion, problem solving can take
place and questions can stimulate student thinking and clarify difficult points. Students
become periodically active in the class, which eliminates some of the objections to pure
lecturing. Changing tactics every 15 to 20 minutes may also help recapture student’s attention
at points when it naturally seems to wander. The class becomes more interesting and it is to
be hoped, more memorable”.

DEMONSTRATION
Introduction
Possession of psychomotor skills is very essential for good nursing practice and by virtue of
its effectiveness in teaching psychomotor skills, demonstration enjoys a dominant position
among teaching methods employed in teaching nursing.
Definition
Demonstration is a method of teaching by exhibition and explanation combined to illustrate a
procedure or experiments.According to Gullibert, purpose of teaching is to help students
  Acquire, retain and be able to use knowledge,
 Understand, analyze, synthesize and evaluate,
 Achieve skills,
 Establish habits and
 Develop attitudes
As far as nursing is concerned, demonstration is the apt method of teaching to achieve many
of the purposes enlisted by Gullibert.
Demonstration can be defined as an accurate portrayal of a procedure, techniques or
operation. (Laird, 1986)
It is also can be defined as “visualized explanation of facts, concepts, and procedures.”
Objectives
 To make specific observation by the student.
 To provide anideal situation to learn the particular procedure thoroughly
 To get a realistic idea about the procedure.
 To stimulate and encourage for the development of initiation among the students.
 To obtain active participation among the students.
Purpose of demonstration
The purposes of demonstration can be broadly classified into:
 Those designed to show the learner how to perform certain psychomotor skills.
 Those designed to show the learner why certain things occur.
A demonstration is a method of instruction in which the teacher actually performs an
operation and serves the following purposes:
 It may be used to provide a model of a skill
 It may be used to support an explanation of an idea, theory, belief, concept or skill
 It shows the learner “how” to perform certain psychomotor skill
 It also helps to understand “why” certain things occur
 It arouses interest and motivates the learner
 It directs the attention of the learner to the skill
 It supports the verbal explanation of a principle or physical process
 It provides a visual image that contributes to encoding of information
 Demonstration provides a means to illustrate, clarify an approach and skill
 It is a method where a teacher involves many learners at one time, thereby aiding for
an economical use of time, materials and equipment
 It shows a process in action.
Characteristics of demonstration
 The demonstrator should understand the entire procedure before attempting to
perform.
 All equipment’s needed should be assembled and pretested before demonstration.
  Knowledge about procedure should be given to the students, before starting
procedure/demonstration.
 A positive approach should be used.
 Everybody should have a good view of the demonstration.
 The person in charge of the demonstration should accompany it with running
comments related to materials used, amounts necessary, process taking place and
anticipated results.
 The setting for the demonstration should be as true to life as possible, whenever
possible.
 A discussion period should always follow the demonstration.
Types of demonstration
 Individual demonstration
 Group demonstration
 Lecture cum demonstration
 Demonstration cum practice.
Guidelines for good demonstration
1. It should be planned and rehearsed by the teacher beforehand.
2. The equipment used for demonstration should be visible to the whole class.
3. Adequate lighting arrangements be made on demonstration table and a proper
background table need to be provided.
4. All the equipmentis placed in order before starting the demonstration. The equipment
likely to be used should be placed in the left-hand side of the table and it should be
arranged in the same order in which it is likely to be used.
5. Before actually starting demonstration a clear statement about the purpose of
demonstration be made to the students.
6. The teacher makes sure that the demonstration method leads to active participation of
the students in the process of teaching.
7. The demonstration should be interesting so that it captures the attention of the
students.
8. For active participation of students, the teacher may call individual student in turn to
help him/her in demonstration.
9. The teacher should write the summary of the principles arrived at because of
demonstration on the blackboard. The blackboard can be also used for drawing the
necessary diagrams.
Phases of Demonstration
Entire demonstration can be divided into three phases, namely the planning and preparation
phase, performance phase, and evaluation phase.
 Planning and Preparation Phase
In the planning and preparation phase, teacher prepares herself, arranges necessary articles
and creates a conducive learning environment suitable to the number of the students. During
this phase the teacher has to:
(a) Set well defined objectives based on the theoretical knowledge and need of students.
(b) Review related knowledge.
(c) Based on scientific principles or rational basis split the demonstration into appropriate
steps so that students can easily follow the demonstration.
(d) Do rehearsals as needed for attaining the proficiency required for conducting
demonstration.
(e) If the demonstration involves the presence of a patient or mock patient, plan for their
comfort and safety. Obtain necessary in the case of patients.
(f) Create a conducive learning environment by providing adequate facilities, especially
the facility to observe the demonstration.
(g) Plan for maximum student participation.
(h) Ensure adequacy and good working condition of equipments, assemble equipments in
a convenient order.
(i) Plan for return demonstration.
(j) Give necessary guidance to the students for achieving the objectives of demonstration.
This can be done by listing the objectives and explaining what is expected from the
student in order to achieve them.
(k) Prepare a checklist regarding the articles and steps so that teacher can avoid
shortcomings in the performance phase.

