Episode 67: Discussions as Assessment

In this episode
Discussions are an important component of 21st century learning in all disciplines; they help students process and communicate information, and help teachers better understand which concepts students are connecting with. 21st century learning specialist G. Faith Little joins us this week to unpack the benefits of classroom discussions, and how they can be a simple, authentic way to assess student learning. 

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Final thoughts
Imagine you’re a teacher who wants to begin or refine the use of discussion in your classroom — what’s the smallest thing you can do to make the biggest difference?
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G. Faith Little
Start small with activities and call out the practice — as in "okay, we're going to have a discussion and this time we're going to do it in pairs, or this time we're going to do it in small groups" — until it becomes commonplace.  

Dr. Roberta Lenger Kang
Develop norms (in collaboration with students, if possible) to create a community and identify the kinds of behaviors that you expect for a discussion.

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Dr. Sherrish Holloman
Include discussions as a daily part of the educational experience in your classroom; start small with three-minute discussions, five-minute discussions, and gradually build on the practice from there.

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Related posts

• ​Exit tickets as formative assessments
• Rethinking baseline assessments​
• Micro assessments for student learning

TAGS: ASSESSMENT, TEACHING TODAY