Class discussion
When I was teaching in Asia, I found that many students did not like to ask question. Even when I asked, few would volunteer to say anything. The traditional education system that states only teachers can talk in class and students must listen is already obsolete. In the past, listen and not saying anything is a sign of respect for the teacher. But today for effective learning to take place, students must be encouraged to express their opinions and share their views. Only by listening to students' expression, teachers can evaluate whether students understand the materials or not. Students should not afraid of saying something wrong or hesitate to share their opinions. Teachers should encourage students to ask questions when they do not understand and allow them to express their thinking about their understanding of concepts. Class discussion always promotes learning as it encourages everyone to participate. Some teachers told me that class time is limited; discussion will take away from precious time for them to learn. I disagreed, I believe discussion make learning livelier, more active and help students learn more. I required students to read materials before class so they can spend time in class for discussion. Of course, not everyone would read the materials so I often began the class by calling on few students to answer the assigned readings. With class participation worth 25% of the grade, it is important for students to follow the direction as they will have to depend on reading prior to class and participate in discussion.
Of course, it is difficult for students to have the courage to voice their opinions especially when they are taught for many years in elementary and high school to be quiet and just listen. College teachers must work hard to make sure that their opinions are important to classroom learning. The best way to do this is NOT calling on few students who often volunteer but focus on others who may have something to say but hesitate to volunteer. In every class, there are few who are vocal and some who are avoiding saying anything. Teachers should encourage participation from all students and ask them to explain their thinking, even if it is wrong. Some teachers often correct students right away if they say something wrong then make them feel uncomfortable and afraid of being wrong. There is a better way to do that by asking students to explore the concept further to get to the reason why they come up with that conclusion. A different opinion is not wrong if there is logic behind it. If students carefully thinking through before come up with the conclusion it should be accepted and opens for class discussion. When students feel good about themselves as they learn, they are willing to take risks and focus the attention necessary for further learning. Students are more willing to express their opinions if they believe they can be successful.
When teachers respect all students, they are encouraging a shared learning atmosphere in classroom. Respect is not easy to instill in all students, but teachers should always be making conscious attempts to encourage it. Treating people with respect means letting them know that their views are fine, and they should not be concerned about correct or not correct. Sharing opinions are important and worthy simply because classroom is about learning together where opinions are respected. Students need to feel accepted in the classroom, but some discomfort is unavoidable. It is acceptable for students to experience discomfort when their understanding is challenged or when they are encouraged to take a risk by saying something. It is useful to let them know that science and technology would not progress if people were not willing to try new things. Students need to know that most successful people often make mistakes but they learn from these experiences. Teachers should also frequently reinforce that the purpose of the class is for learning and that when someone is learning they do not have all the right answers and may make a mistake. As long as they learn from mistake, they will make progress and that is the goal of education.
I often remind students that class discussion and expressing ideas are different ways of developing soft-skills. Students learn presentation skills by expressing their opinions as they must think carefully and organize their thought. By listening to others, they also learn listening skills. When students asked: “Where do I learn soft-skills?” I answered: “In class. By listening and present your opinion, you learn public speaking, listening and presentation skills. By discuss and respect others' opinions you are learning teamwork.”
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
