Lead Discussions

Weight: 10%
Due: classes in weeks 3-7 (not week 5)

Task (updated 11-08-09)

• Students (see timetable link) who lead the weekly discussion (topics link) will be required to prepare as detailed below.

[note: All other students are expected to read all papers  allocated to each week prior to the discussion sessions.  ]

• The discussion session will commence soon after 4pm on Thursdays (allowing some time for setup).

• Discussion leaders are required to provide a brief synopsis of the reading (s) for their session.

• Discussion leaders should then guide the discussion process, drawing out relevant and interesting discussion points, initiating debate on areas of contention, moderating opinions and capturing important revelations. Butchers paper and pens will be provided to jot down discussion points (written by member of the pod, not discussion leader)

• Discussion leaders should aim to complete discussions (and summaries) within 30 minutes.

• Peer review completed (5 minutes) and handed to marker (Kim or Kathy)

• Whole of class discussion (20 minutes) will then occur. For this, each discussion leader will present the summary points from their pod's discussion. Facilitators will guide further discussion.

• This process will be repeated for the second hour with a second student allotted to the week of presentation.

 

Notes

• There are four pods, each with a max of 8 students.

• There will be two markers for these sessions. Kim Eupene will look after Pods 1 and 2 (left side of room facing outwards) and Kathy Egea will look after Pods 3 and 4 (right side of room facing outwards)

• For whole of class discussion, all students are to come to the centre area of the room sitting in a circle. Kim and Kathy will facilitate this 'whole group' session.

Outcomes:

Each discussion leader is to submit one file by Friday (following day): submission: one file (ppt or pdf) to demonstrate their presentation points, plus the key points raised from the discussion in the pod and a diagram (scanned version) that synthesises the overall discussion.

Steps for preparing and leading a discussion

The following ideas for the steps in preparing your discussion are from Dr John Logsdon, University of Iowa.

1. Make sure that you have read the papers thoroughly. You should be able to describe the purpose of the paper, outline the content and discuss the implications of the paper. If you are struggling to understand a paper (or some aspects of a paper) arrange for a time to discuss the paper with the lecturer.
2. Consider how you will record the main points which emerge from discussions: pen and paper, white board and markers, index cards, post-it notes, butcher’s paper and felt pens, etc. IMPORTANT: You will need to let the lecture know the day before the presentation so that the necessary materials/resources can be arranged in time.
3. Start with a brief synopsis of the major points of each of the papers. This should be about 10 minutes at the very most. Do NOT describe the papers in full detail: the assumption is that everyone has read the papers.
4. After the overview, start with your questions. Questions without a definite answer are often better, as they promote discussion. Although you can discuss specific aspects, keep in mind that we are interested in the big picture. The papers are being used as illustrations of a concept.
5. Keep the discussion on track. Try not to let the discussion head off on a tangent. We don’t have much time.
6. Involve everyone in the discussion. Ask specific people questions to get them involved. Try not to let certain people dominate the discussion.
7. At the end, you should give a brief wrap-up. This should be a synthesis of the paper(s) and the ideas presented in discussion. You should consider ahead of time how the two papers can be integrated.
8. Record the main points which emerge from the discussion.
9. Submit the information you have recorded as indicated above.

Criteria

Criteria	Standard
	Fail	Pass	High
Clear understanding of reading	The student has demonstrated a limited understanding of the papers through the synopsis provided. Questions generated by the student reflect limited understanding of the readings. [1 mark]	The student has demonstrated a solid understanding of the papers through the synopsis provided. Questions generated by the student reflect some understanding of the readings. [2 marks]	The student has demonstrated a thorough understanding of the papers through the synopsis provided. The student also generated interesting / insightful questions from the readings. [3 marks]
Structure and organisation of discussion process	The student was not prepared and was not able to manage the discussion effectively. The outcomes from the discussion were ineffectively recorded. [1 mark]	The student was adequately prepared and was able to manage aspects of the discussion. The outcomes from the discussion were recorded. [2 marks]	The student was well prepared and was able to manage the discussion effectively. The outcomes from the discussion were effectively recorded. [3 marks]
Ability to guide and facilitate relevant discussion topics	The student was unable to guide the discussion to produce a meaningful examination of the concepts from the papers. Outcomes from the discussion were not particularly insightful or well organised. [1 mark]	The student was able to guide the discussion to produce an adequate examination of the concepts from the papers. Outcomes from the discussion showed some interesting insights. [2 marks]	The student was able to skilfully guide the discussion to produce a meaningful examination of the concepts from the papers. Outcomes from the discussion were well organised and insightful. [3-4 marks]