(l) Preparation of procedure manual at the institutional level by the faculty or at the
regional level by collaborating with other institutions not only brings uniformity to
procedures but also reduces the workload of teachers in the preparation phase.

 Performance phase
In this phase teacher perform the demonstration. Throughout this phase she has to
maintain a positive approach by telling ‘what not to do’. She should also exhibit a fine
coordination of head, heart, hand than simply repeating as per the procedure manual.
Following steps to help for demonstration.
(a) Based on the principle of proceeding from whole to parts to be used for
demonstration
(b) Explain the name and uses of articles kept ready for performing demonstration
(c) Start the demonstration slowly so that the students can follow easily.
(d) Explain the purposes and scientific principle associate with each step.
(e) Pace the steps and verbal explanation in a student friendly manner.
(f) Make sure that students have understood each step, repeat if they have not
understood it
(g) Involve student in a performance phase.
(h) In between ask questions and encourages to seek clarifications in order to get a
feedback from students.
(i) Complete the procedure with summary
(j) Replace the articles, demonstrate the after care of them and hand wash.
(k) Show the way of recording.
(l) Conclude the performance phase with conclusion.
 Evaluation phase
Evaluation is done mainly through return demonstration and asking thought provoking
questions.

Guidelines of return demonstration

 Teacher should remain silent and should offer cues, when required.
 Breaking steps of procedure and doing will produce good re-demo.
 Return demo should be planned close to the demonstration class.
 Practice should be supervised by the teacher.
 Return demonstration should be planned closed to the demonstration class.
 Teacher should encourage students, which improves psychomotor skills. These are
some of the requirements of good demonstrations.
Advantages of demonstration
 It activates several senses and visibly showing a process often helps in retention.
 Provides observational learning.
 Complex skills become more understandable and as a result of the demonstration
 Clarifies underlying principles.
 Command interest.
 Demonstration reduce the gap between theory and practice.
 Demonstration provides variety of the learning situations, therefore reducing
boredom.
 Demonstration allows the learner, to see the exact manner in which a skill or behavior
is to be performed.
 Demonstration trains the learner, in the act of careful observation.
 Accompanying explanation helps the student understand and clarify the scientific
principles involved in each step of the procedure.
 Return demonstration helps the teacher to evaluate the knowledge and skills acquired
by the student.
Disadvantages of demonstration
 A few learners are negatively motivated after a demonstration as they are unable to
perform the skill.
 Teacher who do not posses a mastery level of skill or cannot demonstrate the correct
procedure.
 It is often difficult to isolate tasks, skills, procedures, and behaviors in a step-by-step
manner.
 They may be time consuming, as they require more time for practice and review.
 Demonstration are best with small group
Common errors in using demonstration for teaching
 Equipment\ apparatus may not be ready for use or may not beworking and may be out
of order.
  There may not be an apparent relation between the demonstration experiment and the
topic under discussion.
 The theory class may not have taken, but the teacher demonstrates the procedure
which results in difficulty with synthesis of information and lack of coordination.
 The teacher may not address the issue of individual differences among students.
 Teacher may talk too much or unnecessarily which will suppress the enthusiasms of
the students.
 The group may be too large to see the demonstration of the procedure properly and
grasp the topic.

