Discussion Tips

Preparing for a Discussion

The first step in participating in a peer discussion is to understand the purpose and process of a discussion. Your approach will differ from other assignments, such as writing a research paper. Read through the Discussion Guidelines to understand how you should prepare for a peer discussion assignment.

Your Discussion Process
For this task, you’ll need to work as part of a pair who can meet for a face-to-face discussion. Your teacher will identify a process for this task that fits your learning situation. For instance, if you’re working primarily on your own in this course with no on-site classmates (self-paced course), the process will be a little different than if you are learning with one or more other students in the same building and on the same schedule (group-paced course). Discussions in those two cases are outlined below.

Group-paced course

  • The teacher organizes pairs or enables students to self-organize.
  • In the discussion session, students take turns presenting their thesis and then discussing each thesis.
  • Students alternate playing the role of the presenter.
  • Plan to spend at least 20 minutes to present and discuss each thesis.
  • Refer to the Discussion Summary below. You will want to take brief notes during the discussion so that you can easily complete this Discussion Summary afterwards.

Self-paced course

  • You will find one other person to participate in this discussion with you. This person could be a classmate from another course, a friend, or a sibling. This person should be roughly your age, if possible, so you can have a thoughtful discussion with a peer. You will set a time and place for the discussion and share the Discussion Guidelines with your partner to read prior to the discussion.
  • You will be the only presenter for this discussion. You will also play the role of facilitator.
  • You will present your thesis and then discuss it with your peer.
  • Your invited group member is only required to be an active, thinking participant. Except for reading through the Discussion Guidelines and a short synopsis or article about your chosen historical event to gain background knowledge ahead of time, they do not have to prepare anything else for the discussion beforehand or do any follow-up afterwards. You will also have to provide some kind of reading material related to your topic for your discussion partner.
  • Since you will be presenting and facilitating during the discussion, you may want to ask your peer to take brief notes for you on key points that come up during the discussion. These notes will help you compose your Discussion Summary.
  • Since there is only one thesis to discuss, plan to spend at least 30 minutes presenting and discussing your thesis.

Here is an outline of the whole process for this task:

  1. You will formulate a thesis and outline a set of points that support your thesis. This may include some initial research.
  2. Depending upon your learning situation, you may need to organize the discussion group, place, and time.
  3. Read the Discussion Guidelines for how to conduct, facilitate, or participate constructively in a discussion with your peers.
  4. The group meets to discuss the thesis for your learning situation:
    • The discussion should be fair, democratic, and orderly. Each member of the group should have an opportunity to express his or her views; all members should actively contribute to the discussion. Group members should show respect for others' views and make their points politely.
    • The goal of the discussion is to gather opposing viewpoints and additional perspectives that would support or oppose your thesis. Each participant should come to the discussion prepared to help the presenter deepen his or her understanding of the topic.
  5. After you've discussed your thesis, you will complete the Discussion Summary section below and submit it to your teacher.

Evaluating the Topic

Once you understand the purpose and process of a collaborative discussion, start by considering the topic. For this activity, you will explore and evaluate how historical events influence changes in literature as well as how literature might influence past and current events. For example, you might decide to analyze the Civil War and American literature. You will address this question: How did American literature and the Civil War influence one another? As you read, reflect on the information you are evaluating. Consider your personal response to the text and the topics discussed. You may want to conduct further research to enhance your response.

Leading a Discussion

Be sure both of you have read the Discussion Guidelines before beginning your discussion.

With a partner, start the discussion by presenting your thoughts and findings from your research. Present a question to begin the discussion. Allow your partner to ask you follow-up questions. Record the questions they ask as well as your response to these questions.

Finally, discuss how the discussion changed or influenced your initial research and thoughts about the questions that were posed to your partner. You will submit your responses to questions asked in the Discussion Summary. Use your notes from your research and your discussion to help you complete the summary.