1. Discussion as a Way of Teaching
STEPHEN BROOKFIELD
Distinguished University Professor,
University of St. Thomas

2. OUTCOMES At the end of this session you will be able to conduct
Critical Incident Questionnaire
Snowballing
Circle of Voices
Conversational Moves
Circular Response
Chalk Talk
Hatful of Quotes
Newsprint Dialog
Participation Grading Audit
Rotating Stations
Appreciative Pause

3. TEN QUESTIONS … What do you hope to achieve by using discussion?
What has stopped you from participating in discussions?
What happens when a discussion goes well? What does it look, feel & sound like?
What does a good discussion leader do?
How can we create the conditions for good discussion?

4. Ten Questions
What’s the worst discussion you’ve ever participated in and what made it so awful?
What would it take for you to overcome your resistance to take part in a discussion?
Which discussion methods work best for you?
When is using discussion counterproductive, inappropriate or a waste of time?
Think about the best discussion leader you’ve experienced. What did she do that was so impressive?

5. Chief Claims for Discussion
Cognitive – it helps students appreciate the complexity of content
Communicative – it strengthens their ability to think & speak extemporaneously & clearly
Socio-political – it provides an analog of democratic exchange & decision-making
Affective – it solidifies students’emotional connections to subject matter

6. Why Discussions Fail Learning Unsuited to Discussion
Unprepared Students
Unrealistic Expectations
No Ground Rules
Reward Systems Askew
No Teacher Modeling

7. Critical Incident Questionnaire
Moment most engaged as a learner
Moment most distanced as a learner
Most affirming/helpful action
Most puzzling/confusing action
What surprised you most
These are anonymously completed - the instructor reads these & reports main findings at start of next class with time for discussion (if needed)

8. Creating Ground Rules
Individuals reflect on features of best & worst discussions they’ve experienced
Groups discuss commonly agreed features of best & worst discussions
For each feature group asks how can this be encouraged &/or eliminated
Class creates ground rules with teacher assistance (the 3 person rule, rotating roles, building on others’ contributions, providing evidence)

9. Circle of Voices
Individuals reflect on the discussion topic (1-3 minutes)
Participants go round the circle in order - each person has up to 1 minute of uninterrupted air time to give their viewpoint on the topic. No interruptions are allowed.
Move into free discussion with the ground rule that every comment offered must somehow refer back to a comment made by someone else in the opening circle of voices. This need NOT be agreement - it can be a disagreement, a question, an elaboration or extension, an illustration, and so on.

10. 3 PERSON RULE
ONCE YOU HAVE SPOKEN YOU MAY NOT MAKE ANOTHER COMNTRIBUTION UNTIL AT LEAST 3 OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN - UNLESS SOMEONE ASKS YOU DIRECTLY TO EXPAND ON YOUR COMMENT

11. Snowballing People spend time individually reflecting on the topic
Form into pairs & share reflections
Pairs form into quartets
Quartets form into octets
AND SO ON & SO ON!!
(An alternative way to move from small to whole group discussion)

12. STRUCTURED SILENCE
Every 15 minutes students write individually on 3x5 cards ONE of the following - most important point, most puzzling point, question they’d most like to discuss, something new they’ve learned - in the discussion so far.
Cards shuffled & responses read out by different students

13. SPIRAL CONVERSATION
ONCE YOU HAVE SPOKEN YOU DO NOT SPEAK AGAIN UNTIL EVERYONE IN THE GROUP HAS CONTRIBUTED. FACILITATOR MONITORS THIS PROCESS - LATER CONTRIBUTORS CAN AGREE, DISAGREE OR PASS

14. Conversational Moves
Bring 3x5 cards to class with moves typed on each of them. Participants choose 1 of these cards randomly.
EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC MOVES
Ask a question or make a comment that shows you are interested in another’s comments
Make a comment that underscores the link between 2 previous contributions
Make a comment clearly building on what someone else has said - make this link explicit
Make a summary observation on a recurring theme in the discussion
Express appreciation for how another’s comments have helped your understanding
Disagree with someone in a respectful way

15. Conversational Roles Devil’s Advocate Theme Spotter Textual Focuser
Problem Poser
Reflective Analyst
Scrounger
Umpire
Detective
Devil’s Advocate
Theme Spotter
Textual Focuser
Evidential Assessor

16. Circular Response (Eduard Lindeman)
Individuals reflect on a topic for discussion
Form into circles of 6-8
One person starts by giving her reflections on the topic. Up to 1 minute allowed - no interruptions
Person to left of 1st speaker goes next - whatever she says MUST somehow refer to/build on previous speaker’s comments (can be a disagreement or express confusion). Up to 1 minute allowed - no interruptions
Process continues leftwards around the circle with people speaking in order until all have participated
Group moves into open conversation with no particular ground rules in force

