Many of us have experienced discussions where we leave the classroom not understanding what the key points of the discussion were. Below we'll list a few tips to help answer these questions. First it is important to prepare, or even over-prepare, for a discussion. Many people believe that discussions require less preparation than do lectures. This is not true.
Discussions can lose their focus very quickly simply because many views are being expressed.
If your discussion is well planned, you will easily be able to keep it focused. Write down the objectives of the discussion and the points that you would like to cover. One thing to keep in mind when thinking about the objectives is that a discussion will often raise issues rather than introduce facts. Once you have the objectives and major points outlined, script a list of questions leading from one point to another. Try to approach the issue from different directions through your line of questioning.