DYNAMIC DISCUSSIONS FOR GA/TA INSTRUCTORS by Carol Reader (Womens Studies/History) and Christine Rossi (Womens Studies), and

Emily DAlimonte (Womens Studies/ Social Work) Discussion is a valuable teaching tool, because it enables students to engage with their peers to appreciate different perspectives, ideas, and/or theories so that they can work to negotiate a personal meaning out of the curricula we strive to teach them. However, at the same time, discussions can be incredibly tricky to organize and even more difficult to sustain, which is why many instructors shriek at the very thought of holding discussions in their classrooms. But do not despair, by following the guidelines/suggestions in this section you will be able to provide your students with a great discussion experience that will keep them contently talking and learning for hours. HOW DO YOU CREATE A COMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE?1 Introduce yourself and your learning environment. Explain the framework through which you may be administering the discussion (such as a particular reading, theme etc), and inform students what you hope to get out of this type of activity. Speak so that students understand. This is especially true for English as Additional Language (EAL) students. You need to be aware that your gestures and body language are useful in helping them supplement words. Avoid idiomatic expressions, and dont be afraid to repeat questions in a different way to make sure that they understand. Break the ice. If you plan to use discussion frequently, you should begin the first class with a discussion to familiarize students to the format of the class and one another. This is easily accomplished by providing the students with an outline (so that they know what to expect), and by creating an icebreaker that will put the students at ease so that they are more willing to participate. An icebreaker is also useful for you as an instructor because once you understand who your students are, you will know how to custom the discussion to their interests and/or needs. Blend in. Understand that your role as an instructor is to facilitate NOT control the discussion. This should be communicated to your class through your limited involvement in the conversation and by your position in the classroom (in other words, sit amongst them and jump in as they do when it is appropriate to do so). Also, your own personal intentionalities (which include your biases, attitudes, and values) should be used constructively and openly as part of the development of the discourse (Morgan & Saxton, 2006, p. 76). Read body language. Be aware of body language as this may help you to determine how you can involve each student in the conversation. Have students sit face-to-face. Rearrange the students in such a way that the discussion is accessible to all students. For example, you may decide to place the desks in a circle. In so doing, the students will feel as though they are engaged in a conversation with one another, thus ensuring that discussion will progress more fluidly. However, be prepared for fixed seating discussion rooms which can make creating the ideal space/atmosphere challenging but provide
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GATAcademy Handbook 2010 edited by Rossi and Reader

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the opportunity for team building in the making the best of it tradition, were all in this together. Use multiple display models. Make sure questions appear in oral and written format (your job as a facilitator may be to record these on the board or on a handout). This multiple display will aid second-language students who may not be able to respond to an oral question as quickly as native-English speaking students. Conduct a pre-discussion exercise. Depending on the subject matter for each of your classes, you might assign questions in advance to ensure that everyone will arrive with ideas to discuss CLEW is a great resource for this purpose as well as providing two way interaction between instructor and student. Second-language learners or students who may feel uneasy speaking in front of the group may feel less intimidated when provided with questions ahead of discussion class, to which they can prepare answers for sharing in the classroom. Model positive feedback. Treat good and bad responses in the same way. Find something positive to reinforce the students sense of self, and then highlight any type of inconsistency. Practice good listening. Always model genuine interest in the responses of others so that your students mirror your actions. WHY DISCUSS WHEN YOU CAN LECTURE?2 Understanding the benefits to discussion will help you to decide when discussion would be the best teaching method for your students. Discussion y y y y y y Offers students an individualized access to curriculum because talking aloud prepares students for text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections. Improves your ability to listen effectively. Improves your ability to think critically. Improves your language/communication skills. Increases your confidence in speaking. Expands and clarifies your knowledge by: o Exploring and verbalizing ideas; o Exchanging and verbalizing information. Can change your attitudes and ideas because it gives you the chance to hear the thoughts and ideas of your peers. Can helps a group make a particular decision or come to a conclusion. Strengthens students metacognition which allows a deeper understanding of a subject or topic area.

y y y

DISCUSSION ETIQUETTE (OR MINDING YOUR MANNERS)3

2

Extract from Discussion Skills for Tutorials & Seminars. http:;//www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/disc.html accessed June 25, 2011 and adapted to include information from the GATA Handbook 2010. 3 Ibid, edited by Rossi and Reader

