DISCUSSION GROUPS

Discussion groups are very useful ways of learning.

1. The students are actively involved all the time. Their brains are actively thinking, not passively listening.

2. Students are forced to think for themselves, rather than just listening to the teacher and trying to remember what they are told.

3. The process of thinking something out for yourself produces a permanent change in the brain, not only by adding new ideas but by re-structuring what is already there. Ideas or understanding learnt by thinking for yourself in a discussion group become part of the brain and will not be easily forgotten. Ideas or understanding given by the teacher will have to be added into the brain and will be quickly forgotten.

4. Think of a) a time you had a heated argument or discussion with someone;

b) a classroom lesson where you listened to a teacher talking.

Which one do you remember most>

5. In talking you are forced to use your own active vocabulary to convert things into your own words. Ideas become your own ideas, ‘owned’ by your brain, not someone else’s ideas you are trying to remember.

6. You can share ideas with others. “Two heads are better than one”.

If discussion are to work well, however, they must follow certain principles.

1. Topics must be ones which can be learnt by discussion, not those with ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers. However discussion can also be used to find a ‘correct’ answer from what can be seen, as in example no. 9 - finding faults with an engine.

2. Students must sit facing each other in a circle. You cannot talk to the back of someone’s head!

3. Discussion can be in Pijin. Do not force students to speak in English.

4. Emphasise the need for them to talk and not be frightened of making a noise.

5. You may want to leave the room for a while at the beginning of a discussion. While you are in the room, they may look to you for the ‘right’ answer, or may be frightened to make a noise.

6. A different person should act as secretary/spokesperson each time you have a discussion.

7. Circulate round the groups to listen or even to help if they get stuck, but only if that does not stop their discussion.

8. Appoint one person to record the ideas on the board during the follow up discussion, or you may do this yourself.

9. Emphasise that discussions are not searching for right and wrong answers. They are a sharing of ideas, experiences and opinions. The opinions of a student are as valid as a teacher’s or as the notes they may be given.