Learning to Discuss: Strategies for Improving the Quality of Class Discussion

This paper describes a strategy for improving the quality of class discussions. I argue that discussions are often unsatisfying for two reasons. First, students and teachers tend to emphasize individual contributions rather than the collective process of discussing. Second, teachers tend to emphasize discussion performance rather than the development of discussion skills. I describe a multi-part exercise that addresses both of these issues and illustrates its effectiveness with excerpts from student self-evaluations. Students often write that this exercise helps them develop their speaking and listening skills and improves the overall quality of class discussion.