Engage in group discussions to excel

When I was getting into university, a friend of mine- Jefferson Muhire, then a fourth year student offering Electronics and Telecom Engineering at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) warned me that reading alone was almost equal to failing. “In my first year, I read like I always did during my high school but things just didn’t go my way. This went on for the whole semester until I understood the magic of group discussions,” he added. But one thing to put in mind is that having a discussion isn’t automatic excellence. Yes! Class discussions offer students opportunities to test their ideas and opinions against the ideas and opinions of their peers and usually produce brilliant results. But the way they are conducted also plays a part. It is significant to set the right attitude for discussion right at the start of a new term/semester. According to some studies, students always contribute much more vibrantly early in the term than towards the end. Hence starting serious discussions at the start of the term gives students a momentum to continue contributing to class discussions throughout the semester than those students who remain quiet during the initial few weeks of the term. Why discuss?A first-class discussion is like art. It may be hard to define it, but you know it when you see it. Think back to a good discussion you once had.. What made it enjoyable? What made it educational? What made it lively? Here are some of the things that make a great discussion, Accessibility:Students feel more comfortable engaging in the discussion with fellow students than with a lecturer/teacher.Diversity: A variety of opinions and points of view get articulated. Everyone gets to share what they know and you find that a discussion is an oasis of knowledge all coming from different minds out together. Trust:More than three brains can’t all hear something wrong in class or further more having a common mistake. Hence it helps you correct what you have wrong and trust that it’s right. What makes for a bad discussion?Conversely, think about your experience in a bad discussion. What troubled you about the discussion? Were there too many participants? Too few? Was it educational? Was it too combative? Too passive?Often cited characteristics of a bad discussionEveryone makes mistakes and correction is more important than dwelling on how wrong one is. Limited discussants:Only few students participate. Discussion is brilliant when with many people that are serious. Limited perspectivesSometimes, students echo instructor’s thoughts and limit diversity of opinions. Lack of focus:Especially among boys’ discussions, it’s very easy to switch to topics like football and returning to the focus is not something anyone wants to hear of. Henceforth be aware of who is in your discussion group because it’s the reason your grades will rise.