Discussion Prompt Types

Here are some ideas for discussion prompts beyond the typical "answer/reply" structure:

Debate: Discussions structured like debates can encourage students to exhibit higher order cognitive skills.

Role Play: Have students assume a fictional or non-fiction person and speak from their point of view.

KWL: This is the "What do you know? What do you want to know? What have you learned?" structure. This allows students to bring in prior knowledge and helped guide the course of the discussion. 

Application: Asking students to engage in practical applications where they have to explain and defend their strategies for the activity.

Scenario: Pose a ‘real-life’ scenario for students to address. It is helpful to provide a web resource that describes a current event.

Review: Have students share projects/papers they are working on and ask for peer feedback.

Visual Metaphors: Offer a visual for the students to interpret and discuss.