Discussion in the College Classroom: Getting Your Students Engaged and Participating in Person and Online

Instructors often believe that productive discussions that facilitate student learning happen spontaneously. But like any good pedagogical strategy, discussions work most effectively when they are structured and planned with particular learning goals in mind. This book outlines a wide variety of strategies for facilitating effective, purpose-driven discussions. Thoroughly grounded in research in the scholarship of teaching and learning, Discussion in the College Classroom offers concrete guidance for effectively incorporating discussion into the classroom. This book helps instructors understand the rewards and challenges of discussion; overcome the practical challenges that can inhibit effectiveness; identify and recognize college classroom norms that can undermine discussion; influence the development of new norms that can facilitate discussion; make discussions focused and productive for student learning; and, finally, maximize the utility of online discussions. Offering a wide range of discussion strategies applicable across the spectrum of academic disciplines in both online and in-person classrooms, Discussion in the College Classroom is ideal for any instructor dedicated to ensuring and maximizing student learning.