Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning

Educational Development Unit

If I can “look out” through your view and you through mine, we will each see something we might not have seen
alone. (Senge, 2006, p.231)

Facilitating Effective Discussions

What can I do to help create conditions for an effective discussion? It is important to set a classroom climate
that encourages a shared expectation for participation and collaboration. Provide time for everyone to become
familiar with each other. What are their interests? What have they heard about this course? Why are they
taking the course? Use name tents during the first few class meetings. Develop a list of shared expectations for
classroom discussions. What are the characteristics of an effective discussion, and how can we ensure that these
characteristics exist here? Post these shared expectations in a visible space during each session. Provide some
time to reflect on the value of active and attentive listening. Encourage students to give their full attention to
each speaker and to paraphrase the comments of others prior to adding their own comments. If possible,
arrange the seating to ensure that students can see each other (e.g. a u-shape or circle). Most importantly, use
a discussion technique that ensures everyone participates in the first class.

What can I do to plan and prepare for discussions? There is little doubt that a good discussion involves
intentional planning and active facilitation. State clear outcomes for each session. What is the goal of the
session? What will students know and be able to do by the end of the discussion? Be sure to come prepared with
a variety of activities and questions to sustain participation and collaboration. Ask one question at a time. Focus
on asking why and how questions that provide opportunities for integrating and synthesizing understanding.
Stay active during the discussion: acknowledge insightful responses to build confidence; summarize key points
so that students can actively observe their progress (e.g. How could we summarize the 3 key points of our
discussion so far? How are these issues and ideas connected?); encourage further elaboration (e.g. How do
others feel? What are others’ reactions to this? Can you elaborate on that point?). Provide sufficient time for
wrapping-up and relating the discussion to other aspects of the course.

How do I encourage equal and active participation? Some students will be more inclined to contribute actively
than others. An effective facilitator can intentionally provide opportunities to ensure equal participation. A
question posed to an entire class with little time for reflection will likely solicit few responses. After posing a
question, give students a minute to record their thoughts. Then, have students pair-up to discuss their thoughts
prior to soliciting responses from the entire class. This way, all of the class will have participated in the
discussion. Use small buzz groups to address specific tasks or questions. Give the groups a time limit and clear
outcomes (e.g. Record and report back the top “3” themes of your group discussion). The best discussions are
truly student generated. You don’t need to respond to every student’s comment. Rather, encourage students to
develop their own ideas and to respond to each other. Pose a question via email prior to class and encourage
students to come prepared with a response. Give eager students a specific task, such as recording and
summarizing the key points of a discussion.

What do I do if the room is silent? After posing a question, 8 seconds of silence can feel like an eternity!
Remember that silence provides time for students to actively construct a thoughtful response, and encourages
quality dialogue. Discuss the importance of silence directly with students, and actively encourage them to take a
minute to record their answer prior to initiating an open discussion. Take a minute to think individually about
this, and then we will come back as a larger group. Expect and plan for lulls in discussion. Generate a list of
potential questions and a few alternative activities prior to each discussion. Use silence as an opportunity to
generate and synthesize new ideas. Use freewriting by having students write a key word or phrase related to the
discussion topic at the top of the page. Give them 2 minutes to record everything they currently know or feel is
relevant to this term. You can then return to a much richer dialogue. Ask students to write their name and a
question on a scrap piece of paper, and pass this on to the person next to them for a response. Repeat this
process a few times. Each student will have a rich array of ideas to draw upon for further discussion.

What do I do if conflicts and disagreements arise? Differences in opinion often enrich discussion. If the
discussion is straying off-track, stop and clarify what is happening. Let’s take some time to refocus the
discussion. Refer to the intended discussion outcomes, and back to the discussion norms. Speak calmly and
slowly. Begin by clarifying the issue. What is the key issue at hand? What are the key points of agreement and
disagreement? Spend time on points of agreement. Focus the discussion on issues, evidence, and facts. Pause
and have the students collaborate in pairs or in small groups, to reflect on the issue at hand. What evidence
supports this view or conclusion? Acknowledge when the discussion is clearly off topic and move on. I
encourage you to continue this discussion following class. In order to accomplish the intended outcomes for this
session, we need to move on. If emotions are running high, it may be appropriate to follow up with students
individually following class.

How can I evaluate how the discussions are going? To establish a shared climate for learning, periodically ask
for feedback regarding class discussions. You can facilitate an in-class discussion, or an anonymous one-minute
paper at the end of class. Which aspects of the class discussion are going well? Which specific changes would
improve the class discussions? Take the time to summarize common themes at the beginning of the next class.
Throughout the semester, take some time to individually reflect on the discussions. What aspects of the
discussion worked best? Which aspects of the discussion were most challenging? What facilitation strategies
worked particularly well? When were students most engaged/disengaged? What would I do differently if I were
to facilitate this session again?

References and Support Resources

Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for teaching. John Wiley & Sons.

Dallimore, E. J., Hertenstein, J. H., & Platt, M. B. (2004). Classroom participation and discussion effectiveness:
Student-generated strategies. Communication Education, 53(1), 103-115.

Kenny, N.A., Watson, G., and Aspenlieder, E. (2013). Facilitating Effective Discussions Handout. Open Learning
and Educational Support, University of Guelph, ON.

Kustra, E.D.H., and Potter, M.K. (2008). Leading Effective Discussions. Green Guide No. 9. Society for Teaching
and Learning in Higher Education.

McKeachie, W.J. and Svinicki, M. (2006). McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College
and University Teachers. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York, NY:
Currency/Doubleday.
Prepared by Natasha Kenny, September 2014