The Discussion Project provides highly interactive in-person professional learning for institutions, educational leaders, and instructors. Through expert instruction, the course provides research-based techniques to design and implement equitable, inclusive, and engaging classroom discussion.
We are running a new In-Person series in January 2024 for UW-Madison instructors and leaders. Click here to register.
Note: if you are visiting this page and are at an institution other that UW-Madison and would like The Discussion Project to come to your campus, please go to our nonprofit website thediscussionproject@wceps.org
Modules / Topics
- Building Community
- Defining Discussion
- Facilitating Whole Group Interactions
- Structuring Discussion & Crafting Questions
- Planning & Assessing Discussion
- Critiquing Discussion Plans
- Maintaining Community
Learning Objectives
Instructors will…
- Create an equitable and inclusive classroom climate conducive to high quality discussion.
- Distinguish between discussion and other forms of student talk.
- Learn different ways to structure and facilitate discussion.
- Learn to craft questions that foster discussion.
- Design, implement, and reflect on plans for discussion.
- Implement strategies that develop students’ discussion skills.
- Understand the purposes and methods of assessment for improving discussion skills.
Kandyce Anderson Amie
PhD student and teaching assistant in curriculum and instruction, School of Education, UW-Madison
“The opening activities to promote immediate class engagement, rubrics for virtual learning, experiences engaging with different discussion techniques, rather than just reading about them – they were all extremely useful for my practice. Our discussions allowed us to collaborate with other teachers in various fields across UW to lesson plan and brainstorm great ways to structure our time and create inclusive learning environments.”
Praveen Maripelly
International Reach Ambassador, UW-Madison
“The Discussion Project workshop helped me and my teaching in various ways to build solid and authentic knowledge through different discussion methods. Discussion Project methods are practical to engage students actively in a given discussion topic. These methods provide a safer environment for students in the group.”
Did you know?
The Discussion Project was also a set of research studies.
Please visit our Research tab for more information about the Discussion Project Mellon Foundation Study and the Discussion Project Measures Study.
