Speed-Discussion: Engaging Students in Class Discussions
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Sarah Kornfield, Department of Communication
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-21-2017
Abstract
Engaging college students in class discussion is an often difficult, yet crucial part of the classroom learning experience. My research examines the importance of student engagement in class discussion, and the causes behind the current trend that shows a decline in student engagement in the classroom. Multiple factors contribute to this decline. Based on this information, an activity is proposed that can help engage college students. The Speed-Discussion activity meets the need for engagement by getting students thinking and talking in a dynamic, supportive, and social environment. This activity helps students identify and review the central ideas from readings, and creates a record of their ideas that they can draw upon in later discussions. By the end of the activity, students should be able to (1) provide their own examples for difficult communication concepts, (2) work effectively with their peers, (3) understand a given case-study from a variety of perspectives, and (4) be prepared to contribute to a whole class discussion regarding sensitive, complex, and/or theoretical communication topics.
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Comments
This research was supported by an Undergraduate Research Grant made available through the Advancement Office.