16 Things You Can Do to Participate in Discussions

Below are some suggestions for participating in discussions. Look them

over and be sure you understand what they mean.

1. Respond to discussion topic carefully and directly

2. Add original thoughts or ideas
3. Ask good question(s)
4. Answer the questions others are asking
5. Summarize the views and arguments of others
6. Provide useful information from outside the book or the class
7. Identify patterns or themes in the discussion
8. Defend your own point of view carefully and clearly
9. Argue respectfully against others’ points of view
10. Deepen the discussion with references, stories, or examples
11. Explore your own ideas and be open to changing those views
12. Ask related or “bigger” question(s)
13. Propose new directions for the discussion
14. Stay “on topic”
15. Summarize and clarify the ideas of the whole group
16. Share how a discussion has changed your mind

Adapted by Diane Blackman from Jackie Dobrovolny, Ph.D. from the following resources: (1) In-Class
Discussion Skills Grading Rubric Presentation by Sandra J. Sucher, The Moral Leader Course at Harvard
Business School, as presented at the Academy of Management Conference, Philadelphia, PA, 2007. (2)
Grading Threaded Discussions: No Longer an Ethereal Exercise. Presentation by Mellani Day at the
CiTE conference, Denver, CO. 2008.