GEOL 007 (Earth Hazards): An introductory class combining the sciences of education and geology at the University of Vermont

Contents: Introduction The class Discussion Discussion sections Curriculum downloads Student feedback Contact us

All About Discussion Part 1 __ Part 2 What is discussion? "Discussion", as used in educational literature, usually refers to a dialogue in which students compare existing ideas and opinions, generate new ones, and pursue questions of personal interest. It is a very different style of learning, in that students are not being given new information, but rather are evaluating existing information and their ideas about it. Discussion is not used to discover facts, but rather to explore concepts. The value of discussion comes in its ability to involve students in their own education. Rather than acting as passive receptacles of factual knowledge, as many students are expected to be, students involved in an effective discussion are able to use each other to challenge their own ideas and assumptions and discover how the material is interesting or relevant to themselves. What makes an effective discussion? An effective discussion is more than a "question and answer" session in which the teacher asks a series of questions with a known or expected set of answers. While this is a good way to review factual knowledge, it is not a discussion. An effective discussion consists of students interacting with each other by making statements, asking questions, challenging others' assumptions, and generally using each other to pursue a topic of mutual interest. While an effective discussion should be student-driven, the role of the teacher is very important. The teacher should act as a facilitator; asking guiding questions, keeping interactions civil, helping clarify questions, providing information as necessary, and so forth. An excellent guide to effective discussion facilitation can be found in Chapter 5 of Tom Jackson's 1995 book "Activities That Teach" (click here to download a PDF of this chapter). Why use discussion? There are many compelling reasons to use discussions in the classroom; here are several: (1) Students are exposed to and learn from the opinions and ideas of many other students, giving them a much more diverse learning experience than what a single teacher can provide. (2) Students can direct their own learning by asking and pursuing questions that are important to them, rather than having their learning filtered through what one teacher thinks is important. (3) Teachers can interact with their students in a direct and beneficial manner. Teachers can hear what students are thinking, what they understand (or don't), and what they would like to learn. The discussion sections we developed for use in Earth Hazards (GEOL 007) address these goals through activities and effective discussions in order to get students involved in real-life problems and applications of geoscience in their lives. Click on the Discussion Sections button on the sidebar to read more about our curriculum. To read an example of an effective discussion, go to Discussion Part 2. Additional reading: Here are some resources that we found especially useful in developing discussion sections: Burden, P., and Byrd, D., 1999, Methods for effective teaching, Allyn & Bacon, Needham Heights, MA, 418 p. Dillon, J.T., 1994, Using discussion in classrooms, Open University Press, Buckingham, UK, 149 p. Foote, C., Vermette, P., and Battaglia, C., 2001, Constructivist strategies: meeting standards and engaging adolescent minds, Eye on Education, Larchmont, NY, 137p Gambrell, L., and Almasi, J., 1996, Lively discussions! Fostering engaged reading, International Reading Association, Newark, DE, 316 p. Garmston, R., and Wellman, B., 1988, Teacher talk that makes a difference, Educational Leadership, April, p. 30-34. Jackson, T., 1995, Activities that teach, Red Rock Publishing, Cedar City, UT Discussion: Part 1 __ Part 2