ARW Winter Class Notes - 12/14 M

Students did P&Ds of their essay topics for about 15 min. each in groups of 4, presenting their essay's topic, research question, thesis, and supporting arguments for about 5 minutes and then leading a discussion to receive questions and comments from classmates.

Is this type of discussion useful to students in developing their essays?

Pros:

1. It should be useful to talk about their opinions and see whether classmates find them persuasive.
2. As we talk about our ideas, they usually become clearer to us.

Cons:

1. If students have not done much research yet, or are unable to explain their topic well, it may be difficult for classmates to help them or give reactions.
2. Should this only be done in tutorials or outside class among friends? Is the peer discussion valuable to students?

What do you think? I hope my students (current or past) will let me know!