1 / 19

Facilitating Seminars/Tutorials and Promoting Discussion

Facilitating Seminars/Tutorials and Promoting Discussion. Dr. Catherine Black, Languages and Literatures & Dr. Marc B. Cels, Medieval Studies/History. Remember your BEST TA or seminar leader?. General Goals of Discussion. Wake up! Inspire the ‘frisson’ of fear Reinforce material

ellard
Download Presentation

Facilitating Seminars/Tutorials and Promoting Discussion

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Facilitating Seminars/Tutorials and Promoting Discussion Dr. Catherine Black, Languages and Literatures & Dr. Marc B. Cels, Medieval Studies/History

  2. Remember your BEST TA or seminar leader?

  3. General Goals of Discussion • Wake up! • Inspire the ‘frisson’ of fear • Reinforce material • Deepen thinking • Apply/practice ideas/models/techniques • Challenge ideas • Dispel misconceptions • Argue ideas • Generate new connections/ideas/theories • Communicate clearly

  4. Roles of Participants in Achieving Goals • Clarify goals with instructor • Explain goals to students • Not to listen to another lecture • Everyone’s job to think and communicate

  5. Establishing a FriendlyDiscussion Environment • Discussions are not oral examinations! • Forum to try ideas & even get it wrong. • Everyone should be able to face each other (and put back). • Have students use name tags • Use students’ names • NEVER embarrass a student.

  6. Facilitating Discussion • Clarify purpose • Apply knowledge of different learning styles • Draw out ideas rather than lecturing • Start with simple questions (analytical) • Progress to deeper/synthetic questions. • Rephrase questions if necessary • Allow thinking time: pause • Help students articulate, distinguish, rephrase and refine responses.

  7. Adding an Edge! Provoke responses and deeper thought: • Extreme question/statement • Question on board/screen/handout • Cartoon, newspaper, current event • Set up a debate • Assign a devil’s advocate • Use role play or improv acting =active learning and communication is fun!

  8. Cartoons to make a point…

  9. Leader’s Attitude • Influences energy and attitude of a group • Friendly and open from the start or even before class • Open, encouraging, and enthusiastic • Empathetic and caring • Prepares material and gives thought to achieving learning outcomes

  10. Taking Something Away from Discussions • What kind of notes should participants come away with from discussions? • Worksheets (posted online) • Tables, charts, graphs • Discussion journal • Group recorders/secretaries • Ask students about note-taking

  11. Challenges in Leading Discussion • What have been the challenges that you’ve found/anticipate?

  12. The Silent • Why: Shy? Confused? Unprepared? Slow? • Be clear about goals of discussion • Go around so everyone can respond. • Allow thinking time. • Assign two to start discussion. • Give shy students a question in advance. • Make an unprepared group read out loud. • Ask participants how to improve discussion.

  13. Yappers • How do you handle the very smart? • Avoid raised hands on easy questions • Leave smart to the last • After class, explain your actions • Enlist their help in stimulating group discussion

  14. Yappers: The Dominating • Tactfully ask: “Is there someone else with an answer? So-and-so is doing all the work for us!” • Probe vacuous answers • After class, explain your actions • Enlist their help

  15. Yappers: Extreme Cases • Speak to them outside of class • Deal: limit them to 1 sentence that clearly summarizes their idea • BUT: stop rude/obnoxious behavior and speak to offenders after class

  16. You can be someone’s best discussion leader!

  17. Resources: • http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/participation.html • http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/TLBulletins/2(3)Discussion.html • www.philosophypages.com/ph/socr.htm

More Related