Mellon Foundation Study

The Discussion Project Mellon Foundation Study, 2019-2023

The Discussion Project Mellon Foundation Study is a large, mixed-methods study. Thanks to a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, as well as University of Wisconsin donor funds such as the Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education Fund and investment from the university administration, The Discussion Project has been able to study the in-person and online versions of the series over a number of years.

This study aims to address three questions:

  1. How do The Discussion Project training and resources affect instructors’ ability to create and facilitate high-quality classroom discussion?
  2. How does The Discussion Project affect how students experience and learn from discussions in courses taught by instructors trained by The Discussion Project?
  3. What are the best mechanisms to both scale The Discussion Project and extend it to other institutions of higher education with demographically different students than UW-Madison?