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In order to successfully negotiate tutorial discussion, courtesy is important. The following are a few ground rules for good conduct. Do y y y y y y y Respect the contribution of other speakers. Speak pleasantly and with courtesy to all members of the group. Listen well to the ideas of other speakers; you will learn something. Acknowledge what you find interesting. Remember that a discussion is not a fight. Learn to disagree politely. Respect differing views. Those who hold them are not necessarily wrong. Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/ contribute to the topic? Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information. If the discussion does digress, bring it back on topic by saying something like 'Just a final point about the last topic before we move on' or 'that's an interesting point, can we come back to that later? Be aware of your body language. Keep it open and friendly. Avoid gestures that appear aggressive. Speak clearly. Don't whisper; even if you're feeling uncertain about your ideas or language.

y y

Don't y Don't take offence if another speaker disagrees with you. Putting forward different points of view is an important part of any discussion. Others may disagree with your ideas, and they are entitled to do so. y Never try to intimidate or insult another speaker or ridicule the contribution of others. y Dont use comments like 'thats stupid' or 'you're wrong'. Learn to disagree and argue appropriately. y Take care to use a moderate tone of voice. If you sound angry or aggressive others will not want to listen to you. y If you are a confident speaker, try not to dominate the discussion. Pause to allow quieter students a chance to contribute. y Avoid drawing too much on personal experience or anecdote. Although some tutors encourage students to reflect on their own experience, remember not to generalise too much. y Don't interrupt or talk over another speaker. Let them finish their point before you start. Listening to others earns you the right to be heard. Establishing a Civility Agreement with your students at the beginning of the semester is another way to reinforce positive behaviour throughout the term. It is a useful tool because the guidelines put in place in this agreement are created collectively between you and the students which puts the onus on them to adhere to their own rules. You can always check in with them at the half-way point of the semester to see how the contract is working and if changes or reminders are necessary.

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Sample Civility Agreement:

CIVILITY AGREEMENT: Creating a Positive Teaching and Learning Community4 The following guidelines include the issues raised by class members and constitute the conditions we are committed to maintaining to create an optimal learning environment for all. I. Respectful Conduct towards Others 1. Respect all opinions 2. Do not interrupt or talk over others 3. Phrase your own views as, I think . . ., rather than criticizing others 4. Use gender-neutral language (except where gender is needed) 5. Do not dominate the discussion 6. Listen attentively to others and encourage quiet people 7. Be helpful and polite to others 8. Respect the physical space of others 9. Allow spatial learners room II. Avoid Disruptive Activities and Noise 1. Phones on silent 2. Arrive on time for class 3. Sit near the door if you must leave early 4. Use computers only for class-related work no games, Facebook, YouTube, Instant Messaging, on-line shopping 5. Keep volume off on computers 6. Do not listen to music III. Contribute to Good Learning 1. Stay on topic 2. Pay attention (no earphones) 3. Come to class prepared 4. Try to participate 5. Be relevant and try not to repeat points already made [can say if you agree] IV. Safety 1. Do not bring oranges due to allergy of class member V. Be Tolerant and Polite If Someone Occasionally Forgets One of these Guidelines

Civility Agreement from Dr. Christina Simmonss course, Love, Honour, and Obey: Marriage and Gender, Winter 2011, University of Windsor. Edited by Reader and Rossi.

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WHAT ARE THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO ASK? A good discussion is dependent on the right questions, but how do you distinguish between the right questions and the wrong questions? Here are a few hints.

The Right Questions

The Wrong Questions

High Level: Also known as thick questions because these require application, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation to elicit higher-order thinking. Example: Why is it so important for different cultural groups in our society to maintain their cultural heritage? What significance has the governments decision to opt for the concept of the cultural mosaic over that of the melting pot for todays society? (Morgan & Saxton, 2006, p.22-23).

Low Level: Also known as thin questions because these rely on memory recognition, and are merely a proof of recollection (Cole, 2002). Example: Can you rephrase the explanation provided in the text regarding cultural groups and maintaining cultural heritage? What is the main idea behind using the concept of the cultural mosaic over that of the melting pot?

Divergent: Force students to analyze and synthesize material from the lecture, other students opinions, their own thoughts and prior knowledge. Example: Explain the conclusions we can draw from the fact that Pinocchio becomes a real boy? What are some of the themes in Carlo Collodis Pinocchio?

Convergent: Propel students to respond with a single right answer. Example: Does Pinocchio become a real boy? What is the main theme in Carlo Collodis Pinocchio?

