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to CoursesJOR/WRT 415 - Perspectives on Reporting
Discussion Guide
(includes material from several websites; URLs available on request)
Participation is essential in a seminar. We all (including the professor!) have something to learn from one another. But this can only happen to the extent that everyone is involved in each class. A seminar encourages intellectual independence, requires interactive learning and should develop communication and leadership skills. Being a discussion leader, in particular, allows you to fulfill these goals. Leading a discussion is not easy, but it can be rewarding.
Every class session this semester -- regardless of the content of the reading -- will focus on these core questions:
• What does this reading teach me about reporting?
• What does this reading teach me about reporters?
• What does this reading teach me about journalistic writing?
• What question(s) would I like to ask this writer?
Come to each class with your book and notes, including specific annotations and examples that address these questions.
• Reading the week's material thoroughly and thoughtfully
• Discussing the readings in advance of class with your partner(s) to formulate key questions or topics to get the class going
• Working with the course assistant, Natalie Rizzo, on your plans for the class. This should be done face-to-face, and done no later than Monday evening so you have time for additional preparation if necessary.
• Initiating and guiding group discussion.
Planning is important for discussion leaders. You need to know what topics you want to cover, the responses you hope to elicit, and the discussion questions that will elicit those responses. You do not need to know the answers to the questions you ask, but you should have thought about possible answers.
Successful discussion questions are brief, open-ended questions that are stated in your own words. Consider preparing an outline of how and where you want the discussion to go, along with a list of issues or questions you want the class to discuss. Feel free to be creative in how you manage class time. What will be most valuable is that you get people talking about substantive matters related to reporting, reporters, writing and journalism in general.
As with interviewing, one of the most difficult things about being a discussion leader is the pause that often follows your question. I have read that it can take10 seconds or more between when you ask a question and when you receive a response. People need to digest what was asked, think about it, formulate a response, and then speak. That 10 seconds may seem more like an hour. Be patient. Resist the temptation to jump in and answer your own question!
Here's what I once wrote to a group of discussion leaders:
I'd like to see more patience on the part of discussion leaders AFTER they ask a question. What has been happening regularly is either the "asker" jumps in right away to give an answer, then moves on to something else, OR after one short answer from the class, it's on to another question. Force the issue. Press for answers, elaboration, discussion.
The best discussion leaders get classmates to answer their questions, offer opinions (often in the form of other questions) and debate one another. Avoid the tendency to dominate the discussion. As discusison leader, you should know the topic better than any other student in the class. You should have thought about it more and maybe even have answers written out. But you have done all that so you can help guide your classmates through the discussion, not so that you can do the thinking for them.
Discussion leaders will be graded on organization, presentation of material and ability to lead discussion. The class will evaluate discussion leaders immediately after the discussion, and your Discussion Leadership grade will be based partly on this evaluation. I will prepare a written evaluation, including a grade, of your Discussion Leadership.
When you are not a discussion leader, you are responsible for contributing to the class by
• Reading the entire book thoroughly and thoughtfully, making notes and jotting down your questions.
• Coming prepared to contribute to the discussion. Therefore, you must be an active reader, speaker and listener. And don't forget to bring your Weekly Report.
Everyone, whether discussion leaders or participant, is expected to:
• Talk in complete sentences.
• Keep on the topic.
• Present ideas coherently.
• Respect others' points of view.
Class participation grades range from 0-5. You receive a 0 if you miss class or arrive after the day's discussion of the material has begun. You receive a 5 if you participate fully in the discussion and make substantive contributions that indicate you understood and thought about the assigned readings. You receive a lesser number for participating on a lesser level. (Note: It will be obvious to me when you have not done the reading.)
Discussion leaders will be evaluated on a scale of 1-7 (strongly disagree to strongly agree) for the following:
• The discussion
leaders seemed organized and prepared
• The discussion leaders asked good questions
• The questions challenged my thinking
• The discussion leaders made me think critically about the readings
• The discussion helped me understand the readings/topic better
• I enjoyed the discussion today
Indicate your overall evaluation of the discussion (1-7; poor to excellent)
Two open-ended questions:
• Please describe what you liked about today's discussion, i.e. in what ways did the discussion leaders do a good job?
• Please describe what you didn't like about today's discussion, i.e. what could have been done differently to make this a better discussion?