GROUP DISCUSSION
Introduction
Discussion is an interchange of opinions and reactions, sharing of ideas and information
regarding the solution of a problem or issue. Discussion method also described as a
constructive process involving listening, thinking as well as speaking by utilizing relevant
facts and ideas to advance the group’s understanding and action.
Concepts
Group, group dynamics, group discussions are the concepts are known before starting the
topics.
A group is first of all a collection of 2 or more people; but it is more than this- it is a
collection of individuals in a face-to-face setting working on a task that requires cooperation.
Two types of groups: formal and informal groups.
Group dynamics is a term that is widely used in the literature today. It refers to the complex
forces that are acting upon any group throughout its existence, which causes it to behave the
way that it does.The term dynamic is further used to describe a branch of study, a body of
basic knowledge about group behavior.
Group discussion basically is a cooperative, problem solving activity which seek a
consensus regarding the solution of a problem rather than a decision by majority vote.
Definition
Discussion may be defined as a problem-solving activity which seeks consensus of the group
regarding the solution of a problem rather than a decision by the majority.
According to Aggarwal, discussion is a thoughtful consideration of relationships involved in
the topic or problem under study. These relationships are analyzed, compared and evaluated
for drawing conclusions.
Sandra De Young believes that discussion involves an interchange of informed opinions and
reactions, group consideration of a problem or issue, sharing of ideas and information and
exchange of questions and answers.
Discussion may be formal or informal. Formal discussion is preplanned and guided by preset
rules in order to achieve predetermined goals. Informal discussion is characterized by free
verbal exchanges between the participants in the absence of preset rules or predetermined
goals.

Purpose of discussion
Discussion method is commonly used for teaching selected topics and to enrich lectures,
observation visits and case presentations. Discussion serve the following purposes.
 To teach context specific interpretation and application of principles, theories and
concepts.
 Assist students to develop, express and validate their opinions or beliefs regarding
legal, ethical and controversial.
 To clarify information and concepts.
 To foster democratic values.
 To develop team building and social skills.
 Development of right attitudes.
 To develop problem solving skills as a group.
 To make the learner to be an active
 Participant in the teaching learning process.
 To promote cooperative decision making.
 To promote group dynamics.
Values of group discussion
 Group discussion encourage the students to think for herself, to develop critical habits
of study, to interpret problems of the past in a way that she can throw light on the
problem of the present and to gain insight into ways for shaping the future.
 It helps her advance in creative thought by her own efforts.
 It enables the students to enrich her own conceptions by reacting to those of others.
 Teacher can observe the student as she participates in class and can plan for individual
differences.
 It gives the student an opportunity to learn how to adjust to social situation.
 The students acquire a new knowledge from discussion.
Group functions
Benne and Sheats developed the following widely used classification of group functions:
 Group task roles- those which help the group to do its work
 Group building and maintenance roles- those which contribute to building
relationships and cohesiveness among the membership.
The first set of functions is concerned with aiding the group in direct accomplishment of the
group’s goals, and the second set is concerned with improving and maintaining relationships
necessary to the maintenance of the group as a group.
Some group building functions are;
 1. Encouraging: being friendly, responsive, supporting, praising others and their ideas.
2. Mediating: brining in both sides of a problem, encouraging and conciliating
differences in points of view, promoting compromise and consensus regarding the
solution of the group problem.
3. Expediting: providing opportunities for all members to contribute, preventing
dominance of discussion by a few members, suggesting limiting talk time so that
everyone can have a chance to be heard.
4. Standard setting
5. Listening
6. Tension relieving
And following are some task functions:
 Initiation
 Regulation
 Informing and clarifying
 Supporting
 Evaluating

Essential parts or constituents of discussion

1. The leader- the teacher
2. The group- the students
3. The problem or topic
4. The content- body of knowledge
5. Evaluation- change in ideas, attitudes ect.
General principles for organization of discussion
 The goals and objectives of the discussion should be clearly defined and understood
by all participants.
 An appropriate topic for discussion should be chosen that would stimulate the interest
of the participants and invite their attention.
 Discussion on factual materials should be avoided, as nothing can be gained by
discussing facts. It is merely a waste of time.
 The physical arrangement of the environment should be done such a way that it
promotes fair discussion.
 The members of the group should come well prepared; have basic knowledge about
the topic to be discussed.
 The teacher has to guide and coordinate the proceedings so that the discussion should
be kept to the point.
 The group leader introduces the topic, sets the time limits for various aspects of the
discussion, and asks questions pertaining to the topic periodically so that important
aspects are covered.
 A recorder should be selected from among the group, to record the main points of
discussion as it is going on.
  Each one in the group should feel free to participate and everyone should be
encouraged to get involved in the discussion.
 The discussion should be properly closed with a report, decision, recommendations if
any or summing up of the matter discussed.
 All points of view should be fairly discussed.
Forms of group discussion
Discussion techniques for small groups:
o Individual conference
o Informal class group discussion
o Seminar
o Role playing
o Case analysis
o Clinical conference