Structured: Direct the learner to specific approaches, specific areas of the subject matter or framework to arrive at an answer. Example: What could a general practioner prescribe for these unusual symptoms? In what ways could you use mark and recapture to estimate flock size in a population of birds? (Kustra & Potter, 2008, p.80)

Unstructured: Vague, non-specific, wide open; require time to organize a good response (difficult to know what is required; risky to answer). Example: What should a doctor do? How do you characterize a population? (Kustra & Potter, 2008, p.80)

GENERATING AND MODERATING DISCUSSION5 Use different types of questions to get the ball rolling: Factual questions test recall, e.g. asking for names, dates, definitions. Probe questions ask for clarification, e.g. what do you mean by that?
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Martha Harris, Generating and Moderating Discussion. Trainer, TATP, University of Toronto, 2006. http://www.utoronto.ca/tatp/index.html accessed August 2, 2011.
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Critical questions encourage self-critique, e.g. what are you assuming? or is there another side to this issue? y y y y After asking a question, wait for a response. Count to ten in your head, or turn to the blackboard if there is a silence at first: allow students time to consider the question. Make a provocative statement that will encourage students to take a side on a particular issue, such as a quote from a reading. Form a debate by assigning positions to different groups. Build on previous responses. Ask general questions like does anyone agree with that statement? or any other reactions? Use interactive discussion tools to manage a shy class, or moderate an overly-talkative minority. Divide students into buzz groups where they prepare an answer on a question you assign. Ask them to role- play a scenario from the perspective of a key figure in class.

Ask them to justify their positions. As the discussion becomes more complex, ask students to refine each others answers and arguments. Stop and review as needed. Make specific references to students comments. Keep time, and use a timer to keep students on track. Keep track of valuable threads that the class does not follow: they can be great paper topics Encourage your students to be active learners6 y Incorporate pair or small-group activities into section discussions. y Stage a debate. y When you discuss an issue on which students may have differing perspectives, assign one side of issue to each end of the room. Have students stand anywhere between the two ends to indicate their stand on the position (standing by the wall would indicate strong agreement with one side; standing in the center of the room would indicate indecision or ambivalence). y Ask your students to imagine themselves in the shoes of someone theyre studying. Have them describe the experience of the individual in question or role-play with other students. y If you choose to call on students, give them one free pass, or allow them to defer a question to another student. Go with the Flow On some days, getting your class to contribute may be like pulling teeth, but on other days the discussion may go in an unexpectedly fruitful direction. Remember that your job is to facilitate: you are the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage! Its your students responsibility to
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Samuel Schaffer and Alison Greene, extract from Leading an Effective Discussion, http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/teaching/forms/papers/discussion_leading.pdf accessed August 2, 2011.

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make the contributions. When you come to tutorial prepared, you and your students will be ready for open and productive discussion. Also... Consider the cues, both verbal and non-verbal, that you use to guide the group. How do you inspire your quiet students while perhaps tempering the passion of a few vocal ones? A smile, a nod, a wave of the hand can each have strong impact on students. Where will you position yourself? At a podium? In front of the blackboard? Seated at a table? Will students sit in chairs that are arranged formally? Sit in a semi-circle? Sit in an auditorium? You may need to try more than one option to discover what works best for you. WHAT DO YOU DO IF DISCUSSION FIZZLES OUT? No matter how experienced you may be with discussions, they have a natural tendency to die out, but do not fear because there are ways in which you can revive the conversation. Make sure you have a plan B. Prepare a list of alternate questions that can easily be implemented in a conversation despite its trajectory during class. Simply outline questions according to structures of how, why or what. Review. By paraphrasing students comments and/or questions you will be able to backtrack to get students to think about what has been said, what issues have been raised, and whether or not anyones opinion has changed. This technique may remind students of an idea that they might have sidetracked along the way. Stay relevant. Create parallels between your life, their lives, and the curriculum under discussion so that students are able to see how discussion is useful outside the classroom as well. Wait it out. Do not fear if students do not talk 2-3 seconds after a question or comment has been posed. Instead, give them the chance to think it through for at least 10 seconds. For your secondlanguage learners who are thinking in two languages, this extra amount of time will aid them in processing your question. Use writing as participation. Have students take a few minutes to write out a response to a question to change the pace. HOW DO YOU PRODUCTIVELY END DISCUSSION? Remain on time. Set a time limit for the discussion that you notify the class about prior to the discussion. Also, give students 10 and 5 minutes warnings so that they know to bring their comments/questions to a close. Suggest a post-discussion exercise. Have students record their thoughts and or concerns about the discussion to bring to class for next time. This will serve as a way in which you can segue into the next topic and/or change the format of the discussion/room to better suit their needs. Reflect. Allocate a few minutes wherein yourself and the students can share insights or experiences. Display your interest by explaining to them what they pushed you to think about or how their comments and questions intrigued you. Your genuine recognition of their contributions will encourage them to continue thinking outside classroom hours.

