>Of course, this does not mean that we can assume that those who do not
>speak in large group discussions are nevertheless fully involved. Some
>may be bored or unable to relate to what is going on; some may feel
>excluded. But neither should we assume that not-speaking means
>non-involvement.
In the Benjamin Bloom article I referenced a wwek or so (The Thought
Processes of Students in Discussion), he distinguishes between covert and
overt participation, concluding that:
1. Students may participate in learning situations either overtly or covertly.
2. A student's achievement is related to his or her participation in class
whether that participation be overt or covert, or both.
3. Instructors who are relatively good judges of overt behavior are unable
to make judgments about covert behavior. (p.30)
He says, "the lecture is especially successful in securing the attention of
students to what is being said, but . . . evoked primarily those thoughts
which are appropriate to the following and comprehending of information,
while the discussion is more successful in evoking complex problem-solving
types of thought" (p. 37).
Still an interesting article 42 years after publication (in French, SJ (Ed.)
(1954), Accent on Teaching: Experiments in General Education. NY: Harper and
Row.
Peter Smagorinsky
University of Oklahoma
College of Education
Department of Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum
820 Van Vleet Oval
Norman, OK 73019-0260
(405)325-3533
fax: (405)325-4061
smagor who-is-at aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu
psmagorinsky who-is-at uoknor.edu