A reading assignment and discussion prompt for promoting student-led classroom discussions

Abstract

This reading sheet and discussion prompt assists in the goal of promoting active, student-led discussions emphasizing a deeper engagement with weekly readings based on skills taught in class (such as how to link abstract ideas from lecture to concrete examples from the reading or how to think critically).  Although designed as an aid for discussions,...

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Details

Resource Type(s):

Assignment, Class Activity

Class Level(s):

Any Level

Class Size(s):

Medium, Small

Usage Notes

A goal for many professors is for students to deeply engage with reading material each week.  Deep engagement can take many forms, including applying material learned in class to the readings and practicing skills such as using the sociological imagination while reading.  The template for the reading sheet can be posted on an online platform, such as...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students should be able to apply concepts they are learning in class to information from the weekly reading.
2. Students should be able to identify major themes of the reading and supporting evidence and arguments for the themes.
3. Students should be able to formulate important or thought-provoking questions to ask their classmates in a discussion.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Successful completion of the reading sheet. Thoughtful application of classroom material to the readings that illustrate an understanding (or an attempt to understand) the concepts. For example, a rubric criterion might read something like: The application response connects the reading to three concepts from the classroom material and is not a summary...