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Follow-up plans. Discuss what initiatives students would take to continue their learning from the topic of the day. Thank them. Although discussion may be a requirement for the course (and/or their participation grade), dont forget to thank them for attending and participating. Once they realize how much their presence and involvement mattered to you, they will feel obliged to be present and active in the next discussion. DONT FORGET! y y y y y y y y Set ground rules at the beginning so as not to cause confusion as to what is expected from each student. Speak clearly and enthusiastically; if you dont want to be there, neither do your students. Let students take turns in deciding the topics being discussed, as this will help you to access any problems they may be encountering. Avoid answering your own questions; this will only make you appear to be a show off. If any students arrive late to the class, stop the discussion (when it is convenient) to provide them with a summary. You can always limit discussion to small groups of 4-5 persons and then have students re-group as one to discuss as a plenary. Try and approach each new discussion differently from the last; either by giving the students questions beforehand, or rearranging the room as a debate. Control talkative students by giving them a specific duty (such as recorder) or by encouraging them to listen to others opinions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DISCUSSION7 Article by Joan Middendorf, Director & Alan Kalish, Associate Director Teaching Resources Center, Indiana University, 9/96 1. How can I get a discussion going? Discussions need to be carefully planned. Sometimes we see instructors try to get a discussion going on the spur of the moment, by asking a question they have just thought up. These often fail to stir much student response. Arguably, good discussions can take more thought than a lecture might. It is important to plan an activity that gets at the most important issue in the class, as we discussed in the workshop. Planning a discussion is easier said than done. TRC staff frequently help faculty plan discussions until they get the hang of planning one. 2. What mechanisms can I use to keep the discussion going? The problem to solve or question that the group discusses has to be open-ended and complex
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Copyright 1996-2003. Published by James Rhem & Associates, LLC. (ISSN 1057-2880) http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/faqdisc.htm accessed August 2, 2011
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enough that they have something to chew on. As the facilitator, you can think through how long the discussion is likely to take, and then give them less time then that. You want to stop them when they are cooking, rather than let the discussion peter out or allow students time to drift into talking about last night's party. 3. What can I do if a discussion falls apart? How can I keep it from dying? A good teacher always has plan B in mind. Planning several follow-up questions helps to prevent the discussion from coming to premature closure. Set the question so they have to do more than only come up with the easy answer. Have an alternative activity if the one you try does not engage students as you anticipated. This does not mean that if a discussion does not heat up immediately you should ditch it and revert to lecture. Students need to practice discussion activities a few times before they become proficient at them. Hang in there with them as they learn to discuss easily and well. 4. How can I best keep conversation flowing without lapsing into long silences or a lecture? In one study, instructors waited on average 0.9 seconds before calling on a student or answering their own questions. Silence is an important factor to be in control of in the classroom. Americans are uncomfortable with silence and 10 seconds can seem like an hour. We recommend that you count to yourself while you are waiting for students to answer a question. Few students can come up with any answer in 0.9 seconds, and in our culture, white males are much more likely to be the ones who do. To give women and minorities a chance, push yourself to allow for some silence. At worst, if the silence drags on for too long, some student is sure to answer if only to come to your rescue. Being aware of the value of what is known in the literature as "wait time" can help you to allow your students the time they need to come up with intelligent answers. If all of your students are reluctant to speak up on a regular basis, it may be that they are afraid of being embarrassed by saying something "stupid." You can give them a chance to try out their ideas more safely by having them practice their answers in pairs or by having them jot their ideas down before you call on them. 5. How can I promote discussion in a large class so that more than just the vocal few are involved? You can do anything with 300 that you can do with 30, it just takes more planning. In a class of 300, if you ask a question and one student answers, you have one student actively engaged, and 299 sitting as passively as they do when you lecture. Perhaps even more so, because they seem to value what fellow students have to say less than what the professor says. Discussion in a large class works much better when the students are divided into small groups and given explicit tasks. To be sure the groups stay on task, take advantage of the power of randomness. Let them know that you will call on some groups for an answer at the end of the specified time, so they all feel the pressure to be prepared in case they are the ones you call on. It might help you to know that you cannot expect all groups to perform equally well. It has been our observation that in an average class, a few groups will get more energized and work together better than some other groups, and some groups will seem almost dysfunctional.

