By Hu Wo (Cuckoo’s Song)
A discussion is a situation in which students or students and a teacher converse to share information, ideas, opinions, or work to resolve a problem. But it is not a situation in which a teacher asks a question, a student or students answer it, and then the teacher asks another question. This question-answer-question format is called recitation, and its main purpose is to quiz students to determine what they know or understand.
However, a discussion can serve several purposes. One purpose is to review and extend what students have learnt to ensure their mastery of a subject. First, students see, hear or read something. Then, they discuss what they have seen and heard. Among other things, they pay attention to terms and concepts that need explanation, the major ideas presented, and the main message. The next purpose is to have students examine their ideas or opinions. After studying something, students could be asked to share their views about its appropriateness. The third purpose is to solve a problem. Herein, students are presented with political, economic or social problems to discuss and resolve. Sometimes the last purpose is to improve students’ face-to-face or interpersonal communication skills so they become better at being good contributors and active listeners, making a point, handling disagreements and conflicts, overcoming fear of speaking in public and so forth.
Discussions can be considered based on such attributes and characteristics as the interaction pattern, the teacher’s role, group size and composition, and group arrangement. Interaction during discussion is less formal as well as more conversational. Besides, the conversation can occur not only among students but also between students and teachers. In most likely discussions, everyone should be an active participant. The whole class can engage in a common discussion or it can be divided into small groups that are preferable since these allow more potential for student participation. The composition of a group will also be similar (homogenous) or dissimilar (heterogenous). Participants should be face-to-face. Thus, arranging discussion participants in a circle is most common. On occasions, a panel discussion makes sense. If the interaction is strictly among students, the teacher will have to serve as an observer, recorder and perhaps arbitrator. As a facilitator and moderator, the teacher is to enable students to reflect critically on their experiences, explore different perspectives and consider how knowledge is then rooted in personal experiences, according to circumstances like the purpose of discussion, the maturity and experience of the students.
Good discussion leaders believe that students want and need to get involved with purposeful talk; they should be asked to review and use information, explore issues and resolve problems; they are capable of thinking and doing for themselves; and they can be helped to develop via discussion. The leaders can control their talk, get students thinking, serve as skilful facilitators, human relation experts, clarifiers or summarizers and excel at teaching communication skills.
When being prepared, good discussions establish the general purpose, set specific learner objectives, consider the readiness of the class and individuals for discussion, decide what role the leader will play, the class grouping, physical arrangements, time allowance and plan the discussion. When being overseen, good discussions get students’ attention, ensure that participants understand and see the value in the purpose or goal, relate the goal and task to previous knowledge and future work, set out the specific questions or statements to be discussed, remind participants of discussion rules, monitor to ensure on-task behaviour, balanced participation and understanding, encourage participants and elevate the level of course. When being closed, the good discussions do so at the most appropriate time rather than at a specific time, summarize progress towards the goal(s), tie new learning to previous knowledge and establish what participants might next want to know or be able to do.
As discussion guidelines for students, all students should have an equal opportunity to contribute. They encourage their classmates to join in. They ensure that everyone contributes by waiting his or her turn and taking part about as much as everyone else. They listen carefully to what others say and feel. Also, they work to understand and whenever possible, to support others’ saying and feeling. They like to understand that their knowledge and ideas may not always be right. They stay on target and help others do the same. Finally, they must be gracious and have to avoid attacking or belittling their peers.
Discussions are probably attractive to teachers who have personal needs for construction, play, affiliation and student success or to those who may want to avoid giving a presentation for the reason that they do not know the subject well enough. The discussions are advantageous for students who have strong needs for acquisition, affiliation, deference, dominance, exhibition, exposition, play, recognition, sibilance and succorance. They tend to capture and maintain students’ interest, help them develop communication and social-psychological strengths or help them learn through rehearsal. But when they are not well conducted, discussions can be purposeless, rambling, confrontational, wasteful of time, inefficient and unpleasant.
So, when on earth should the discussion method be used? Discussion is used when any of its purposes coincide with the goal. Consequently, students are engaged in the discussion when the goal is to review information, examine ideas or opinions, solve problems and improve oral communication skills. When the teacher is more interested in long-term memory, higher-order thinking, motivation, attitude change or moral reasoning, discussion can be used, to best meet students’ social and psychological needs. After all, discussion is given to be effective when students have been mostly inactive listeners, when a more relaxed atmosphere is warranted and when it would be beneficial to enhance student-to-student friendships or affiliation.
