strategies for improving your discussion skills

8/8/2019 Strategies for Improving Your Discussion Skills

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Strategies for Improving Your Group Discussion Skills:

GROUP DISCUSSION: Is the perhaps the most fundamental reviewing technique of all.

It can also be the most difficult and the most unpredictable.

When free-flowing and lively discussions about shared experiences happen they often

have a life of their own and need little or no extra facilitation.

If you sometimes find yourself in unrewarding discussions that do not fit this description,

then some of the interventions or gimmicks described here (and used sparingly!) can helpto create a climate in which lively and worthwhile discussions are more likely to happen.

Most of the reviewing methods described throughout this 'Guide to Active Reviewing'

can be used to stimulate, focus orcomplement group discussion.

REVIEWING GROUP DISCUSSIONS:

Discussion is likely to be the most frequently used reviewing method, so it is well

worth spending time reviewing it!

Ask the group to make three separate lists of what they have found PLUS, MINUS andINTERESTING about the review discussions so far. Ask:

"What have been the most enjoyable and most worthwhile discussions so far?"

"What have you 'given to' and 'got from' discussions so far?"

"How can the discussions we have be improved?"

"Which of these ideas shall we try out for our next review discussion?"

Also ask each person to come up with two ACTION POINTS which will help them to

both GIVE AND GET more in future discussions. If individuals are stuck for ideas, ask

the group to make suggestions.

If the idea is being promoted that reviewer and participants share responsibility for thequality of discussions, then it is logical for the reviewer to end up with two action points

for herself.

REVISING GROUND RULES:

A few basic 'Ground Rules', negotiated with the group, and expressed in positivestatements, can help to generate a climate for good review discussions.

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Ask for advice.

Participate

If you find it difficult to participate in discussion, set yourself goals and aim to increase

your contributionAn easy way to participate is to add to the existing discussion. Start by making small

contributions; agree with what someone has said or ask them to expand on their point

(ask for an example or for more information); Prepare a question to ask beforehand. Youcan then work up to answering a question put to the group, providing an example for a

point under discussion, or disagreeing with a point.

What is an argument?

To `argue' is to present an opinion through the process of reasoning, supported by

evidence.

An argument seeks to persuade through rational and critical judgment.

How do we argue at?

The everyday meaning of the term argument implies a fight: an aggressive conflict orconfrontation between adversaries, where one tries to dominate the other in order to

`win'. In GD this kind of arguing is not appropriate.

The aim of GD argument is to explore a question, proposition or an area of knowledgeand achieve reasoned mutual understanding. It is not important who wins'what matters

most is the quality of the argument itself.

When you engage in GD argument in tutorial discussions, you are developing your ideas,

advancing and clarifying your knowledge and learning to think critically.

Participation: Voicing an opinion and arguing a point effectively

1. Voicing an Opinion in a Seminar

Participating in a tutorial discussion can be a bit scary, specially when you want to

disagree with a point of view and are not sure how to, or of which language structures to

use. Voicing your opinion and using effective arguing techniques are valuable skills.

You may have a great idea, but you need to communicate it effectively and support it.The three

essential parts to a point of view are:

1. A valid opinion (a believable point of view)

I believe that ... I think that ...

From what I understand ...

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As I understand it ...

2. A reason why

This is due to ...

Because ... What I mean by this is ...

3. Evidence (relevant and up-to-date examples, statistics, explanations and/ or

expert opinions). If you have actual data, examples or expert opinions on hand,

refer to the source.

1.

o This can be seen by

o For instance ...

o For example ...

o An example can be seen ...o (Author's name) states that ...

o (Author's name) suggests...

o Statistics from (give a source) indicate ...

1. Arguing a Point: How to disagree effectively

Disagreeing can be problematic as people often speak before they think things through. Itis also important to disagree politely. You may be trying to disprove another speaker's

point, but

1. Acknowledge their point

I can see your point--however ...

That's a good point, but ...

I see what you're getting at, but ...

2. Then explain why you disagree

That's not always the case because ...

That's not necessarily true because ... This idea isn't supported by statistics/ evidence ...

I thought the author meant that ...

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3. Offer your opinion complete with reason and

support

From what I've read ... The statistics seem to show that ...

I think what the author may actually be suggesting is ... Other studies by author/report show that ...

Now, be prepared for counter-argument and further discussion!

Remember, confidence is the key. If you do your tutorial preparation and think things

through, you can speak with confidence and believe that your contribution willbe valid.

Discussion Etiquette (or minding your manners)

In order to successfully negotiate discussion, courtesy is important. The following are afew ground rules for good conduct.

Do

Respect the contribution of other speakers. Speak pleasantly and with courtesy to all members of the group.

Listen well to the ideas of other speakers; you will learn something.

Remember that a discussion is not a fight. Learn to disagree politely.

Respect that others have differing views and are not neccessarily `wrong'. Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/

contribute to the topic? Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information. Be aware of your body language when you are speaking. Keep it `open' and friendly.

Avoid gestures that appear aggressive.

Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting. Stay with the topic. If the discussion does waiver, bring it back on topic by saying

something like `Just a final point about the last topic before we move on' or `that's an

interesting point, can we come back to that later?

Try to speak clearly. Don't whisper; even if you're feeling uncertain about your ideas orlanguage.

Don't

Dont take offence if a person disagrees with you. There will be times when other

speakers will have different points of view. They may disagree with your ideas, and theyare entitled to do so.

Don't ridicule the contribution of others. Don't use comments like `that's stupid', that's

ridiculous, or `you're wrong'. Don't try to intimidate or insult another speaker.

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Don't use a loud or angry tone. Others will not want to listen to you if you are being

aggressive. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch.

Avoid negative body language when speaking. Gestures like finger-pointing and table-thumping appear aggressive.

Try not to dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow quieter students a

chance to contribute. Avoid drawing too much on personal experience or anecdote. Remember not to

generalize too much.

Don't interrupt or talk over another speaker. Let them finish their point before you start.Listening to others earns you the right to be heard.

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