Taking turns as a discussion leader serves several pedagogical purposes:

1. To enhance your meeting leadership skills
2. To challenge you to more deeply process the reading assignments
3. To encourage you to relate the material to your own interests.

Whether you are leading a discussion about a chapter or a case study, it is important to:

• keep the discussion on track
• encourage everyone to participate
• be prepared with open-ended questions
• ask for responses, rebuttals or clarifications when appropriate.

A good discussion leader manages the allotted time, encourages critical thinking, and summarizes key points to close the discussion.

You may use a variety of techniques to enlist participation.  "Ten Methods to Get Participation at Any Time" (Silberman 1996, pp. 16-17) are open discussion, response cards, polling, subgroup discussions, learning partners, whips, panels, fishbowls, games and calling on the next speaker.  Details of these techniques will be provided in class.  Creativity is encouraged!

Chapter Discussion Outline

1. Key concepts from the chapter
2. Points of agreement and/or disagreement
3. Selected questions

Case Discussion Outline

1. Financial Profile
2. Current Events
3. Relation to chapter reading and course content

Your grade will be based on the thoroughness of your preparation, the extent of class participation, the depth of the discussion, and the relevance of your summary.

Silberman, M. (1996). Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.