Creative Ways to Assess Student Learning with Class Discussions

Confessing that grading essays isn’t a highlight of my teaching gig. Witnessing a student finally mastering a skill after months of effort brings me immense joy, even if it startles my colleagues with my jubilation (sorry, Ms. Evans). However, as the buzz around generative AI dominates my thoughts, a new unease haunts my grading routine. I find myself increasingly questioning, “Am I truly assessing their hard work?”

Interestingly, this doubt doesn’t plague me during class discussions. Watching a ninth grader engage eagerly with a text, noticing nuances about Kambili with excitement, never prompts me to doubt the authenticity of her insights.

While I’ve always valued discussion in my teaching, the rise of AI technology accentuates its significance. This academic year, I ponder, how can I maximize the potential of discussion in my classroom?

Protocols for Enhancing Discussion Abilities

Nurturing effective discussion necessitates specific skills. I prefer guiding my students to enhance theirs by employing the following two protocols.

1. Deploy the “Micro Lab” strategy. Students participate in answering questions in small groups. Each student must articulate their responses within a minute or two, either filling the time or letting it pass in silence, as cross talk is prohibited until the end. Furthermore, the sequence in which students address the questions rotates, providing different dynamics that challenge them to think quickly or deeply. While I’ve devised four general questions suitable for most texts, customized questions are also beneficial.

The Micro Lab technique promotes quick thinking and attentive listening to avoid redundancy in responses. These fundamental skills are essential for any fruitful discussion. By offering equal speaking opportunities to all students, Micro Lab proves effective in classrooms where some voices overshadow others and for students who are learning to expand on their arguments. The silence often prompts students to express more.

2. Embrace the “Concentric Circles” approach. Students form inner and outer circles, engaging with a partner alternately. The outer circle rotates after each round, ensuring students interact with various peers. Ahead of the discussion, students address provided questions on the board or engage in a quick “quote and note” session, selecting a notable passage from the text and explaining its significance. Wrapping up, I transition to a whole class exchange, randomly selecting a student to share their insights.

To actively participate in discussions, students need the confidence to speak in front of their peers. For some, sharing in a larger group can be daunting, but partnering up fosters success and bolsters their confidence for broader discussions. I assess the discussion formatively by circulating around the room, listening to the pairs, and reviewing their note cards at the end of the session.

Strategies to Foster (and Evaluate) Analytical Writing Proficiency

Once students feel adept at engaging in discussions, how can these conversations provide avenues to refine, practice, and evaluate the skills typically assessed through writing?

1. Engage in a “Quote of the Day” discussion. In groups of four, students deliberate and select a significant passage from the reading. They assume specific roles assigned by me:

• Argument Maker (Summarize the passage in one sentence.)
• Contextualizer (Discuss the context preceding the passage.)
• Reader (Read the passage aloud, attributing it to the relevant character or speaker.)
• Analyzer (Elaborate on how the passage supports the argument.)

Following preparation, we progress through the passages sequentially, with each group sharing their insights in accordance with their roles.

During a recent Quote of the Day session, a student astutely remarked, “This feels like crafting a paragraph.” This exercise aids students in grasping paragraph structure elements and honing key analytical writing skills like constructing arguments, contextualizing, and analyzing evidence. Assessing the groups’ presentations enables me to offer immediate verbal feedback and potentially employ a rubric for a more structured evaluation.

2. Implement the “Inside/Outside” technique. Inspired by a colleague’s use of this method, I decided to integrate it into my teaching. Half of the class actively participates (insiders), while the other half undertakes specific listening tasks (outsiders), such as tracking discussed topics or noting insightful points. To kickstart the session, I might pose guided questions or encourage students to jot down initial thoughts. Midway, the outer group shares their observations, and then the roles interchange between the insiders and outsiders.

This approach incorporates many elements evaluated in analytical writing: crafting arguments, analyzing evidence, and employing transitions to connect ideas. The listening tasks aid non-participating students in maintaining focus, while active participants recognize they have an attentive audience in their peers. Assessment of this discussion can be facilitated using a dedicated rubric.

Structured discussion protocols serve as real-time, technology-free complements to writing assessments. This framework offers equitable support to students developing their skills and confidence in contributing to discussions, affording teachers genuine insights into their students’ knowledge, comprehension, and abilities.