RESOURCES YOU CAN USE

Essential Discussions on Discussion

By Lorraine Graham

Table of Contents
General Works on Discussion
Electronic Discussion
Supplimental Bibliography

GENERAL WORKS ON DISCUSSION

Arnett, Ronald C. Dialogic Education: Conversation about Ideas between People. Carbondale , IL : Southern Illinois UP, 1992.

In this book, Arnett examines college teaching centered on undergraduate instruction. He defines “dialogic education” as education concerned with “the life of information, relationships, and values that shape the character of students, faculty, and institutions” (p. 4). Mindful of the fact that teachers and universities play a substantial role in shaping the character of their students—regardless of whether or not they feel comfortable with that role—Arnett outlines “a way of viewing the shaping of character within a dialogic context, sensitive to ideas, relationships, and values, and wary of propaganda and ideological blinders placed on our discourse” (p. 4). Arnett’s focus is not on practical advice, but rather on the possibilities available to teachers and students committed to learning through discussion.

Brilhart, John K., Gloria J. Galanes, & Katherine Adams Effective Group Discussion: Theory and Practice, 10 th Edition New York , NY : McGraw-Hill, 2002.

In print since 1967 and regularly updated, Effective Group Discussion: Theory and Practice is a textbook designed for instructional use at the university level. It provides a comprehensive, if dry, survey and interpretation of the research available on small group dynamics. This book is meant to serve as an introductory text for those interested in small group interaction—including teachers. The book’s self-stated mission is to help its readers “become more effective small group members and leaders by providing them with the research-based tools—both theoretical understandings and practical suggestions—for effective participation in groups” (p. xiii). Although the book clearly shows its bias for “systems theory” as being the most useful framework for interpreting small group discussion dynamics, Effective Group Discussion, includes an overview of the other major theories that come to bear on research into this subject. Concise, numbered chapter summaries make skimming the book for relevant information simple. Should you be in the mood to be a student, there are also exercises at the end of each chapter to help you think of ways you might experiment with the concepts learned.

Brookfield , Stephen D. & Stephen Preskill. Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.

Like Bateman’s Open to Question: the Art of Teaching and Learning by Inquiry, this book is focused on practice, rather than theory—although it certainly has theoretical components. It lays out a convincing rational for using discussion, guides readers through its different configurations, and suggests various resolutions to problems that arise in its use. Brookfield and Preskill argue that the experience of discussion in the classroom is essential to preparing students to participate in a democratic society. Of particular interest is their chapter on how to evaluate discussion. They argue against the imposition of a standardized and “objective” rubric, and instead favor grounding evaluations in the “multiple subjectivities of students’ perceptions” (p. xi). A seemingly impossible task when discussion is oral—i.e. there is no written record as in electronic discussion—Bookfield and Preskill offer some practical suggestions.

Purves, Alan C. & Victoria Rippere. Elements of writing about a literary work; a study of response to literature. Champaign, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 1968.

This monograph proposes “four basic response categories: (1) Engagement-involvement (E-I), (2) Perception (P), (3) Interpretation (I), and (4) Evaluation (E). ‘Engagement-response questions inquire about personal reactions to and recreations of the literary work; perception questions deal with the analysis of its literary and rhetorical devices and structure; interpretation questions seek to uncover meaning in the work, often through interference and generalization; and evaluation questions ask for judgments about the work’ (65-66).”

Shor, Ira & Paulo Freire. Pedagogy for Liberation: Dialogues on Transforming Education. South Hadle , MA : Bergin & Garvey Publishers, Inc., 1987.

This book is literally a “dialogue on dialogue” in education. While the general focus of this book is on libratory pedagogy, “dialogical” teaching is a focal point of the discussion. Again and again Shor and Freire remind their readers, and each other, of the ways in which language, especially language in the classroom, constructs and is constructed by ideology. Ira Shor notes:

“I hear many questions from teachers about the lecture format versus the dialogue format, so it’s a good time to speak about the lecture as verbal codification of reality, rather than as an oral transfer-of-knowledge from the teacher to the students, a problem-posing illumination which criticizes itself and challenges student’s thinking rather than a delivery system of pre-packaged information passed out verbally in the classroom” (p. 41).

The dialogical structure of this book and the successful combination of theory and practice that such a structure implies, make it essential reading for educators interested in discussion in (and out) of the classroom.

- Lorraine Graham

ELECTRONIC DISCUSSION

Gunawardena, Charlotte N., Constance A. Lowe, and Terry Anderson. “Transcript Analysis of Computer-Mediated Conferences as a Tool for Testing Constructivist and Social Constructivist Learning Theories,” Distance Learning ’98. Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning 14 th. Madison WI, 1998.

“Gunawerda, Lowe, and Anderson use a framework for analyzing a global online debate, using a 5-phase model: (1) sharing / comparing of information; (2) discovery and exploration of dissonance or inconsistency among ideas, concepts, or statements; (3) negotiation of meaning / co-construction of knowledge; (4) testing and modification of proposed synthesis or construction; (5) and agreement statement(s) / applications of newly-constructed meaning. The authors’ initial hypothesis that ‘a rough judgment of the quality of a computer conference could be based on the degree to which the conference proceeded through all five of the steps” seems highly problematic.’ (But some aspects of their emphasis on co-construction of knowledge and exploration of dissonance are useful.

Sringam, C. & R. Greer, R. “An Investigation of an Instrument for Analysis of Student-led Electronic Discussions.” Learning to Choose—Choosing to Learn: Proceedings of the 17 th Annual ASCILITE Conference. Eds. R. Sims, M. O’Riley, & S. Sawkins. Coffs Harbour , NSW: Southern Cross UP, 2000. 81-91. [Available online at: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/coffss00/papers/chinawong_sringam.pdf]

“Sringam and Greer offer yet another method of analyzing online discussions, based on classes in Australia and Thailand; their rubric looks at (1) Planning, (2) Sharing / comparing / contributing information, (3) Identifying or clarifying inconsistency of ideas, concepts, or statements, (4) Negotiation and modification of proposed synthesis or co-construction of knowledge, and (6) Agreement statements(s) and application of newly constructed knowledge.”

- From John Ottenhoff’s final report to the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, June 2004.

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July 2004

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