Discussion

A Natural Teaching Approach. The old saying that two heads are better than one applies very well in the classroom. When material can be presented by having students recall ideas or past experiences, a feeling of belonging is fostered. Discussion is a natural approach to learning. Because it is particularly adapted to student participation you should use it whenever possible, especially if dealing with small groups. How can you use this method to instruct instrument flying? Let’s assume that you are a fighter instructor pilot who has previously given a lesson on a particular weapons delivery on instruments. You have explained what is to be done and when and how to do it. You have recommended procedures and suggested techniques. Now, for the information to be really meaningful to your students they need to understand why they must perform the maneuver just the way you described it. This question of "why" is one that can be explored and learned through discussion. Another example of using the discussion method is in teaching flight regulations and publications. Rather than covering only what the regulations say you could discuss their application to specific instances which occur in your job.
If you give it some thought, you can find many areas which are well adapted to the discussion method of teaching in your applicable training program.

Planning a Discussion.

Planning for a guided discussion is basically the same as planning for a lecture. You start with the lesson objectives. In the discussion method the objectives must be stated specifically. If you clearly establish in your own mind the ideas which you plan to have the students develop during the discussion, you can better plan for the effective use of questions.
Next you conduct research and organize your material. And finally, you plan your class
activities and prepare your lesson plan. Since these last steps provide for active student participation, you should observe the following suggestions:

• Clearly identify discussion areas and fit them to the needs of the group.
• Prepare to use questions that will open areas of discussion.
• Keep the objectives clearly in mind.
• Prepare to control and guide the discussion without dominating it.
• Recognize student needs and contributions.
• Make assignments which will provide a background for discussion and which will stimulate students to participate.
• Prepare to summarize material as each major topic is completed.

There may be times when you will have no opportunity to assign preliminary work, and you will face the students "cold" for the first time. In such a case it is practical and advisable to give the students a brief, general survey of the topic. To do this, you may have to prepare a short preliminary talk or outline. If this will not provide the students with the necessary background, you should choose another method.

QUESTIONS - The Lifeline of discussion.

Your questions will be determined primarily by your lesson objectives. For example, a lesson objective might be for students to determine a Visual Descent Point (VDP) on a non precision approach. One of the first problems is to get the students interested in VDPs. You can arouse their interest by asking them to explain what a VDP is. You should next anticipate student answers. Students will probably define VDPs based on how they use them. Differences of opinion will stimulate them to discuss the proper uses of VDPs. It is often helpful to write their definitions on the chalkboard/whiteboard. This will keep them posted on their progress in developing the discussion. After you have caught their interest you might ask your students to explain how VDPs are determined on the instrument approach procedure. Very few will realize that it is normally based on the VASIs and the lowest MDA published on that procedure. The student discussion for each lesson objective might be planned by the same procedure. However, be sure that each question is designed to guide the students toward the lesson objective.

How to Ask Questions.

After you ask a question, be patient. Give the students a chance to react. You will have the answer in mind before you ask the question, but the student has to find the answer and think about it. This thinking process takes time. You must allow the student enough time to prepare an answer.

Sometimes students will not understand your question. When you notice a puzzled expression, ask the question again but phrase it a little differently. A good rule to follow is to state your key question only after building up to it with secondary questions. During this buildup the students are "warming up", and they will be more responsive and ready to answer the primary questions.
Students may lack the necessary background to understand what you are talking about. If this is the case, explain your idea and elaborate upon it. Build upon it so that you can make a transition to the next point of discussion. Lead into your next idea with a question and let the group pick up from there.

In preparing your questions it is well to remember that your purpose is to create discussion, not merely to get answers. Avoid questions that only require "yes" or "no" answers. Your leading questions should usually begin with "how" or "why". For example, it is much better to ask, "How can we use training aids most effectively in teaching?" than it is to ask, "What kind of training aids are available?" The second question will produce a recital of training aids but no genuine discussion.
How well you, as a stray dog instructor, can conduct a discussion lesson depends to a great extent on how well you can use the questioning technique.
 

Keep the Group on the Subject.