Discussion techniques for large group:

o Multiple discussion groups
o Symposium
o Panel discussion
Preparation and conduct of discussion method
Preparation and conduction of discussion are inclusive of three steps, i.e, orientation,
engagement, and debrief
Orientation
 Provide discussion topic well in advance.
 Clearly describe the question, problem, dilemma, or proposition.
 Explain how students have to prepare for the discussion.
 Explain how the discussion will be conducted and the mention the rules for
discussion.
 Encourage students to think deeply about one another’s contribution.
Engagement
 Develop an environment where students feel secure expressing their ideas.
 Present a clear question to focus the discussion.
 Start by asking students to define terms and concepts.
 If necessary, help students by providing extra information to clarify a point or
overcome a hurdle but do not dominate the discussion or student’s thinking
 Wait for each student to answer the question.
 Keep the discussions moving by paraphrasing, restarting, inviting elaboration and
asking for examples.
 Encourage questioning or challenging of ideas and sources of information.
 Refocus discussion if students’ contributions are irrelevant or inconsistent with the
discussion’s academic purposes.
  Keep progressive record of the key of the discussion.
 Close discussion by summarizing, foreshadowing or evaluating.
Debrief
 Allow time for students to make their own notes about the discussion. He teacher
could guide and help in the process.
 Facilitate student’s reflection on what they learnt.
Class room discussion techniques
Teacher can make the discussion a successful one by employing proper techniques.
Techniques can be categorized under 3 headlines,
 Proper planning
 Preparing students for discussion
 Discussion guiding techniques.
Teacher evaluation of group discussion
Normally, the teacher who use discussion technics will wish to determine their effectiveness
in achieving the desired objectives. She will wish to note the strength and the weakness of the
various discussion methods.
The changes in behavior which are generally regard as desirable changes that might be
expected to occur through the use of group discussion technics include:
 Increased knowledge
 Increased intellectual abilities and skills
 Increased interests
 Changes in attitudes and values
 Better personal and social adjustment
 Increase cooperation
Advantages of discussion method
 Discussion method of teaching is a democratic method used for teaching a particular
subject and to supplement a lecture. It is an excellent student-centered method.
 Discussion helps in clarifying and sharpening the issues.
 It helps the students to crystallize their thinking and identify concepts needed for their
study.
 It promotes conversational skills, listening skills, speaking skills among the students.
 It develops the capacity of respecting the ideas of others.
 It promotes group dynamics.
 Discussion enhances self-esteem of the students, as their opinions and suggestions are
accepted.
 Active participation in the discussion not only results in better learning but also
promotes retention and recalling ability of students.
 It helps the students to develop problem solving skills, critical thinking ability, self-
confidence, and self-expression skills.
Disadvantages of discussion method
 Discussion is time consuming.
 The teacher may find it difficult to control the group and sometimes a few students,
who have very good communication skills may dominate the discussion.
 Both students and teacher are to be well prepared for the session otherwise discussion
may not be productive.
 Discussion may be less effective when the number of students exceed 20.

Conclusion
Transferring knowledge is equally important as generating knowledge. Teaching is not only
concerned with imparting knowledge but also preparing the student to adjust with their
environment. Teaching strategies and teaching learning methods are concerned with attaining
teaching objectives, one has to differentiate between them in order to develop teaching skills.
There are many methods of teaching learning process it will be duffer from their own
specification. Lecture, demonstration and discussion methods are oldest and important
teaching method. These methods are suitable for all kind of teaching subject. Most of the
teachers are choose these methods because of its benefits. Knowledge regarding the
advantages and disadvantages of each method will help the teacher to carry out the teaching
activity in a better way by limiting the disadvantages.
References
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5. Gary D Barish, Effective teaching methods, pearson publication, 7 th edition, page no:
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6. Clement I, communication and technology, 2nd edition Emmer medical publication,
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