how can discussion of learning activities prompt more insight on course topics

by Forest Gerlach 10 min read

What active learning activities can I do with my students this semester?

These include 1. Triggering event: This phase initiates the inquiry process where learners recognize or identify a problem. 2. Exploration : This phase focuses on exploration of the problem as learners exchange information as well as possible explanations. 3.

Why use discussion boards in online courses?

Here are a few tips for making prompts more meaningful and more useful for learning. Draw on the initial discussion board posts for further learning activities Faculty can give instructions for the original student post to be a substantial contribution and require that the second post synthesize, compare, or evaluate the original posts in some ...

How can I create sequences of smaller questions to encourage discussion?

Entry tickets…. Put a stack of index cards next to your classroom door and write a question on the board. When your students come into class, have them grab an index card, write down an answer to the question, and hand it in at your desk—as their “entry ticket” to class. The question should be something related to the day’s lesson ...

How do you avoid a pileup of ideas in a discussion?

Nov 12, 2014 · The prompts ask about learning in a larger, more integrated sense, and also challenge students to analyze the effectiveness of their approach to learning. Some of these are course specific, others about collections of courses, and still others encourage a more holistic look at learning. A friend asks if he/she should take this course.

How will learners benefit from the use of a discussion?

Increases students' interests and engagement – lectures mixed with discussions can help maintain students' focus. As they discuss their answers, they get different perspectives on the topic. Good questions and answers can get students to think deeply and make connections.

How do you ensure that your learning activities are relevant to the topic?

Here are a few tips for making learning engaging and personally relevant, according to Willis, Faeth, and Immordino-Yang:Use suspense and keep it fresh. ... Make it student-directed. ... Connect it to their lives and what they already know. ... Provide utility value. ... Build relatedness.Oct 4, 2014

What are the benefits of discussion?

Benefits of DiscussionIncrease student learning.Motivate students.Support teachers in understanding and assessing student thinking.Shift the mathematical authority from teacher (or textbook) to community.

How did participating in discussions help your understanding of the subject matter?

helps students retain and remember information; confirms what they have already learned; provides clarification of prior learning; and. deepens their understanding especially through hands-on and application-based learning opportunities.Mar 27, 2017

Why is it important for teachers to make learning meaningful to their students?

Making learning meaningful is important to children's understanding of the learning concepts and the world around them. Teachers make learning meaningful when they, link new learning to children's previous experience, relate concepts to children's lives and provide children with hands-on learning.Nov 30, 2017

How can teachers effectively make the teaching learning process meaningful?

Some of the best ways to make learning "stick" include connecting content with meaning, encouraging self-testing instead of rote memorization, and giving frequent, low-stakes assessments.Sep 14, 2015

Why are discussions important in online learning?

Discussion boards help to create a social presence in an online course along with a sense of community. Presence and community, in turn, can foster emotional connections. They also improve student learning and can create greater feelings of satisfaction with the course.

What is the importance of discussion method?

The Discussion Method produces student learning outcomes including (1) how to reconcile opposing arguments; (2) how to think on one's own two feet; (3) how to formulate cohesive arguments to reach a consensus; (4) how to mitigate fear of sharing individual opinions by building relationship among classmates; (5) how to ...Nov 5, 2020

What is group discussion and its importance?

Group discussion is an important activity in academic, business and administrative spheres. It is a. systematic and purposeful interactive oral process. Here the exchange of ideas, thoughts and feelings. take place through oral communication.

What are the benefits of using panel discussion in a social studies classroom?

It facilitates clarification on knotty issues. It highlights the multi-dimensionality of the issue under discussion. It develops presentation skills. It teaches students to think of the issues under consideration and ask relevant questions.Apr 13, 2012

What are the benefits of using learner talk in the classroom discuss five benefits?

Here are four reasons why, followed by tips to make space for learning conversations in your classroom.Talk time helps students process their learning. ... Talk time allows students to learn from one another. ... Talk time encourages students to practice using academic language. ... Talk time builds connections between students.Nov 2, 2018

How did participating in the discussion board enhance your learning abilities?

They allow students to reflect deeply on course concepts. Students have more time to research, reflect, and compose their thoughts prior to participating in discussions. They assist in learning by allowing students to look into and respond to the work of others.

What is the most important part of an online course?

Discussion boards are arguably the most important part of the online course. In a traditional f2f classroom, students see each other and interact in the physical classroom space. In an online course, discussion boards provide that same visible, interactive space for students to interact academically and socially with their peers.

