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By the end of the “Small Group Discussion” presentation, students will:

Small Group Discussion

Objective 1:

Identify at least 2 student learning outcomes that can occur through the use of small group discussion

Objective 3: Construct small-group discussion questions that follow at least 2 of the suggested tips

Sam Lambert

Winona State University

References

Definition

"Discussions are an exchange of ideas between two or more people"

(Oermann, DeGagne, & Philips, 2018, p. 246)

(Oermann, DeGagne, & Philips, 2018)

  • Can be formal or informal
  • Small group (3-5) is preferred to facilitate learning
  • Requires clear learning objectives

  • Creates an open environment for active learning
  • Allows for a partnership between educator and learner

(Arias, et. al., 2016; Quamar, Ahmad, & Niaz, 2015)

Difficult for students to maintain attention to lecture when lecturing for >10 minutes

Arias, et. al., 2016

(Oermann, DeGange, & Philips, 2018)

Reasons to Ask Questions

We ask questions to:

  • Assess knowledge
  • Explore decisions and their reasoning

  • Recognize areas of student difficulty
  • Introduce a topic
  • To assist students in connecting concepts and ideas
  • Encourage application of new knowledge
  • Stimulate analytical thinking and problem solving
  • Allow for active participation in the learning process

(Schwartz, n.d.)

Image Retrieved from Google Images

Student learning outcomes:

(Ali, Raza, & Masroor, 2018;

Arias, et. al., 2016)

(Ali, Raza, & Masroor, 2018)

Student Learning Outcomes of small group discussion

  • Increased understanding of content
  • Opportunity to improve critical thinking skills

  • Increased ability to present information to others

  • Increased reasoning and problem solving skills

  • Development of self-directed learning and independent thinking
  • Research has found that students gain more knowledge using discussion versus solely traditional lecture in pre- and post-exams

(Arias, et. al., 2016;

Quamar, Ahmad, & Niaz, 2015)

Image Retrieved from Google Images

(Arias, et. al., 2016)

"...when compared to traditional lectures, small-group discussion methods have been found to promote communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, prepare students for teamwork, provide more time for change of thought and deeper understanding of problems, and create a more motivational environment."

(Arias, et. al., 2016, p. 460)

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • Develop communication and teamwork skills
  • Students are able to teach each other as content is reinforced
  • Students can pool expertise, knowledge, and skills
  • Instructors are able to see the student's thought process
  • Students are able to take ownership of the content
  • Able to break larger concepts into smaller parts

  • Facilitates a sense of camaraderie and teamwork between the students
  • Opportunity for teachers to interact with individual students

Image Retrieved from Google Images

(Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching, n.d.)

Objective 2: Examine at least 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of applying small group discussion as a teaching method

(Arias, et. al., 2016)

Disadvantages

  • Difficult to ensure all members will be active participants
  • Sometimes a challenge to make sure discussion meets the courses learning objectives
  • Instructors must be present to provide feedback to each small group, which can be difficult and more time consuming with only one instructor
  • Difficult to evaluate, especially for a grade
  • Students may not be confident to speak in a group setting

  • Cultural or motivational differences can hinder the small group discussion
  • Different personalities of students may not mesh well in a small group discussion

(Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching, n.d.)

(Arias, et. al., 2016)

Image Retrieved from Google Images

Where to begin:

-Open ended questions encourage higher level thinking and promote discussion about alternative perspectives

-Questions should be answerable, but challenging

(Oermann, DeGagne, & Philips, 2018)

-Once the discussion is started, ask questions that require students to link concepts

-Challenge students to connect the classroom to the clinical setting

-Start with material students feel comfortable with

(Parlay Ideas, 2018)

(Sanford University, n.d.)

Tips for Writing Effective Discussion Questions:

Make sure the questions are thought-provoking to facilitate strong discussions

Effective Questions

https://parlayideas.com/6-questions-improve-classroom-discussions/

(Parlay Ideas, 2018)

Ineffective Questions

Ineffective Questions

(Sanford University, n.d.)

  • Simple yes-no questions
  • Questions that are too vague
  • Leading questions

  • Questions that the teacher has already answered
  • Double Barreled questions (asking two questions at once)

(Schwartz, n.d.)

References

Ali, Q. M., Raza, S. H., & Masroor, S. (2018). Fostering deep learning approach with small group discussion (SGD). Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal 69(2), 788-791. Retrieved from https://www.pafmj.org/index.php/PAFMJ/article/view/80/57

Arias, A., Scott, R., Peters, O. A., McClain, E., Gluskin, A. H. (2016). Educational outcomes of small-group discussion versus traditional lecture format in dental students’ learning and skills acquisition. Journal of Dental Education 80(4), 459-465. Retrieved from http://www.jdentaled.org/content/jde/80/4/459.full.pdf

Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching. (n.d.). Group work in the classroom. Retrieved from https://cirt.gcu.edu/teaching3/tips/groupwork

Qamar, M. R., Ahmad, A., & Niaz, K. (2015). Learning through small group discussion versus didactic lectures. Pakistan Armed Forced Medical Journal 65(3), 386-390. Retrieved from https://www.pafmj.org/index.php/PAFMJ/article/view/925/767

Oermann, M. H., De Gagne, J. C., & Phillips, B. C. (2018). Teaching in nursing and role of the educator (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Sanford University. (n.d.). Designing effective discussion questions. Retrieved from https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/resources/teaching/student-teacher-communication/designing-effective-discussion-questions

Schwartz, M. (n.d.). Discussion as a teaching technique [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/FacilitatingDiscussion.pdf

Parlay Ideas. (2018). Six types of questions to improve classroom discussions. Retrieved from https://parlayideas.com/6-questions-improve-classroom-discussions/

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