17. Mutual Invitation (Eric Law - The Wolf Shall dwell with the Lamb)
Facilitator begins by sharing her views on the topic
Facilitator chooses who will speak next - this person can pass but then chooses who will speak in their turn
No-one can interrupt the chosen speaker
Once all have spoken participants move into open discussion with no ground rules

18. Critical Conversation Protocol
Storyteller tells the tale - no interruptions
Detectives ask questions about story
Detectives report out assumptions they hear
Detectives offer alternative interpretations
Participants do an experiential audit (what have we learned, would do differently etc.)
Umpire enforces ground rules throughout

19. Discussion Inventory
Tell students you reserve 5-10 minutes at the end of the discussion to offer your thoughts
On a notepad record:-
- clear errors of fact or understanding,
- perspectives that are ignored,
- oppositional views that are smothered
Articulate these for 5-10 minutes before giving participants ‘the last word’ & the CIQ

20. Hatful of Quotes
Type out 5-6 provocative quotes from assigned reading on a 3x5 card (each quote will be on several cards)
Put these in a hat & have participants choose a card at random
Participants take turns (at their choosing) to respond to these quotes - or to earlier comments on these quotes

21. Quotes to Affirm & Challenge
Each participant brings in a quote she wishes to affirm, & one she wishes to challenge, from the assigned reading
Quotes to affirm - resonate with experience, explain difficult concepts clearly, add significant new information, are cogently expressed, are rhetorically powerful etc.
Quotes to challenge - immoral/unethical, poorly expressed, factually wrong, contradict experience
Quotes are shared in small groups & each group chooses ONE to affirm & ONE to challenge
In large group conversation the small group communicates rationales for each of these choices

22. NOMINATING QUESTIONS
Small groups come up with 1-2 questions they want to discuss further
Groups post questions on posters or black/white board
Students individually put a check against 2 questions they would like to discuss more
Whole class discussion is structured around questions with most votes

23. Newsprint Dialogue
Small groups put their deliberations on newsprint sheets - no reporter is chosen to report these out
Newsprint sheets are then posted around the room & blank sheets posted next to each sheet
Each participant takes a marker & wanders by herself around the room - she writes her questions, reactions, agreements etc. directly onto the sheets or on the blanks posted next to them
Groups reassemble at their postings to see what others have written

24. CHALK TALK
Facilitator writes a question in the center of the board & circles it
Whenever they wish people go to the board & write responses to question
Others draw lines between responses to show connections/differences
Facilitator adds responses as needed

25. Rotating Stations
Small groups record their deliberations on newsprint sheets and hang these on the wall - a blank sheet hangs next to each group’s posting
Staying in their small groups, each group visits the posting next to theirs - as a group they post their reactions to the posting on the blank sheets
Group’s rotate until they arrive at their own posting. They review all the previous groups’ comments
Whole class discussion follows on how groups reacted to other groups’ postings

26. GRADING FOR PARTICIPATION: BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS
Ask a question of a peer that draws out their thinking
Bring in a resource not covered in the syllabus that adds new info. or ideas
Make a comment that underscores the link between 2 people’s comments
Use body language to show interest in a person’s contribution

27. PARTICIPATION (II)
Post an online comment that summarizes our discussion or suggests a new direction
Make a comment (online is ok) about how you found another’s comments useful or interesting. Be as specific as possible.
Contribute something that builds on what another has said - be explicit about how you are doing this

28. PARTICIPATION (III)
Make a comment on the CIQ or online that helps us examine discussion dynamics
Ask a cause and effect question
Express appreciation for how the discussion has helped you understand something better (online is OK). Be specific about exactly what was helpful.
Summarize several people’s comments

29. PARTICIPATION AUDIT HOW DID YOU? …
Express Appreciation for a Contribution
Connect 2 or 3 previous comments
Point out differences
Draw out another’s thinking
Ask a helpful question
Contribute a new idea

30. APPRECIATIVE PAUSE Comments allowed only that thank people for:
A question that was asked that suggested a new line of thinking
A comment that clarified a confusing idea
A new idea or piece of information not considered before
A comment showing the connection between two other ideas
An example given that helped understanding a difficult concept

31. Discussion Learning Audit
As a result of today’s discussion …
What do you know that you didn’t know this time last week?
What can you do that you couldn’t do this time last week?
What could you teach someone else to know or do that you couldn’t teach them this time last week?

32. What Would it Take? Former resisters testified to its utility
Faculty modeled their own participation
My silence was not misconstrued
I was not coerced into speech
Open - not a guessing game of ‘what the teacher thinks’
Group developed & observed ground rules
Participation was assessed by multiple indicators