Issue 2, Spring 1991

William A. McEachern, Editor

Class Discussion?

Even with questions, a lecture is mostly one-way communication. Class discussion, however, provides immediate feedback about student learning and comprehension. Discussion encourages the student to examine and refine ideas in ways not possible with lectures. New instructors might think that carrying on a discussion is easier than lecturing. They might imagine a lively debate among students, where the instructor's role is limited to posing the issue and interceding now and then to offer new insights or to guide an errant discussion back on track. But conducting a discussion requires more skill and certainly more patience than giving a lecture. You can't simply ask the class "So what did you think of the reading for today?" and expect to touch off an enthusiastic, rewarding discussion. Lively discussion emerges when student interest coincides with the material.

Suppose you have raised an issue, provided a few facts to establish a frame of reference, and asked for comments. Nothing happens. The silence that sets in seems like a conspiracy and usually drives instructors back to the safely of lectures. Perhaps the biggest problem of discussion is students' unwillingness or inability to participate. Many students view discussions as a waste of time or, worse yet, as a source of humiliation. Class discussion teaches some students to improvise opinions on the spot and to substitute fast talk for thought. One dominant student with an opinion on everything, coupled with a classful of shy or indifferent students, results in an unproductive discussion.

If discussion is so difficult and, at times, so awkward, why bother? Consider the benefits of class discussion. Learning can be more fun during a stimulating discussion. Discussion includes students as active participants in the learning process and thereby can serve as a powerful motivator. Students may be more inclined to prepare for a class where their participation is valued. In a sense, discussion are more emotional than lectures and therefore draw students into the topic in a way that lectures cannot. Participation helps students develop basic social and academic skills by weighing the evidence, formulating an opinion, and evaluating the arguments of others.

A good discussion actually requires more preparation than a lecture. You must develop an issue worth discussing. Students need to have enough acquaintance with the topic to make intelligent contributions. Students should be told ahead of time what the topic will be and what they should read to prepare for it. Discussion is better suited for normative issues than positive issues. For example, the lecture is more appropriate for listing the various kinds of property programs, whereas the effects of poverty on the family and on the community might be better treated through discussion. As a general rule, you should rely on topic that can draw on students' common experience. That way, all students could potentially have something to contribute. And remember that students are usually armed more with feelings and sentiments than with facts or theory. Be sensitive to these feelings. Don't threaten or bully students. Students must often be drawn gently into these discussions.

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