What is CAT in online teaching?

After students review asynchronous content and/or attend a synchronous class session, a quick Classroom Assessment Technique (CAT) can provide both students and instructor with information about how learning is happening.

How to make learning interactive?

Go on a field trip …. Taking your students on a field trip is one of the best ways to make learning interactive because it brings the lesson to life. Look for ways to take your teaching outside of the classroom.

Why do we do group brainstorming sessions?

Group brainstorming sessions are a great way to bring your students together to engage with whatever it is they’re learning. Instead of thinking about the topic alone at their desk, they get to expand their ideas with other students, which will help them be more engaged and gain a new perspective into the lesson.

What should students be able to do in their own words?

Your students should be able to summarize what they’re learning in their own words. And, if they really understand the concept, they should be able to do it pretty succinctly.

Why is peer review important?

Peer reviews and study sessions can be a great way to encourage students helping students—and it’s also a great way to foster interactivity and collaboration in the classroom.

What is interactive classroom?

An interactive classroom is one where the students are more engaged with the learning process. And now that you have 30 solid activities to make your classroom a more interactive place, all that’s left to do? Get out there and get your students interacting, engaged, and exciting about learning!

Can you arrange a field trip for students?

Sometimes, arranging a field trip for your students isn’t logistically possible. If you can’t coordinate a field trip to support a specific lesson, see what you can do about bringing the field trip into the classroom.

Why do we need a lesson plan?

Plus, teaching the lesson (vs. just studying the lesson) forces your students to engage with the content in a new, different way—which can deepen the learning process. In order to be effective in the classroom, you need a lesson plan. And if your students are going to be doing the teaching, they’ll need one, too!

Why do students use hashtags?

When students are watching a video, a mini lecture or another student’s presentation, have them share their real-time reactions. This helps students spot trends and consider new points of view. You can set up a hashtag to allow for live tweeting, or use the chat function in your conferencing software.

What is collaborative concept mapping?

Collaborative concept mapping is a great way for students to step away from their individual perspectives. Groups can do this to review previous work, or it can help them map ideas for projects and assignments. In pre-COVID times, you may have covered classroom walls with sticky notes and chart paper – now there are many online tools that make it simple to map out connections between ideas.

What is hybrid classroom?

In a hybrid classroom, students need to be able to hear each other easily, no matter where they are. Instructors need to be able to change the room layout for different activities, as often as they like. See what else is on our audio essentials list – download your checklist today (no email address required).

How to encourage discussion in a text?

1. Choose texts that inspire debate. Stories that are driven by character actions and motivation are the ones that inspire discussion. Texts that inspire questions encourage students to return to the text and find support for their answers.

What happens after shared inquiry?

They answer the focus question a second time, explain whether or not they changed their answers, and reflect on how the evidence brought up during discussion impacted their thinking. Taking time to reflect solidifies the importance of textual evidence and helps students incorporate the lessons learned.

What is textual evidence?

Citing textual evidence is about more than rattling off quotes from the story. It involves selecting and interpreting just the right evidence, says John Riley, the Great Books Foundation’s director of professional learning. “Ultimately, textual evidence is what makes students’ answers credible.”. Classroom discussions are a perfect place ...

Why is it important to cite evidence?

Citing evidence promotes the development of different ideas when students read two statements in two different ways.

What is anchor chart?

Well-placed anchor charts are a reference for students and a tool that promotes great discussions. These 10 anchor charts will reinforce your students’ skills when it comes to finding and using textual evidence. 1.

What is the story of the two brothers?

Leo Tolstoy’s The Two Brothers tells the story of two brothers who are offered the opportunity to find happiness. One chooses to go on a journey and finds happiness—as well as difficulties—along the way, while the other stays at home and leads a happy but uneventful life. When Jasmine Williams’ fifth-grade students at Carter School ...

Why is journaling important?

For a start, it helps you to keep your spiritual thoughts, beliefs and questions organized and somewhat on track. Journaling through a difficult period, spiritually-speaking, will help you next time you face a similar situation, as you will be able to look back and explore your thoughts, feelings and emotions from last time around.

Who is Nikki Harper?

She writes about divination, astrology, mediumship and spirituality at Questionology: Astrology and Divination For the Modern World where you can also find out more about her work as a freelance astrologer and her mind-body-spirit writing and editing services. Nikki also runs a spiritualist centre in North Lincs, UK, hosting weekly mediumship demonstrations and a wide range of spiritual development courses and workshops.

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