Course info

Course name, Learning Matters: The Pedagogy of Discussion

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student Success Type of course Teaching and Learning


About the course

Upcoming Classes

No classes scheduled

Description

Learning Matters is an annual event hosted by Faculty and Academic Development intended to bring together new and veteran faculty to welcome the new academic year by considering important principles and practices related to college teaching and learning. In the past, we have invited well-known speakers to share their knowledge related to topics such as motivation, student engagement, Universal Design for Learning, or global learning.

This year, our focus is on the Pedagogy of Discussion - and we have invited some of the leaders in our own campus community who care deeply about the culture of teaching and learning that is uniquely Appalachian’s. In sum, Learning Matters 2015 will be an authentic and engaging discussion about discussion as a pedagogical strategy.

In higher education, discussion is one of the most commonly used teaching strategies, second only to lecture. Yet, while many faculty are intrigued by the promise of discussion to democratize the classroom and invite critical deliberation of complex issues of their disciplines, they are also sometimes challenged by practical barriers to effective discussion such as large class sizes and their own inexperience or more ideological concerns such as maintaining openness and goodwill in an environment rich with diversity of opinions.

In this session, Dr. Tracy Smith (Department of Curriculum and Instruction) will provide some background about the potential of discussion in the college classroom as well as some strategies for planning and implementing effective discussions.

Attendees will then participate in a World Café Conversation examining a current set of university priorities: global learning, sustainability, social justice, and civic engagement. Together, we will consider the applications of these priorities to teaching and learning in our classes.

Please join the conversation as we consider anew how to engage in meaningful, transformative discussions with each other and with our students in the coming academic year.

Learning Matters 2015 will take place in the Gathering Hall (Room 124) of the College of Education, from 9:00-10:45 a.m. on Tuesday, August 11.

Objectives

  • Articulate multiple, current university priorities and explain their significance to teaching and learning
  • Cultivate a classroom environment that invites participation, interaction, mindfulness, and deliberation through discussion
  • Plan effective classroom discussions that enhance student learning
  • Explain the history and applications of World Cafe conversations

Prerequisites

  • None

Administrators

  • Tracy Smith

Please contact a course administrator for additional information.