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ERIC Number: ED300623
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1988
Pages: 5
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Stimulating Discussions with Agree-Disagree Statements and Expanding Groups. From Theory to Practice.
Conti, Gary J.; Fellenz, Robert A.
Adult Literacy and Basic Education, v12 n1 insert 1988
Discussion groups are an excellent instructional strategy for exploring ideas, disclosing views on issues, and uncovering learning needs. Their strength lies in that they draw upon the experiences and values of the group members. They are most successful when structured in such a way that they encourage all members to contribute freely to the discussion. Agree-disagree statements with expanding groups provide a mechanism for stimulating this participation in a nonthreatening manner. Agree-disagree statements are a list of approximately 10 statements about issues of concern to the group. In order to spark discussion, the statements should be written in such a way that a few words will elicit divergent opinions concerning the concept in the statement. To use agree-disagree statements, each person is provided the list and given a few minutes to reflect on the statements. Participants decide if they agree or disagree with each statement and record their responses. Once individual decisions are made, more stimulating discussions can be fostered with the use of expanding groups. This technique uses repeated groups of ever-increasing size to seek group consensus on the best answer for each item in the agree-disagree list. This technique allows for capitalizing on group strengths, as well as changing group dynamics. A sample of 10 agree-disagree statements on the education of adults is provided. (KC)
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher; Journal Articles
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A