Class Discussion Challenge: Getting Students to Listen and Respond to Each Other’s Comments

Issue 1: The classroom discussion is going pretty well. Students are offering some good comments and more than one hand is in the air. Then a student makes a really excellent observation that opens up a whole avenue of relevant possibilities. You follow-up by calling on a student whose hand has been in the air for some time. Her comment is fine, but it’s totally unrelated to the previous comment. How do you get students to respond to each other’s comments? How do you get student comments to build on a key topic so that it becomes more like a real discussion?

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
Creativity scholars Kaufman and Glăveanu (2019) argue that “like love or happiness, creativity is everywhere and nowhere in...
What if the most powerful teaching tool wasn't a new AI technology but humans helping other humans become...
Picture this: You spend hours crafting a midterm exam that could provide valuable learning opportunities. Students get their...
There is an elusive win-win in teaching in which both teachers and students truly enjoy a class together....
We often hear faculty complain that students are not reading the course material. Studies consistently report low rates...
Every teacher knows the challenge: Students complete homework at 9:00 p.m., get stuck, and have to wait until...

Create a free account, or log in.

Gain access to limited free articles, news alerts, and select newsletters

Login here

Get unlimited access to The Teaching Professor

Stay informed. Subscribe Now.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 thereafter. Cancel anytime.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Teaching Professor

You only have  free article views remaining.

WELCOME OFFER

$19.00 $14.00/month

for your first 6 months. Use coupon code TP6MO.

$19.00 a month thereafter. Cancel anytime.