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6. How do you get everyone participating, especially the quiet ones, without putting them on the spot? Create the expectation that everyone will participate. You can do so by telling them this explicitly, and by designing activities that require different students to have different responsibilities across the semester. Direct students to be sure and let everyone speak. Again, randomness can help. For example, when you tell students that the reporter for today's discussion will be the person whose last name is closest to the start of the alphabet, some quiet students will end up reporting. What if we never made students who did not want to speak do so? Can you imagine letting someone get a college education and never having them speak in class? Should we also not make them take tests or write papers? 7. How do you handle "discussion monopolizers"? If the same people answer all the time, you might say, "Let's hear from someone we haven't heard from yet." And then don't call on the students you have already heard from that day. Do not allow one student to speak an inordinate amount of class time. If one does, take that person aside and ask him or her to limit their comments in class. If they don't take the first warning (some students are surprisingly unaware of how they come across to their classmates), tell them an exact number of times they can respond in class, and don't call on them any more once they've reached that number on any day. 8. How can I evaluate discussions? "To grade or not to grade, that is the question." The Not-to-Grade Approach: Some faculty say they don't grade in-class discussion directly because it will inhibit students and add some pressure to the group. Others don't grade discussions when it would account for just a small portion of the grade, such as five or ten percent; they say it's not worth the effort to grade. One approach is to make participation the norm. For example, one professor we know sets the expectation that participation is the norm and is necessary from day one. When she assigns something, everyone knows that they had better read it because she expects them to be prepared to discuss it. One day, she'll start at one side of the room and ask students to discuss in turn the facts in the case. On another day, she'll start in reverse order. If a student does not participate, she talks to the student individually. Day in and day out, that is the mode of learning in her class, and students get used to it. The Graded Approach: The benefits of grading participation include encouraging even participation by all and providing an alternative to standard tests or paper evaluations. Here are some grading variations: Teacher assigns grade:
y y

Write a note to each student twice a semester telling each one their participation grade and the basis for the grade. Require a written product from student group activities and grade it. For example, a SPEA professor has the students do six to eight projects per semester. Students are
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assigned to a different group for each project. Once teams have been formed, they write their names on a card. When their group presents or develops their written product, the professor puts a grade on their card and returns it to them so they all know their grade. Over the semester, they get six or eight of these grades from the different group activities, which are a significant portion of their grade. Put a tick mark next to student names each time they speak to encourage quantity of responses.

Peers assign grade:

y

To get around the complaint that, "Two of us did all the work," require group members to grade one another. For example, let each student in the group distribute 100 points across the group. Have each student briefly describe in writing, the strengths and weaknesses of each person in their group. Groups can be required to keep a log of their activities; at the end of the project, each student write a paragraph reporting who did what, which is used to raise or lower the grade each individual receives on the project.

Students self-evaluate:
y

Professor passes around a copy of the class list and students place a check, plus, or minus next to their name. This helps students to monitor their own participation in class discussions.

The Indirect Approach: Discussions can be evaluated indirectly through exam questions and written assignments. Whether one gives an explicit participation grade or not, every faculty member wants to encourage students to think. One of the best ways to do this is to make exam questions or written assignments reflect class discussions and activities. If you don't, these become throw-away activities. For example, three questions on your exam can be from a class discussion. Or, ask students to evaluate a class discussion in writing or tell where they stand on the issue. Grade them on this writing. Again, even if you don't give an explicit participation grade, you can make participatory activities show up in student grades. The Bottom line on Evaluating Discussion: If you don't directly grade student participation in discussion or a product of the discussions, you should at the minimum include the content of discussions in your normal evaluation of student learning (tests or written assignments).

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Cole, A. (2002). Better Answers: Written Performance That Looks Good and Sounds Smart. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Civility Agreement from Dr. C. Simmons course, Love, Honour, and Obey: Marriage and Gender, Winter 2011, University of Windsor. Edited by C. Reader and C. Rossi. Extract from Discussion Skills for Tutorials & Seminars. http:;//www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/disc.html accessed June 25, 2011 Harris, Martha. Generating and Moderating Discussion. Trainer, TATP, University of Toronto, 2006. http://www.utoronto.ca/tatp/index.html accessed August 2, 2011. Kustra, Erika D.H. and Potter, Michael K. Leading Effective Discussions. London, ON: Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2008. Morgan, Nora and Saxton, Juliana. Asking Better Questions. Portland, ME: Stenhouse, 2006. Frequently Asked Questions. Copyright 1996-2003. Published by James Rhem & Associates, LLC. (ISSN 1057-2880). http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/faqdisc.htm accessed August 2, 2011 Schaffer, Samuel and Alison Greene, extract from Leading an Effective Discussion, http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/teaching/forms/papers/discussion_leading.pdf accessed August 2, 2011. Many of these ideas were adapted from workshop materials compiled by Michael Potter (University of Windsor), Erika Kustra (University of Windsor), and Dr. Finney Cherian (University of Windsor).

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