The objective here is to engage individuals with readings and then to pair them to answer particular questions. Have students read the assignment before class and compose one or two questions about it. The instructor may ask students to turn in their questions and summary answers. Visual Lists . In this technique, students make a list of opposing points or arguments on paper or on the blackboard.
Students typically can generate more comprehensive lists working in groups than they can alone.
This method is particularly effective when asking students to compare views or to list the pros and cons of a position. Students then list everything they can think of to support these positions on the relevant side of the vertical line. Once students have generated as thorough a list as they can, the instructor asks them to analyze the lists by asking questions that are appropriate to the exercise. Large Group Consensus . Small groups discuss an issue for a time and report their conclusions to the whole assembly.