Due when class begins on your assigned day

Overview

Once during the semester, you will work in a group of 3-5 students to lead small group discussion in class. Discussion leads should plan to introduce the day’s discussion and prepare 4-5 questions that will guide the class/small groups for that day. You’ll sign up for a date/movie at the beginning of the semester by going to TCU Online > People > Groups and enrolling in a Discussion Lead Group.

Here is a resource that can help you design good discussion questions.

Turn in your group’s discussion questions to the assignment page on TCU Online.

Rationale

Small group discussion helps everyone engage in active learning, by working through ideas in a collaborative way, comparing alternate interpretations, and brainstorming answers to complex questions together. This kind of brainstorming will help everyone prepare for the exam essay questions.

Guidelines for discussion leads

1. Watch the film for your discussion day as early as possible. You need time to process your own thoughts on the film, so that you are ready to engage the thoughts of others. Take lots of notes on the film—it really will help.
2. Work with your group ahead of time to draft effective questions. You may choose to keep all of your questions centered on one theme or approach, or you may choose to compare and contrast approaches through different kinds of questions.
3. Work with your group to write a very brief introduction to the day’s discussion. Remind the class what film we are discussing. Consider sharing the rationale for the questions your group wrote. For example, you might say in your introduction, “As a group, we were really interested in how this film portrays gender, so our questions today will focus on that aspect.” Decide who will present the introduction to the class.
4. While leading discussion in your small group, be ready to keep things moving by encouraging your peers to further explain a point, asking follow up questions, making connections between different points raised, etc.
5. When the discussion ends, be ready to report out to the whole class.

Guidelines for participating in discussion

These guidelines are for everyone in class. Remember that on any given discussion day, about 30 of you will be participating in discussions that you are not leading.

1. Begin in your small group by introducing yourselves to each other. Make it a point to learn your classmates’ names.
2. Stay open to various viewpoints. There is almost never one single correct answer.
3. Be constructive and respectful but don’t be afraid to disagree. Often the most interesting insights come from disagreements.
4. DO NOT RUSH to come up with the “correct” answer to the question being discussed. You don’t get extra points for getting done early.
5. Be considerate of your classmates who are leading discussion. Don’t make their work extra difficult by being unprepared or unengaged. Remember that you will be in their shoes, leading discussion, at some point during the semester.
6. Have fun! Movies are fun and talking about them is fun.