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The Final Word

(Adapted from Judith Gray, Seattle, WA 2005)

Purpose: The purpose of this discussion format is to give each person in the group an opportunity to have their ideas, understandings, and perspective enhanced by hearing from others. With this format, the group can explore an article, clarify their thinking, and have their assumptions and beliefs questioned in order to gain a deeper understanding of the issues.

Procedure:

1.Form small groups (3-people) and identify a facilitator/time-keeper for each group (who also participates).

2.Each participant selects one “most” significant idea (and excerpt) from the article.

3.First person shares this “most” significant idea and refers to the selected quote/excerpt. Share why the quote was chosen:

1.do you agree/disagree?

2.does it relate to your teaching/research?

3.what questions arise?

4.what issues are raised?

5.what do you now wonder?

4.Continuing around the group, each person responds to that quote and what the presenter said, briefly, in less than a minute. The purpose of the response is:

1.to expand on the presenter’s thinking about the quote and the issues raised for him or her by the quote

2.to provide a different look at the quote

3.to clarify the presenter’s thinking about the quote

4.to question the presenter’s assumptions about the quote and issues raised (although at this time there is no response from the presenter)

5.After each person in the group has responded for one minute, the first person who began now has the “final word”. In one minute the presenter responds to what has been said:

1.now what are you thinking?

2.implications?

3.what is your reaction to what you’ve heard?

6.The cycle continues for each of the other group members, beginning again by sharing a significant idea from the text. Proceed around the group responding to this next presenter’s quote in the same way as the first presenter’s.

7.For each round, allow about 6 minutes (groups of 3 participants: presenter 3 minutes, response 1 minute for 2 people, final word for presenter 1 minute). The role of the facilitator is to keep the process moving, keep it clear and directed to the article, and keep time so everyone gets an opportunity for a round.

Scaling Up Tip: With a larger group, you need to change the way that you introduce the activity (i.e., simplify instructions, and make sure that they are both on the screen as well as on a handout so that people can refer to it). You also need to change the way that you facilitate the sharing, therefore simplifying the process.

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Line of Agreement (Value Line)

(Kagan, 1994)

Purpose: Students have the opportunity to learn to identify and assess their own view and understanding. They also become aware of and appreciate other perspectives. This is also a good strategy for a facilitator to use to open a discussion about a particular subject.

Procedure:

1.Draw a line on the floor with a piece of masking tape.

2.Present an issue or topic to the group and ask each member to determine how they feel about the issue (could use a 1-10 scale; 1 being strong agreement, 10 being strong disagreement).

3.Form a rank-ordered line and number the participants from 1 up (from strong agreement to strong disagreement, for example).

4.Form groups of four by pulling one person from each end of the value line and two people from the middle of the group (for example, if you had 20 people, one group might consist of persons 1, 10, 11, 20).

Scaling Up Tip: Invite students to raise their hands based on the different value statements. As the facilitator, take note of the approximate number of students who identify with the different value statements. At the end of the activity, recap what you saw from your vantage point and then invite comments from the different levels of agreement.

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Group Investigation

(Sharan & Sharan; Bennett et al., 1991)

Purpose: Group Investigation is a cooperative structure that enables students to plan and carry out a course of study. This structure is complex but students are involved in multifaceted learning tasks that demand greater autonomy and group self-direction.

Procedure: There are 6 main stages

Stage 1: Grouping

1.Present topic and use several key questions to define the scope of inquiry. Students may scan a variety of resources to activate their prior learning and stimulate inquiry.

2.Develop a list of questions that the students would like to investigate. You may guide this or have the entire class brainstorm together.

3.Classify questions to create sub-topics.

4.Students select subtopics of interest and form cooperative groups. Ensure that the groups have a good mix of contributors.

Stage 2: Planning

1.Each group explores its subtopic and formulates a research problem. Focus questions are developed to outline the scope of inquiry.

2.Develop an action plan. The group decides:

A.aspects to investigate

B.deadlines for reporting back

C.resources needed

3.Assign or have students select jobs and responsibilities.

Stage 3: Investigating

1.Group members complete an action plan for each investigation day.

2.Gather data from resources.

3.Assess the relevance of the data related to the question.

4.Members share their data to solve the group problem.

Stage 4: Organizing

1.Determine the presentation format. It may be a presentation, poster, etc.

2.Members discuss individual roles for the presentation and complete a presentation plan.

3.Individual assignments are complete to form the report.

Stage 5: Presenting

1.Present the reports.

2.Other groups may seek clarification or give feedback.

Stage 6: Evaluating

1.Establish the criteria in advance and use a rubric.

