Discussion Leader Assignment

Foss, ASE Oscar Wilde

Discussion Leader Assignment

This assignment is designed to simultaneously test and develop your spontaneous, semi-formal speaking skills. Each of you will lead class discussion one day this semester and on that day you will be responsible for handling about 45 minutes of the class period, during which time I will try to remain silent except for purposes of clarification. Before class, you will generate one broad set of discussion prompts or several related discussion prompts designed to spur productive, organized dialogue about the literary text(s) assigned for that day. This will require you to identify promising topics and issues for class discussion, and then to formulate and articulate your questions clearly and concisely. You do not need to be comprehensive in your coverage.

Most significantly, this assignment asks that you manage class discussion effectively by responding to, rephrasing, or summarizing comments; by redirecting discussion; by drawing together or comparing related points; by asking follow-up questions; etc. Any good communicator is a good listener as well as a good speaker, and this task will test those abilities. You will need to be responsive, flexible, clear, and cooperative. You also should avoid moving on after only one or two replies unless the class itself clearly is ready to do so. You will need to be patient in waiting for responses not immediately forthcoming. Above all, you should remember that you are leading discussion, not merely presenting your own reading of the text(s) or your own answers to your questions. Assessment for this assignment will be based on the quality of your prompts and in-class questions, as well as on your performance as a class leader.

You will need to turn in to me a hard copy of your pre-prepared discussion prompts (understanding that these form the basis of your discussion leading but that flexibility will be necessary too) at the start of the class period. If at all possible, I would appreciate a copy by email as well as soon as you have finished with them; this will help me prepare for the second half of class that day. Also, you may wish to provide all of your classmates with this copy, if it is not right before our meeting time; this will allow them potentially to look over your prompts and think about them ahead of time, thus theoretically being better prepared for the discussion (which will make your own job as discussion leader much easier than if they are hearing them for the first time in class).

DLA Rubric

Foss Sample Prompts