“My Students Don’t Talk!” Resources for Leading Effective Classroom Discussions

What is a good classroom discussion, and what can you do to increase the likelihood that one will occur in your classes? And, what should you do when your well-intentioned discussion plan spins out of control, resulting in some bruised feelings all around?

In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the strengths and limitations of discussion as a teaching approach. We will share resources about how to establish student and faculty discussion roles and responsibilities, and we will problem solve what to do when the “wheels come off” during a classroom discussion. The principles of practice will be modeled by both facilitator and participants in this discussion-based workshop.

As a result of attending this session, you will be able to:

  • Identify the strengths and limitations of classroom discussion as a teaching approach;
  • Identify resources that you can use to establish discussion guidelines, roles, and responsibilities; and
  • Formulate an action plan for how to effectively respond to a discussion “gone awry.”
  • 9/10/2015

    Thursday, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
    Delphi Center, Room 244
    Ekstrom Library

    Register Now

Presenter Bio

Marie Kendall Brown, Ph.D., is assistant director for teaching and learning at the Delphi Center. She joined UofL in 2009. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. In her current role, she designs and administers programs, services, and events to support faculty professional development with respect to teaching. Her research interests include faculty learning and development, teaching and learning topics in STEM, strategic partnering with academic units, and college student development from a constructive-developmental perspective. She is a recipient of UofL’s 2015 Outstanding Performance Award.

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