If your students are to achieve the lesson objectives, you must see that the discussion does not deviate from the subject matter. When this happens you should take over. Summarize the group’s ideas and state a question that brings the discussion back into line. It may be difficult to decide when students have deviated from the desired discussion. A good rule is to let the group proceed on a topic as long as they seem to be profiting from the exchange of information and are progressing toward the objective.

Instructional Aids.

Aids which will stimulate student discussion include films, filmstrips, lectures, and outside reading assignments. Any aid which catches the students’ interest and makes them think about the desired topic can be used to stimulate discussion. In the use of any aid, be sure to tell your class what to look for and why it is important. Films are especially effective in providing students with a common background for discussion. The chalkboard/whiteboard is probably the most convenient aid to use during a discussion. It is excellent for summarizing ideas and for keeping key ideas before your students.
Conclusions. In concluding a guided discussion you should summarize student responses, reviewing the ideas which were discussed with the lesson objectives. In this final summary be sure to emphasize and clarify the objectives using student contributions as supporting material. If you fail to do this the students may leave the discussion without knowing what they accomplished. The conclusion should be brief and interesting.

Group Dynamics.

Discussion in the classroom, like an informal discussion at home or during a coffee break, involves personal feelings as well as subject matter. These feelings, or personal relationships among the members, are the dynamic forces that work within a group. If one student says "You’re wrong, I can’t agree with that", when another states an opinion in a directed discussion a force is created which may halt the learning process. Therefore, if you intend to use the discussion method in teaching you need to know how to assist your group in handling these personal relationships constructively. We know that everyone has certain personal-social needs in common. If we expect our students to concentrate on the content of the lesson, we must do our best to see that these personal-social needs are satisfied. All members of the group must treat others with consideration and respect.
We believe in the worth of the individual. We should therefore respect the good qualities of each student and try to understand their weaknesses. To develop such an attitude in your group your own example will be the single most important element. If you demonstrate that you recognize the worth of every person in the class, your students will follow your example. You can demonstrate this attitude by your tone of voice and facial expression as well as by what you say.
 

By recognizing and praising worthwhile ideas, you can bolster self confidence in your students and encourage them to be relaxed and natural. By varying your approach to different aspects of your subject, you can provide your students with variety and satisfy their need for new experiences. Other specific ways to satisfy these needs will occur to you if you will give the matter thought.
Your teaching will be more effective if you will help each student feel that he or she is a member of the group. Frequent use of the word "we" is useful. Refer to the common problems of the group and combine the individual contributions to show how the group can solve these problems. Here again, your own experience and some careful thought will lead you to further techniques in developing a comfortable group atmosphere.

Finally, the type of leadership which you display in group discussion will influence your effectiveness as a teacher. The leader who creates an open atmosphere and respects the thoughts, opinions, and feelings of the group will reap great rewards. Exercising rigid control will improperly focus attention on you rather than on the lesson, but too little control is equally bad, as it will leave the group without proper guidance. By thoroughly preparing in advance, you are free during the discussion to use judgment and discretion in handling any situation that may develop.

Advantages of the Discussion.

The discussion method is particularly valuable because it pools the knowledge of all who participate. This gives a broader range of ideas than is normally possible in the lecture. Discussion stimulates students to prepare and participate more actively in the learning process. They will usually put more effort into preparation if only to save themselves embarrassment during the discussion. Because the students themselves develop the ideas necessary to accomplish the objectives, discussion is usually much more interesting than a lecture.

Since there is more participation and interest, the material is more likely to be retained longer. By listening carefully to the discussion, you can more accurately judge the students’ understanding of each idea developed. There is little danger that the material will he covered at a rate too rapid for student understanding.

Limitations of the Discussion.

For the lesson to be successful, each student must participate freely in the discussion. Therefore, the discussion method is limited to fairly small groups. Also, the problems of control increase sharply as the size of the group increases. The extended exchange of ideas in a discussion takes a great deal of time so less material can be covered in a given period than with other methods. To be effective, the discussion must be kept on the subject and moving toward the objective. However, it can easily deteriorate into a bull session or a contest of wits between students. To prevent this you must be highly capable in using tact and handling people. The discussion method is probably the best for refreshing pilots on instrument procedures and techniques.