Kathleen Cotton (2004) wrote an article called Monitoring Student Learning in the Classroom.  This article introduces a new method teachers can monitor their student’s learning in the classroom.  Learning probe is “a variety of ways that teachers can ask for brief student responses to lesson content”. Cotton (2004) summarizes the learning probe which is types of questions the teacher asks to “determine their understanding of what is being taught”.  She explains further in the article that these questions can be asked during a lesson or given ahead of time and used in a collaborative discussion.

Examining the Effects of Classroom Discussion on Students’ Comprehension of Text: A Meta-Analysis by Murphy, Wilkinson, Soter, and Hennessey (2009) is an article that focuses on the historical standpoint of classroom discussions and their importance to student learning.  The article explains that there has been research focusing on classroom discussions, “since the early 1960s” (pg. 740).  Each author takes a point of interest to explore such as inclusion, parameters, coding, and data preparation.

Practical Strategies to Improve Academic Discussions in Mixed Ability Secondary Content Area Classrooms by Kevin Feldman and Kate Kinsella (2005) describes the “need for active and accountable student” responses (pg. 1).  Feldman and Kinsella (2005) describe scaffolding methods teachers can use to incorporate discussions as well as elements for structuring academic discussions.

Erika Griffin’s (2010) article Talking About Books to Improve Comprehension offers teachers “strategies to support conversations about texts” with their students.  Griffin (2010) explains that students can read shorter pieces of literature or a condensed version of a longer text and still gain meaningful insight but the teacher must provide the appropriate learning strategies.  The article also mentions how teachers can analyze the conversations that the students have to ensure that learning has taken place and what to do to correct this when students are off task.

Learning Discussion Groups and Reading Comprehension by Holly Tugman (2010) is an observation of a case study conducted with elementary students.  The observation gives an account of how the students interacted with one another in group discussions.  The case study of over a nine week period and each week the instructions grew more intense for the students.  Initially, there was little to no instruction or guidance from the teacher, then as weeks progress, students were given very specific directions.  The case study concludes with charts showing how the student’s conversations strengthen with reading strategies and guidance from the teacher.

Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices is an article that includes “data from the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress”.  The article explains that there is a dire need for an improvement in reading comprehension because our students are not as proficient as we once were and in comparison to students in other countries.  Two strategies that were mentioned were to “provide direct and explicit comprehension strategy instruction” and “provide opportunities for extended discussion of text and meaning and interpretation.”

The Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning has an article entitled Keep Talking! which describes the importance of having frequent and meaning classroom discussions among students.  Author Marie-Véronique Clément (2004) details specific ways discussions can be included in lesson plans.  Clément (2004) explains practical hints, benefits, and guidelines for classroom discussions.