2.Clarify the components. This may include:

A.teacher and student evaluations

B.formative and summative evaluation

C.weighting of the process and the product

D.ratio of individual to group marks

3.Be sure that the students understand at the beginning how they will be evaluated. Students may complete a self-evaluation and add it to their portfolios. Teachers may also require an individual report or testing of the material after the final presentation.

Scaling Up Tip: In order to run this activity effectively with a larger group of students, you need to ensure the process is clearly outlined. In order to have an accurate picture of the individual role in the group, you may want to have students hand in process journals that contribute to their final mark.

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Structured Problem Solving

(Barkley, Cross & Major, 2005)

Purpose: Structured Problem Solving provides students with a process for solving a complex, content-based problem within a specified time limit. All members must agree to a solution and must be able to explain both the answer and the strategy used to solve the problem. It helps students identify the logic approach behind the problem and identify where their logic fails by providing them with the steps to working out the solution to the problem.

Preparation: Create a problem that is complex enough to require the students to use sophisticated problem solving skills. Use research and current questions as a resource. Identify the problem and the logical steps required to devise a solution. Solve the problem yourself using the procedure you’ve established in order to uncover problems and difficulties or error present.

Procedure:

1.After problems are developed, organize students into groups or teams and assign each group a problem.

2.Ask students to solve the problem using the steps provided. For example you may use Dewey 6-step Problem Solving technique.

1.Identify the problem

2.Generate possible solutions

3.Evaluate and test the various solutions

4.Decide on a mutually acceptable solution

5.Implement solution

6.Evaluate solution

3.Ask teams to report/present their problem, solution and the method (steps) they took in solving the problem.

Scaling Up Tip: This activity could easily be adapted for large scale classrooms. There are some strategies that would make this process easier:

1.Give clear instructions about forming groups, e.g., turn and make a group with 2-5 people sitting nearby.

2.Put a stopwatch on the projector so students have access to the same timing that you are using.

If you don’t have enough time for a larger group discussion about the issues, assign questions for students to answer in an online discussion board or through an assigned reflective journal due online before the next class. Once you have read student responses, you can summarize the main points in the next class.

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The Fish Bowl

(Paulson & Faust, 2006)

Purpose: To encourage students to offer feedback on course readings or class discussion. It is often more helpful and engaging to get students to provide the answers to their peers.

Procedure:

1.Students are given index cards, and asked to write down one question concerning the course material. They should be directed to ask a question of clarification regarding some aspect of the material or, perhaps, application of course material to practical contexts.

2.At the end of the class, students deposit their questions in a fish bowl.

3.The instructor then draws several questions out of the bowl and answers them for the class or asks the class to answer them.

4.This technique may be combined with many other questioning techniques.

Scaling Up Tip: This particular activity is well suited to large scale classrooms. It allows students some anonymity but also provides them with an opportunity to receive feedback from you, in answer to their different questions.

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Four Corners

(Kagan, 1994)

Purpose: This cooperative technique provides an opportunity for learners to deepen their understanding by exploring issues and expressing opinions. The technique can energize a lesson by providing movement and interaction with peers.

Procedure:

•Post the dimensions related to the topic in each of the four corners of the room (e.g., strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree or number four different pictures and then post the numbers).

•Each student selects a particular dimension in response to a question posed by the teacher, and moves to the appropriate corner.

•Once in their selected corner students pair up to discuss the reason(s) for their choice.

•Students listen actively to their partner’s response and are prepared to share what they heard their partner say.

•The teacher randomly chooses partners to share responses from each corner.

Scaling Up Tip: This is an activity that can be adapted to a large scale classroom with a few structural changes. Rather than posting a question or number in four corners, post a diagram of the room on the screen (on a PowerPoint slide), clearly marking where students should move to identify with a particular dimension or image. The rest of the lesson could proceed as with a smaller classroom. You can also use a stopwatch so students have access to the same timing as you.

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Give One-Get One

(Irvine et al, 2006)

Purpose: This activity is designed to help students access prior knowledge. It promotes connection between students and allows the teacher to also get some feedback about prior learning.

Procedure:

1.Have students fold a piece of paper lengthwise to form two columns and write “Give One” at the top of the left-hand column and “Get One” at the top of the right-hand column.

2.Ask students to brainstorm a list of all the things they already know about the topic they will be studying by writing the items down in the left-hand column. You may want to give them a specific number of bullets to guide the amount of responses.

3.After making the list, have students stand and find a partner. Each person should “give one” of their ideas by saying it out loud. Partners take turns sharing.

4.Have students write any new information they get from these discussions in the “get one” column of their lists, along with the name of the person who gave them the information.

5.Students should rotate around the room, talking to two or three partners.

6.Once everyone has given and received information, the whole class can discuss the information students have listed.

Scaling Up Tip: Invite students to connect with the people in their immediate area. Be clear how many people they should connect with and the procedure they should use to determine who to connect with.