Class discussions motivate students, help them retain knowledge, and help them develop problem-solving abilities. This page offers resources and strategies for facilitating strong discussions in face-to-face classrooms and online discussion boards.

See also: Structuring an online discussion

Resources/strategies

General

• Improving Discussions (IDEA Center Paper No. 15)
• Teaching by Discussion (Penn State's Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence)
• Ten Strategies for Effective Discussion Leading (Harvard's Bok Center for Teaching and Learning)

Asking good questions

• Bloom's taxonomy
• Asking good questions in the math classroom
• The Socratic method: What is it and how to use it in the classroom. (Newsletter from Stanford University's Center for Teaching and Learning).

Publications by DePaul Faculty

Rotenberg, R. (2005). "The discussion classroom." Chapter in The art and craft of college teaching: A guide for new professors and graduate students. Walnut Creek, CA.

Additional Readings

Brookfield, S.D., & Preskill, S. (1999). Discussion as a way of teaching: Tools and techniques for a democratic classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

MacKnight, C. B. (2000). Teaching critical thinking through online discussions. EDUCAUSE Quarterly 4, 38-41.

Nilson, L. (2003). "Leading effective discussions." Chapter in Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors. Second Edition. Bolton, MA. (Available at the Office for Teaching, Learning and Assessment)

Instructional Design and Development

• Resources on structuring and assessing discussions online

Office for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

• Resources and research on discussion methods