A colleague and I have found that only by naming two discussants beforehand can we ensure that a proper discussion will actually take place. Nothing is so counterproductive as speaking to an uninformed and hence unresponsive audience, and the general willingness of students to prepare texts which are not part of the curriculum is not to be trusted. The presentation and the ensuing discussion will normally take about half an hour. All participants must undertake at least one presentation in the course of the semester. I believe that the value of such an experience is very considerable.
Students perform better in exams if they have tried something similar in class.
Scholarly papers, intended for specialists, are the norm. This means that in a class of 20, there may be 20 different exams to set, but this complication is compensated for by the increased enthusiasm of the students. Under our regulations, there are three ways to take an exam. Regardless of the form, the examiner must set a question which is based on the reading list of each student. Since this reading list is individual, and comprises at least 300 or 400 pages of specialized material, the student is required to move well above the introductory and general level in his or her performance.