Facilitating a Coherent Discussion

In-class discussions can help students develop critical thinking skills, but effective discussions require structure and planning.

Garside, C. (1996). Look who's talking: A comparison of lecture and group discussion teaching strategies in developing critical thinking skills.

Related tips:
Facilitating In-Class Discussions: Picking Good Discussion Topics
Facilitating In-Class Discussions: Working with Quiet Students
Facilitating In-Class Discussions: Working with Oversharers

Specify and enforce civil behavior to avoid aggressive or unproductive comments.

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Have students brainstorm clarifying questions for the reading to clear misunderstandings before beginning the class discussion.

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Ask discussion questions that can have multiple perspectives to facilitate student contributions.

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Ask students how the class discussion could be improved to help develop an environment where students are comfortable and co-responsible for creating a good discussion.

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Check in with students about their understanding by doing thumbs up/down polls to avoid assuming the most vocal students speak for all students.

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Have students summarize the previous speaker’s comment to ensure better comprehension by everyone in the class.

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