Using discussions as a primary teaching method allows you to stimulate. Disadvantages of discussion method i in this method there is a chance that only a few students may dominate the whole discussion. The exchange of ideas takes place in a systematic and structured. In this workshop, jane baxter presented a case for students to understand discussion as a skill that must be learned like any other. No matter what level of students you are teaching, you must carefully prepare and actively facilitate the discussions to ensure that they are disciplined and inclusive and that they promote learning. What are the advantages of discussion method of teaching. The effect of instructional methods lecturediscussion. When shared with a group, written responses should be in pdf format, as adobe. In this method, everybody participates in the discussion, and therefore thinks and expresses himself. Generally, a classroom discussion is conducted without many other tools than the moderators questions. It helps if there are some visuals for the students to get a picture of what. Whole class strategies generally require less preparation time and instruction time. The teacher poses a question to the whole group and pairs discuss their. The key to planning for whole group instruction is two part.
Looking at the whole semester and the whole institutionany single class outline cannot stand alone. The big list of class discussion strategies cult of pedagogy. Effective classroom discussions educational leadership. It takes a lot more time to plan for a small group or individual instruction than it does for an entire group. It helps students recognize and investigate their assumptions. For a group that has been convened to address a problem or an innovation opportunity. That being said, i think this holds true with classroom lectures and discussions.
You may have one student that dominates the discussion, a select group that participate s while the others remain silent, or a student who never contributes no matter how inviting the discussion. Is it to create or reinforce basic understanding or to extend student learning. For a spontaneous conversation that starts after the topic of a meeting has been announced. How and why some teachers use discussion lisa brown buchanan university of north carolinagreensboro discussion is a multifaceted, invitational classroom practice that presents possibilities for classroom teachers to engage. Depending on the research objective, the focus group can be used alone or in conjunction with other methods. As a teacher, it is important to consider the goals for small group discussions. Those of you who are interested in discussion method teaching are probably convinced that improving interactive skills in the classroom will improve your teaching. Whole class discussions are, after lecture, the second most frequently used teaching strategy, one mandated by the common core state standards because of its many rewards. Questions, reflective writing, and smallgroup work this sampling of strategies provide ideas for helping students prepare for discussions and for collaborating with others to develop those ideas. Oct 15, 2015 it is a little elementary, but we notice our students struggle with handling even just that activity. The experimental group was taught with discussion method along with lecture while the control group.
The intact class, like the lecture method, is like a comfortable old shoe that they. Students generate, record, and discuss various ideas before prioritizing and voting. My takeaway was that the school was meeting the individual needs of their students and families. Fortyone teaching methods are defined and five that are central to technology studies are explained in detail. A whole class discussion can be a wonderful tool when used. The two main groups you will find in a classroom are whole class, in which the teacher teaches a topic to the whole class or students have a discussion as a whole group, or small group, in which.
Discussion methods are a variety of forums for openended, collaborative exchange of ideas among a teacher and students or among students for the purpose of furthering students thinking, learning, problem solving, understanding, or literary appreciation. Ela teaching strategies for small group discussions. Classroom discussions create an opportunity for teachers to lead a class through a subject and build upon students knowledge. The teacher poses a question to the whole group and pairs discuss their responses with each other. These are smaller techniques that can be integrated with other instructional. Whole class teaching is a rather familiar method for all teachers as it is the main teaching method in monograde schools. In this model, the focus is shared between the instructor and the students throughout the information exchange. Pdf small group work and whole group discussion mediated. Classroom discussions university of maryland teaching and. Jane added that good class discussions often start with the instructor communicating the purpose of discussion and what constitutes a valuable addition to a discussion.
Whole class discussion and student achievement whole class discussions take time. Links and references for teaching with discussions. Small group discussions are a beneficial way for students to share ideas in an informal atmosphere that is, perhaps, not as intimidating as whole class discussions as a teacher, it is important to consider the goals for small group discussions. The advantages of presenting instruction to the whole class are attractive to many teachers. Moreover, leading an effective discussion does not always come naturally to the instructor.
