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Facilitating Discussions

Facilitating a longer discussion in a small class or seminar requires many skills in planning, asking good questions, listening, managing the time, keeping an eye on the group dynamics, and thinking on your feet to respond. It takes time and experience to become a good discussion facilitator. Observing how other instructors facilitate discussion, either by asking a colleague if you can observe a class or through participating in the Big Red Teaching Days class observation program, is one way to enhance your skills. Below, you can find strategies to plan, structure, and lead a discussion.

Asking Good Questions as a Facilitator

Shape your questions to practice intellectual skills. When creating your question prompts, reflect on your learning outcomes and the intellectual skills you are helping the students to practice. For example, you may want students to practice critiquing the study methods or use of evidence, examining different perspectives, identifying assumptions or biases, seeing themes or patterns, or recognizing rhetorical moves. Write your questions with your learning outcomes in mind.

Ask one question at a time and then wait. Be careful about making a question too complex, stacking questions (asking two or more questions at one time), or over-explaining and rephrasing your question. Ask one question and then wait 10-30 seconds or give students some time to write. A complex question needs thinking time. Allowing more thinking time encourages greater participation from everyone – not just from the students who can quickly jump into a discussion.

Organizing discussion questions
Consider organizing your questions into the categories of ‘warming up,’ ‘exploring’, and ‘wrapping up’.

Warm-up: Give students an opportunity to start thinking about a topic or question. This might include individual writing or thinking time or a discussion prompt to discuss with a partner. Some example warm-up questions include.

  • Try to write a one sentence summary of this topic/reading/case study etc.
  • Write down three questions you have about this topic/reading/film/art work/material etc.
  • What stood out to you in the reading/film/music etc.?
  • How do you feel about the argument or perspective presented? Do you agree or disagree and why?
  • What connections can you see between this topic and current events or issues?
  • What potential biases or assumptions can you identify in the material?
  • What are some possible counterarguments or alternative perspectives?
  • How does this topic relate to your own experiences or beliefs? What new insights did you gain?

Exploring: This is the heart of the discussion when students are exploring different threads, topics, ideas, and perspectives. Instructor questions can deepen the discussion and help students practice intellectual skills such as source or evidence evaluation, comparison, identifying assumptions or bias, identifying themes or patterns, critique or questioning, and synthesis. 

Wrap-up: At the end, leave time for students to reflect on take-aways, insights, or further questions to consider. The instructor might want to highlight certain points or ideas. Note that wrapping up does not necessarily mean finding one answer or consensus on a topic.

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Warming-up Strategies

  • Minute paper: Pose a question for students to write about for a minute (or five minutes)
  • Think/pair/share: Present students with a question, problem, or item for reflection. Have students reflect or write on their own for 1-2 minutes, then discuss with a peer for another 2-5 minutes. Invite several pairs to share their thoughts. 
  • Close reading, close observation, close listening: Ask your students to read and provide a detailed explanation of  a passage of text, listen to poetry or music, or closely examine an image. Then ask them to answer a question(s) based on the material. Have students discuss their thoughts with a peer(s).
  • Write a list of questions: Ask students to write a list of questions they have about a topic, a reading, an image, a piece of music, an experiment, etc. This can be followed by pair discussion, small group, or whole class discussion of some of the questions.
  • Real-life examples: For a concept in the class, ask students to think of or find an example from real life (this could be from their own life or in the news). The purpose is to help students build connections and memories as well as to see if they can transfer what they are learning to other examples. It can also help value and highlight diverse perspectives.
  • Polling questions: Ask students to vote or respond to a question on a scale of 1-5. Ask them to share their reasoning for their answer with a partner. PollEverywhere software can help with classroom polling. You can sign up for a free Cornell account through the Center for Teaching Innovation.

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Exploring Strategies

Questions that can deepen and enrich the conversation. As the instructor, you may need to encourage students to build on each other's ideas, use evidence to back up their comments, or uncover assumptions. Some question types that help to deepen the discussion include:

  • Evidence questions: ask students to find examples or examine the supporting evidence.
  • Connecting questions: ask students to compare or link this discussion to previous class topics, readings, or themes, or ask students to build on what someone has said.
  • Counter-argument questions: ask about other possibilities or perspectives, underlying assumptions, or may take a devil’s advocate position.
  • Hypothetical questions: ask ‘what if?’ and prompt consideration of other possibilities or outcomes.
  • Summary or synthesis questions: ask students to identify key ideas, themes, what they have learned, or questions they still have about a topic.
  • Noticing and wondering questions: As the instructor, you might notice emotions or patterns in the room such as uncertainty, avoidance, enthusiasm, curiosity, controversy, or anger. You could phrase a question such as “I’m noticing that people seem really enthusiastic about the idea that…what is especially appealing about this idea?”

