Cultivating Engaging Discussions

Good discussions involve taking risks, by the students and the professor. This comprehensive guide is filled with tips to help improve yours.

This manual collects some of the best techniques to start discussions, give them momentum, and keep them on track. If you're new to leading discussions and unsure how to proceed, or if you're an experienced discussion leader looking for ways to energize your classroom, this book is a wonderful resource.

In these videos from Harvard's "Instructional Moves" collection, faculty describe their goals for discussion, and you'll see how they implement their discussion practices. You'll also hear from students who describe the impact of their professors' discussion techniques on their learning.

This video demonstrates a discussion technique called a fishbowl, and there's also an additional video for how to adapt the activity for online teaching.

This webpage will help you consider not only HOW to lead discussion, but also WHY to have discussions. You'll think through the goals of discussion, and turn your attention to the groundwork required to set up an environment in which productive discussions can occur.