• Student discussion leader. In a seminar class, Tabitha Kirkland has students write discussion questions based on the reading, then meet in small groups to debate their questions. Group members are roles (leader, timekeeper, notetaker, devil’s advocate). The goal is to produce one discussion question to contribute to the whole-class discussion. Kirkland randomly chooses two of the day’s discussion leaders to facilitate whole-class discussion.
  • Whole-class debate. Have students choose a side of the room based on their response to some topic that doesn’t have a correct/incorrect answer. Ask students to explain why they hold their belief or opinion. Consider writing ideas generated from debate on the board.
  • Jigsaw method. In this method, each student in a pre-assigned group contributes one specific thing to the group’s overall task. They might read a particular part of a chapter or a particular article or research a particular aspect of a topic. The class begins with all students who learned the same material getting together to review the basic facts and check their understanding. Then students get back into their pre-assigned groups in which each member has focused on a different aspect of the topic and they take turns teaching the other members about what they have learned.