Other Strategies for Exploring Complex Topics Include:

Gallery Walk or Station Rotation: Post question prompts on large poster paper around the room or on whiteboards. Assign small groups to each poster. The group discusses the question for around 5-10 minutes and writes their ideas on the poster. Ask groups to rotate and add their ideas to the list on the next poster. Continue until all groups have rotated through several posters. 

Drawing/diagramming: Ask your students to draw a simplified diagram, plan, or process, then explain the reasoning behind their choices to a peer. Students discuss and give feedback. To debrief, present your own or a student-created version and explain the critical elements. Allow time for questions. 

Walking think/pair/share: Pose a question and offer students the option to walk outside for 10-15 minutes, discuss the prompt, and then come back to class at a set time. Walking can stimulate ideas, and is a great option when you have a sunny spring day in Ithaca. Usually, you will find that they return with new energy and a lot to share. 

Worksheets: Design a worksheet with clear instructions and provide a copy to each student. Worksheets might involve tables to compare/contrast concepts, case studies, or scenarios with question prompts. They can also be used for close reading of texts or images. Worksheets can be collected for participation points or feedback, or students can take a photo of their work and upload it to Canvas. 

Concept mapping: Ask your students to draw a concept map showing how the ideas you have been discussing relate to one another. Allow students time to think on their own (or even prepare their maps prior to class) before asking them to discuss with others and modify. Students may need instructions on concept mapping before they begin. Shared online whiteboards such as Miro work well for this kind of activity. Post-it notes also allow students to organize concepts. 

Case studies: Ask students to discuss a problem or case study reflecting a current issue in your field. Having them come up with their own discussion questions can be a useful way to get them to engage with the material more deeply.

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Wrapping Up the Discussion

Effectively concluding a discussion can be just as important as the discussion itself. Various techniques can help maximize the time spent, reinforce the learning, and allow for connections to future parts of the course. Consider trying out the following at the end of a discussion session:

  • Summarize key points with the group: Highlight the main ideas, critical concepts, and arguments discussed, and recap any consensus or differing viewpoints. 
  • Connect back to learning objectives: Relate the discussion back to the course objectives and why it’s important. Emphasize how the discussion contributes to the overall understanding of the subject matter.
  • Acknowledge contributions: Point out specific contributions that added significant value. This helps learners to feel heard, valued and cared about, and a desire to contribute in the future.
  • Encourage reflection: Prompt students to consider how the discussion changed or reinforced their understanding and remind them how the reflection process helps them to grow and expand. You may decide to do a reflection activity that is just for themselves, or in a discussion board for others to engage and interact with.
    • What was the most surprising or unexpected point that emerged from today’s discussion?
    • How did today’s discussion change or reinforce your understanding of the topic?
    • Can you identify any real-world applications or implications of the concepts 
      discussed?
    • What questions remain unanswered for you after our discussion, and how might 
      you go about finding the answers?
    • How does what we discussed today connect to other topics we’ve covered in this course or other courses?
    • What is something you learned from someone else today?
  • Provide a closing question or thought: You could also open the floor to last thoughts from anyone in the group.
  • Highlight applications and real-world connections: Apply the discussion to other contexts and real-world scenarios to demonstrate higher-level thinking skills and provide relevancy, engagement, and deeper learning.
  • Connection for the next class: Explain how today’s discussion relates to future topics. This helps to create a sense of continuity and context for the learning material.

Reflection Afterward

  • Assign follow-up reflection activities: To reinforce the learning and generate new ideas, try having students complete reflection activities, such as exit tickets (one thing they learned and one question they still have), reflection papers, student summaries, discussion boards, debates, case studies, and concept maps. Decide whether it’s beneficial for this process to be solo or shared with the group.
  • Solicit student feedback: How did it go for learners? An anonymous survey, exit slip, or a minute paper on how it went for them can significantly help to assess what students are taking with them from the class. You can learn so much in just one check-in that you can take with you for years. You might discover areas where students were hindered, held back, or had a barrier preventing them from performing. There might also be useful suggestions from students for next time.
  • Reflect for yourself and take notes for next time: 
    • What went well? How do you feel it went for learners?
    • Was there anything that could be improved for next time?
    • Were there question prompts that worked especially well? Or ones that seemed confusing?
    • What did you specifically do well? Is there anything you as the facilitator might do differently?
    • Were there any lulls or heated moments? How might you address or manage these in the future?
    • Are there ways to add roles or structures that could take some of the pressure off of you? Perhaps there are student roles and tasks to help facilitate or maintain the flow of discussion. 
    • If something didn’t go so well or you are concerned with students' psychological safety, you can still acknowledge or apologize next class and share how you are working to address it. You can also connect students with campus resources and reach out to directly impacted students individually.

References and Further Reading:

Eberly Center, Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation (2024) Discussions. Carnegie Mellon.

Davis, B. G. (1993) Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Brookfield, S. D. and S. Preskill. (1999). Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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