Using silent thinking to disrupt herding behavior Yolanda Cooper was frustrated. She liked to have her students discuss concepts she presented in class. But what usually happened is that the first student’s comment became the focus of the entire discussion. The...

Discussion groups can foster social bonds that are critical for student success Greg Johnson was a Computer Science major with a problem. He had a rather severe stuttering condition. Normally this wasn’t an issue in his CS classes, but Greg was required to take a...

Diversity within groups and making new discoveries? “Today we’re going to start using our class discussion groups. In a moment I’ll split you up into preassigned groups. I’ve been very careful in selecting your group members. I’m often asked how I do this. Before I...

Shared credit as a way to foster genuine collaboration As students entered the classroom, there sat their professor, Walt Jenkins, playing The House of the Rising Sun through the sound system. When the song ended, Professor Jenkins began class. “Some of you...

Discovering lessons for effective collaboration “At the end of our last class, I asked you to come up with lessons about collaborative practices from the salad recipe experience,” Monica Weekly said as she began her next class. “Today I want you to develop your...

Collaboration as more than a collection of competing efforts “Before we start with our regular small group discussions in class, I want to help you learn what can make collaborative discussions more effective.” So began Monica Weekly, the course instructor. “I’ve...

How can we help students become breakthrough facilitators? Cathy began her office hour visit with some hesitation, “Dr. Sperios, I didn’t want to sound like I’m grade-grubbing, but I don’t understand my latest discussion facilitation grade. You wrote on the...

Preparing Discussions Like Preparing a Fine Meal "Before I entered the academy, I was a Cordon Bleu chef,” so began Henri Durand, assistant professor of Communication Studies. “This class is designed to teach you how to facilitate and participate in collaborative...

Shifting to a skill improvement approach for evaluating discussions Alston James liked to use discussions in his classes but had always been concerned about the students who rarely said anything. Some of those students were simply “going along for the ride.” Others...

Using Student-Facilitated Discussions to Enhance Remote Learning Dr. Becca Adams was upset with her experience of remote teaching in the spring semester, when her campus shut down due to the coronavirus. Now with the shutdown continuing into the fall semester, she...