AUG 22, 2024 | Demi Zheng
a learning method
Again, from AP Euro.
A Harkness Dicussion, originating from the Phillips Exeter Academy (a boarding school in Exeter, New Hampshire), is one in which the students in a classroom sit together in an oval shaped ring and participate in discussion about the class material without much teacher participation. It is completely student-driven.
Today, we did one in AP Euro about the assigned reading from last time, which argued that America should learn a thing or two from 14th century Florence with its handling of the Black Plague with regards to the coronavirus. You can read more about what I said in my post two days ago (linked above).
Let's take a segway for a bit: What makes a "good" discussion?
I believe that a good discussion is:
One in which everyone has the opportunity to voice their opinions. Sometimes, a select few tend to monopolize the conversation. This is harmful to the whole class because you might have missed an important point that would have otherwise been brought up by a student who did not get the chance to speak.
One in which different and contrasting viewpoints are brought up and compared. If everyone agrees, there is absolutely no point in continuing. Perspectives that disagree should be brought up and weighed against each other (respectfully). Oftentimes there is simply no right or wrong answer. This is much more interesting than if everyone says a variation of "Yeah, I agree! Now let me basically repeat exactly what you said and what people before you said to sound profound."
One in which some people leave with their thoughts about the topic completely changed (or at least they start questioning it). This part, to me, is extremely important, because it shows that the people participating are not there to argue and persuade but instead to truly discuss and learn and that they are open-minded and willing to listen to others.
It is also important to note that being able to change someone's opinion doesn't make you BETTER than them as if you've "won the argument."
Honestly, the discussion that we had in class today was a bit, for lack of a better word, lackluster. By my definition of a good discussion, we didn't tick off a single box.
To start, in a class of 18, at least 4 didn't speak at all, and at least 5 people spoke more than 3 times. Problematic.
Setting that aside, it would be a bit better if all 3 times they spoke they brought up new ideas. After the first three people, everyone started going around in circles and agreeing with each other and restating what the person before them said previously. Or going off topic completely: the discussion shifted from comparing 14th century Florence with the plague to America's handling of COVID-19 and answering the question "Can America benefit from Covid?" to "Let's complain about everything going wrong in America: political polarization, elections, forms of government, the elite, technology and networking, ...... Completely off topic.
Lastly, I do not believe that anybody's opinion was changed or even wavered in the slightest. Nobody really disagreed that much --- so its hard to be convinced of something else when your opinions are just being reinforced and strengthened.
There were many signs of a good discussion though: many things we did quite well. First, everyone gave credit to others' points, saying things like "Like [so and so said]..." or "In addition to what [so and so] just said..." Furthermore, everyone was eager to provide contexual evidence and directly cite the article. Everyone was respectful and polite.
So, how exactly can we make this work? What steps can we take to facilitate a productive conversation?
By no means do I even want or will I attempt to you a guideline on what to do and what not to do. The strength and advantage of the Harkness Discussion that differentiates itself from regular class lies in the fact that it has neither limits nor rules. Other than basic civility, you can technically approach the subject manner in whatever manner you want.
But I have a few suggestions (you, by no means, have to take them) regarding preparation for, listening to, and speaking in Harkness Discussion's.
Prepare thoroughly: Beyond a quick read through or annotation of initial thoughts, form bigger opinions about the text. Write a small prose paragraph or blurb. Talk through it with your friends or parents. Form a solid opinion you are ready to defend with evidence directly from the text or contexual inferences/information. This way you are entering the conversation with substantive CONTENT you have spent time on, which has more of a potential to contribute than something you thought about for 30 seconds while someone else was speaking.
Listen with intent: Note down the core/essence of what others are saying. What points are they making? How are they using textual evidence? Are there any logical fallacies or assumptions they are making that make the point fall apart? Do you agree or disagree? Please listen. That's literally the bare minimum. Many people will try to think of what they themselves are going to say next when someone else is speaking --- not only is that extremely disrespectful to the speaker but it's also disrespectful to themselves as they are missing out on learning from someone else.
Speak with purpose: Don't just speak for the sake of saying something or because you "need to participate at least once" or to try to impress the teacher/your classmates. Many people seem to think that how well they did in a conversation depends on how many times they talked. That's not true. **Less is more. Quality over quantity.**The good thing is, once you've done #1, it's easy to do #3 as well, since you have pre-prepared what you wanted to say.
Don't be afraid to disagree: In a school setting, many are subject to intense peer pressure and this feeling that you must conform to fit in. Bullshit. Honestly, if you have something different or unconventional, go for it. Don't let other's conformity convince you that your opinions are invalid. Who knows? Maybe what you say could be the "aha/enlightening" moment of the conversation. That being said: be respectful; don't go out of your way to disagree with everyone and everything. That's just called being an asshole.
But what happens when someone said what you were going to say? Or you really agree with what someone else said and want to express that somehow? Interestingly enough, you don't have to speak in order to do that. At speech tournaments, specifically the Congressional Speaking event, sometimes, when a speaker makes a relatable or important point, students listening will knock their knuckles on the table 2-3 times as a means to express their excitement/agreement.
Some content quality assurance goes a long way. You thinking things over before class for the discussion or listening avidly to someone else could make the difference between a conversation that goes around in circles or a purposeful and knowledge-filled one.
IDK --- was I too harsh? Did I accidentally try to add rules/guidlines to this form of discussion who's nature is to have none? Did you disagree with anything? Is there anything you want to add? Let me know :)