How+to+Facilitate+Small+Groups

This information is an exerpt from Princeton University's [|manual] on leading and facilitation discussion groups. Perhaps the most important general question the discussion leader faces is whether his/her role is to direct closely or to mediate loosely the students' contributions in class. Will you try to steer students toward certain agendas or answers? Or will you act more as facilitator, stepping back to let the class set or select goals at the outset, and encouraging them to arrive at their own conclusions in their own ways? Obviously, there is no simple answer. The following was expressed by a preceptor in English: **As a preceptor, you should talk as little as possible. You are somewhat similar to the referee in basketball, although you may at times be compelled to participate in the play. You should always keep the ball within the bounds prescribed by the reading and lecture material, and you should do everything possible by short verbal directional thrusts to keep the game moving and to obtain full coverage. Sometimes, however, the score becomes too one-sided, or the action tends to concentrate in one end of the court. Then the preceptor should jump in to rectify. **  Remember that as a discussion leader, your role is very different from that of the lecturer. You can assist, clarify, and help demonstrate the major points expressed by the lecturer and through the readings, but your goal is to lead your students into discussion, foster understanding and stimulate intellectual growth. To accomplish these tasks, consider the following:
 * From Leading to Facilitating**
 * **Stress the separation of major points from minor ones. ** Concentrate only on those parts of students' comments which relate to the agenda you have established. Let the students know why you are responding selectively to their remarks, and assure them that you are available to discuss other issues during office hours.
 * **Ask more divergent than convergent questions. ** That is, try to steer the students toward inquiries for which a number of answers are equally valid, rather than toward those for which there is one correct answer.
 * **Encourage students to hold discussions with each other, instead of expecting the ultimate response or final word to come from you. ** A thoughtful debate is more enriching than collective agreement.
 * **Instead of your frequently summarizing the discussion along the way, ask one or two students what they think were the most important points made at each stage of the discussion. ** 
 * **Listen to what your students are saying. ** Consider jotting down notes while a student is talking, and refer back to these comments during the discussion or at a later point in the term. Your students will respond better to you and the class when they feel you listening to what they are saying.
 * **Just before the end of the class, summarize the main points of the discussion, or ask one or two students to summarize them for you. ** <span style="font-family: 'palatino','serif'; mso-bookmark: from; msobookmark: from;">Also, talk about your next meeting, including issues that may be discussed. At this point, you may want to ask students to bring in questions of their own.