Typically, an instructor will stand before a class and present information for the students to learn but the students will also participate by. Other asynchronous methods are wikis, blogs, rss feeds, and twitter. Students on the outside circle move one space to the right so they are standing in front of a new person or sitting. He found that openended, wholeclass discussion averaged only 52. Ask each group to analyze and annotate a figure, image, or short passage of text, or to solve a problem, then explain it to the class. Advantages of whole class and group activities moving on to the advantages of whole class activities, an important aspect of whole class discussion is the bonding together of the whole group. You are probably wondering what this has to do with group conversations. Group discussion is an important activity in academic, business and administrative spheres. Rebori community and organizational development specialist every group at one time or another has the task of problem solving the gap between the current situation and a desired situation. The group is likely to meet 2 or 3 times on each problem, gaining further. Oct 22, 2017 disadvantages of discussion method there is a chance that only a few students may dominate the whole discussion. Lecture method is most widely used method whole discussion method has the potential to bring about a positive change in the teaching of pakistan studies.
Comparing the benefits of smallgroup and largeclass. It will allow students to develop more efficient mathematical thinking and to build on concepts they have discovered through effective, guided communication. This, of course, is the domain in which effective discussion occursthe uncharted territory where we have to suspend judgment, put scrutinize nettlesome problems, offer new ideas, weigh alternatives, and consider different points of view. Short class periods may not be sufficient to accommodate a complicated subject matter or to fully explore a daily objective. Large group discussion is not a perfect teaching strategy and neither is small group discussion, but there are things educators can do to improve the practical usage of discussion in the classroom. Time consuming presence of a teacher at all times easy to deviate from the topic can dominate by any member this method. For unlocking a discussion that has become dysfunctional or stuck. Mental method inductive and deductive, analysis, synthesis method, etc fine arts record for b. It helps students explore a diversity of perspectives.
It develops new appreciation for continuing differences. The nature of class discussion makes the process very time consuming. A classroom discussion is a sustained exchange between and among teachers and their students with the purpose of developing students capabilities or skills andor expanding students understandingboth shared and individualof a specific concept or instructional goal. Impact of discussion method on students performance. Visual method textbook method, demonstration method, etc. Comparing the benefits of small group and largeclass discussions article in ssrn electronic journal january 2010 with 6,416 reads how we measure reads. Ela teaching strategies for small group discussions english.
But among instructional practices that teachers employ, discussion is an important, even critical, method. Discussions may occur among members of a dyad, small group, or whole class and be teacherled or studentled. Some of the disadvantages are the potential for group members to slip into groupthink, the differences among separate personality types and the time required to establish discussion groups. Discussion method emphasises pupilactivity in the form of discussion, rather than simply telling and lecturing by the teacher. It is possible that discussion is initiated on those aspects of the problem with which few prominent students of the class are concerned. Effects of literature discussion groups on reading. A common challenge of guided discussion is involving all students and keeping all the student voices in balance. Time consuming presence of a teacher at all times easy to deviate from the topic can dominate by any member this method cannot be used for teaching small. Thus, we are going to focus on the advantages or the implications of implementing the method in multigrade teaching situations only. I really would like to try the speed dating discussion technique sometime this would be like you said, way more of an intimate conversation and im betting more students will open up more on a 1 on 1 basis, rather than whole group. A group of managers used two rounds of 124all to redesign their lessthanstimulating weekly meeting. Creative group discussions all groups have discussions.
If the group tends to go along with decisions but not want to work, set up the. Discussion methods poorvu center for teaching and learning. Lecture vs whole group discussion principal kendrick. The focus group fg is one of the qualitative research methods to be utilized in the search for answers to such questions. In a discussion, where participation is assessed some students. Whole class discussions to support student learning are essential in. These benefits, however, do not manifest without a skillful and knowledgeable facilitator. Hence, if many students discuss a topic which has already been studied by them.
Sep 05, 2007 whole group discussion as a teaching method. Oct 05, 2017 small group discussions are a beneficial way for students to share ideas in an informal atmosphere that is, perhaps, not as intimidating as whole class discussions. These smaller discussions activate prior knowledge and. Effective problemsolving techniques for groups marlene k. It increases students awareness of and tolerance for ambiguity or complexity. These benefits, however, do not manifest without a skillful and knowledgeable. Addressing the whole group takes one plan, where addressing small groups of students takes multiple plans or approaches.
