Elements of Effective Discussions

Take a moment to reflect on the last time you were a student in a class discussion. How did the discussion leader invite participation? Was it easy or difficult for you to think of something to contribute? Was there space in the conversation for you to speak? Did you hear from all of your peers? Were participants’ contributions building off of one another or did they seem disjunct? 

Leading an equitable discussion, one that not only generates new knowledge but draws upon input from a diversity of perspectives, is a skill that requires intentional practice. If your class falls into a pattern where certain students always participate, those students who are driving the narrative may begin to view their ideas as correct. Students who have a harder time contributing may feel as though their opinions are wrong or not valued. Establishing a classroom environment where no single perspective is always dominant depends on your ability to evenly distribute speaking time and to communicate that you value everyone’s insights.

Setting this tone begins long before your first planned discussion – the classroom culture that is established early in the semester often dictates who participates and when. While this may make it difficult to overcome lack-luster discussions mid-semester, it means that small (but early and intentional) steps to make your classroom inclusive can go a long way in generating vibrant discussions. 

Young woman smiling and collecting a paper from a professor as they walk by her table
four students looking at a paper. One is standing and they are leading the discussion

Classroom layout

The physical layout of a classroom can structure student interactions long before a discussion begins. Setting up desks or tables to allow for all students to see each other (commonly referred to as a “roundtable” setup) increases student accountability to each other and increases engagement and comfort level in the classroom (Parsons 2016). This classroom layout also helps to set the precedent that students are discussing a topic with each other, and not simply answering questions that you pose. Reinforce this by reminding the students to look at each other during discussions, not just at you. 

If the design of your classroom allows, set up the desks or tables in a circle or square even on days where a discussion is not planned. This can help establish a sense of community between the students, making discussions more natural and productive. Further, the instructor is also able to sit amongst the students in a roundtable setup, which centers the students as co-constructors of knowledge. If you share your classroom with other instructors, make sure to return the desks and tables to their original layout at the end of each class. 

Ways to invite student participation

Asking a classroom of students an open-ended question can result in blank stares and resounding silence. Sometimes, this silence is broken by a more outgoing student, one who often shares their ideas. Below are some concrete alternatives to inviting participation in a discussion. Any combination of these methods can be used in one discussion.

  • Scaffold your discussions using Think-Pair-Share. Many students need time to consider a question before they are ready to share, especially if the topic is complex. Give your students this processing time by beginning discussions with an idea-generating question that they reflect on individually. Then ask your students to share their ideas with a partner to practice articulating their thoughts. All of your students will then have had time to gather ideas, making it more likely that they will have something to contribute to discussion. Further, small-group discussions allow students to share ideas that were generated by their group instead of their own ideas, which can feel more vulnerable. 
  • Wait for several hands to be raised before you call on someone. Tell students that you are doing this because you want to hear from less-frequent participants. Watch the clock and wait at least 30 seconds. These 30 seconds may feel eternal, but they will likely allow enough time for someone who is hesitating to raise their hand. 
  • Have students invite the next participant. Provide students more agency in the flow of discussion by having them call on the next contributor. This will ensure that a variety of students are included and helps students understand that they are co-creating knowledge with each other.
  • Use the “Wraparound” method. Go around the room and ask everyone to share one quick, unique idea. This ensures equitable time to participate and generates many ideas around one question. 
Students talking t each other, one standing and presenting a paper to the others

listening & co-generating knowledge

The most productive discussions are those that craft a new understanding of a topic. This is accomplished by the co-development of concepts. However, without proper direction, discussions can devolve into the sharing of unrelated ideas. Getting students to build off of each other first requires that they are listening to each other. This can be surprisingly difficult, especially if students are a bit nervous and thinking about what they’ll say while others are talking. Try to encourage listening by asking students to respond directly to the comments from whoever spoke before them, or at least to summarize their comments. You can also model listening behavior by summarizing comments and drawing connections between contributions and course material. Beyond demonstrating skills in listening and concept synthesis, this will help you keep the conversation on track. Verbally repeating important ideas also can aid in making sure that everyone has heard the content. However, it is important that you refrain from dominating the conversation – remember that you are simply the guide of the discussion.

equity-based principle: structured interaction

Designing and leading equitable discussions encourages all students, and not just those that typically dominate conversations, to contribute to the learning environment. Time spent planning how to conduct an equitable discussion will help break down the systemic inequities that can contribute to uneven participation.