The development, testing, and evaluation of three strategies designed to foster effective, task-oriented class discussions : an honors thesis [(HONRS 499)]

Abstract

The ability to initiate and lead productive group discussions is an important, but often under-emphasized, skill that teachers need to possess. Students who participate in such discussions can learn not only from the discussion leader, but from their peers. This research project was designed with the goal of enhancing the development of student discussion skills by creating and testing a series of group discussion strategies for use in the Ball State University course, Biology 199. Biology 199, Honors Symposium in Biology, is a freshman level course for Honors College students and involves the study of genetics and the bioethical issues which emerge when applying knowledge derived from this rapidly expanding science. One objective of the course has been to encourage student development of discussion skills. Thus, the format of the class initially allowed one day per week for small group discussions, which were led by upperclassmen who had completed the course. Unfortunately, the sessions were disappointing in that they consistently developed into one of two situations (1) Most often the time was spent dealing with routine problems concerning the genetics component of the course: (2) Alternatively, a bioethics discussion would begin with no goal in sight, and anyone caring to air an opinion would do so. This situation usually digressed into a lull in discussion or an overly heated debate. The session ended either with tension caused by a complete lack of agreement or with a quickly reached superficial conclusion, indicative of unexposed aspects of the problem. In all cases there was no sense of direction and little feeling of accomplishment. Eventually theweekly sessions were terminated due to lack of success. It is in response to the aforementioned problem that this study is addressed: The goal of this study was to develop and test easily used materials for leading task-oriented discussions. In order to obtain the goal, materials--"Introduction to Leading Discussions" and three discussion strategies with accompanying evaluation forms--were developed and tested in Biology 199.