Effective Discussions

The topic of effective and engaging discussions has come up in several conversations this week and therefore we thought to share the 2017 SoTL article “Exploring Professors’ Engaging Instructional Practices: A Collective Case Study.” This study integrates interviews with seven professors and findings showed that engaging instruction from the participant perspective focused both on learning and on considered various facets of students cognitive, social, and emotional development. Additionally, participants emphasized the importance of asking questions and assessing instructional effectiveness by evaluating the questions asked by students.

One of the most significant findings was the commitment and effort required for student engagement. Participants noted that actively engaging students is an ongoing process that requires a concerted effort. Another recommendation to encourage engaging discussion is to create non-threatening and inclusive learning environments. Finally, the researchers suggest embracing a student-centered mindset to enhance student engagement and achieve optimal learning outcomes.

Arghode, V., Wang, J., & Lathan, A. (2017). Exploring Instructors’ Practices in Student Engagement: A Collective Case Study. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17(4), 126-149.https://josotl.indiana.edu/article/view/22099/29779