Brainstorming and discussion is a very important method when considering self-directed learning. During a discussion, a learner has the opportunity to work on their own questions and have the opportunity to hear other’s discussions on that topic. The learner may think of things they never would have before, and they have the opportunity to provide that to someone else as well. Discussion is a classroom has to be implemented with an open-minded and safe atmosphere for people to participate. The learners have to feel comfortable with the professor and also with the other learners. Everyone’s ideas have to be valued and heard in order for the best discussions to occur. Differing opinions is a major advantage with discussion and therefore, it must be thought of as so. If learners argue instead of having a thoughtful discussion, the point of the session is lost, and the learners have lost an opportunity as well.
Application:Brainstorming and discussion could have many uses in an intro course, but one that would really benefit learners is an activity involving interviewing techniques. After a lesson on interviewing techniques, I would have an interview question on each wall and then split the students up into groups of three. They would go to each question and one person in the group would ask the question, one would answer, and the other would record what was discussed. Each group would go to each question switching their roles as they go. After they have gotten each question and role, they would return to the full group and we would discuss how the activity went. The reporters would say what they thought went well and what could have been improved and then the person who was interviewed could do the same. This would allow the learners to refer back to what we had learned and then apply that to the real-life application of it.
Assessment: Muddiest Point (Angelo & Cross, 1993, pp. 154-158)For my formative assessment, I would frequently do the muddiest point on a sheet of paper after the discussion. This would allow me to hear from the students who were maybe too shy during the large group discussion. This would involve little preparation and implementation, but the analysis would be very useful when considering what the students had taken away from the discussion and activity.