Fostering Effective Classroom Discussion:
A Selective List of Online Resources
(Arranged Alphabetically)Jennifer Barton, Paul Heilker, and David Rutkowski
English Department
Virginia TechUniversity of California, Berkeley
Barbara Gross DavisTools for Teaching
http://uga.berkeley.edu/sled/bgd/participation.html
This website offers lengthy suggestions on how to "create a classroom in which students feel comfortable, secure, willing to take risks, and ready to test and share ideas." The site also includes a list of references for further reading. The topics here run a wide range, from instructor body language to icebreaking tips to dealing with students who monopolize discussion.
A Berkeley Compendium of Suggestions for Teaching with Excellence
http://uga.berkeley.edu/sled/compendium/section.lists/sect.10.html
Consisting of four major areas, this site contains a link menu with advice on integrating discussion within lectures, responding to student comments, preparing students for discussion, and keeping the discussion alive. The link menu consists of quick reference phrases for instructors looking for specific suggestions.
University of Delaware
Center for Teaching Effectivenesshttp://www.udel.edu/cte/97book/question.html
Focusing on questioning strategies, this page offers instructors concise tips in an outline format. The site helps instructors develop questions to start class discussion and also offers advice for encouraging students to ask questions on their own.
http://www.udel.edu/cte/97book/discuss.html
Outlines three important elements for guiding students through discussion: planning a discussion, maintaining a focused discussion, and maintaining an open discussion.
http://www.udel.edu/cte/97book/ground.html
This site offers nine sample ground rules an instructor may wish to implement in the classroom. The rules not only give students guidelines for appropriate discussion etiquette and expectations, but also encourage them to develop guidelines of their own.
University of Georgia
Office of Instructional Support and DevelopmentYou may be prompted to download a Japanese character set when you access this page. It is NOT necessary to do so; the page will render perfectly well without the long download.
An outline of a TA workshop at the University of Georgia, this site offers a quick overview of the necessary elements for leading a classroom discussion. Although the information is not in-depth, the page shows new instructors what they need to be aware of in the classroom.
Indiana University
Kelley School of BusinessInstructional Consulting Site
http://www.bus.indiana.edu/isweb/teachln/questn.htm
This site offers some good general advice about how to ask useful questions and how to respond to student answers and questions, but it is clearly working from a classroom model in which the teacher has the spotlight. The advice here will facilitate more fruitful student-to-teacher discussions but not student-to-students discussions.
http://www.bus.indiana.edu/isweb/teachln/wrongans.htm
This site assumes the existence of "wrong'" answers, which may be unpalatable to many English teachers; however, the specific suggestions for responding to such answers may be useful for responding to student comments that are either unclear or inflammatory.
Iowa State University
Center for Teaching Excellencehttp://www.cte.iastate.edu/tips/smallgrp.html
A dull but useful site which includes a large number of suggestions and a few examples. More importantly, it reminds teachers of students' inexperience with discussion-format classrooms and how to work with and around it.
National Teaching and Learning Forum
Frequently Asked Questionshttp://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/faqdisc.htm
Consisting of answers to eight frequently asked questions, this site offers instructors useful approaches for evaluating classroom discussion.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Teaching and Learning Centerhttp://www.unl.edu/teaching/teachquestions.html
One of the most practical sites for learning how to ask effective questions. Possible question types are divided into six broad categories and more specific subtypes. Examples and explanations of each type of question are given, allowing teachers to quickly assess which types they are already using in their classrooms and to recognize other types which might also suit their styles and purposes.
Ohio State University
Office of Faculty and TA DevelopmentTeaching Handbook
http://www.osu.edu/education/ftad/Publications/TeachingHandbook/chap-5.html#anchor584992
A lengthy but very thorough site, covering objectives, question types, classroom atmosphere, student interaction, and active learning, among other topics. Includes suggestions for incorporating discussion into a variety of disciplines and ways to make transitions between writing and discussion.
University of Oklahoma
Instructional Development Programhttp://www.ou.edu/idp/ideas-discussions.html
Drawing from the work of Joseph Lowman, Arletta Knight offers eight points for fostering effective classroom discussion. The site, constructed in a question/answer format, gives quick and concise tips for instructors looking for a short tutorial.
Stanford University
Center for Teaching and LearningTeaching Handbook
http://www-ctl.stanford.edu/teach/handbook/discussion.html
This site includes several specific suggestions about what makes for fruitful questions. Moreover, it suggests several methods for improving classroom atmosphere and interaction among students and explains how such improvements can lead to more student-to-students discussion.