Discussion method teaching university of colorado boulder. A further consideration with small group teaching is the subjective perspective of what constitutes a small group. Jun 23, 2019 whole group instruction is easy to plan for. Guided discussion in the classroom university of tennessee. Allow time after the group discussions for groups to report the results of group work and for students in other groups to ask questions and comment on their peers ideas. Specific types of large group discussions developmental discussion is a technique in which a large group breaks down the problemsolving process into stages that approximate the scientific method. The advantages of discussion groups include increased productivity, enhanced creativity and the ability to reach a general consensus among all participants. Moving on to the advantages of whole class activities, an important aspect of whole class discussion is the bonding together of the whole group. Discussion methods are a variety of forums for openended, collaborative exchange of. Typical whole class strategies include lecture, discussion, debate, teacher demonstrations, and giving directions. The focus group fg has been actually employed by marketing, and is becoming importanct also in other areas. Classroom discussions university of maryland teaching.
The chapter concludes with detailed sections on the relationships among instructional methods, personalities and learning styles. In this lesson, we will discuss some instructional strategies for hosting a classroom discussion that involves the whole group rather than a few outspoken students. Telling method lecture method, storytelling method, discussion method, etc activity method project method, problems solving method, etc. Experiential learning we learn best when we are actively involved in the learning process. The risk of going off track with the discussion is another. Pros and cons of classroom group discussions owlcation.
Here the exchange of ideas, thoughts and feelings take place through oral communication. The process prevents the domination of discussion by a. They frequently involve discussion of a written text, though discussion can also focus on a problem, issue, or topic that has its basis in a text in the larger sense of the term e. As compared to whole class, group work is a relatively new teaching strategy which is used commonly in many schools in the west. In the first part of class, students collectively identify a problem. Chapter 4 instructional methods and learning styles. Whole group discussion is a method of teaching that involves a modified form of classroom lecture. Participants present multiple points of view, respond to the ideas of others, and reflect on their own ideas in an effort to.
This chapter will clarify the large group discussion process. Group discussion has its own ethics to be cordial and polite during the group discussion. Small group discussion is better than whole class 15. Using the discussion method, a students concrete, personal experiences are followed by observation, reflection, and analysis of these experiences. Problem solving is an ongoing process that is an integral part of work and life. Whole group discussion as a teaching method scribd. Unfortunately, this is sometimes at the expense of less active students and creates a timeconsuming process that restricts a teachers ability to plan lessons.
The process of exploring a subject, while keeping students on task in the discussion, requires far more time than classic lecture style instruction. The disadvantages of classroom discussions synonym. Discussion based learning socratic questioning methods. Comparing the benefits of small group and largeclass settings article pdf available in journal of political science education 71. The small group discussion and partner talks generate a rich background of ideas for a whole class discussion. For teachers taking their first steps into effective classroom discussion, the prospect can be intimidating. There are advantages and disadvantages in each of these methods and as each child is an individual so should your choice be. Whole group discussion as a teaching method free download as word doc. The richness of a whole class discussion is dependent on the quality of small group and partner conversations that take place first. Instructional strategies for whole group discussion. Point out how the days discussion will tie in with the next discussion. Disadvantages of discussion method there is a chance that only a few students may dominate the whole discussion. When it comes to assessment, there are many options for the educator to choose from. Moreover, the larger the group, more variety there is in the ideas, opinions and experiences which can.
Jun 24, 20 whole class discussions are, after lecture, the second most frequently used teaching strategy, one mandated by the common core state standards because of its many rewards. A lecturer used to taking 400 in a lecture would define 50 as a small group, while a lecturer used to a group of 50 would define 510 as a small group. It is a systematic and purposeful interactive oral process. A group of students work through a given scenario or problem to diagnose a solution. Whole group discussion is a modified form of classroom lecture where the focus is shared between the instructor and the students for information transfer.