Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms

Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of the landmark book Discussion as a Way of Teaching shows how to plan, conduct, and assess classroom discussions. Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill suggest exercises for starting discussions, strategies for maintaining their momentum, and ways to elicit diverse views and voices. The book also includes new exercises and material on the intersections between discussion and the encouragement of democracy in the classroom. This revised edition expands on the original and contains information on adapting discussion methods in online teaching, on using discussion to enhance democratic participation, and on the theoretical foundations for the discussion exercises described in the book.   

Throughout the book, Brookfield and Preskill clearly show how discussion can enliven classrooms, and they outline practical methods for ensuring that students will come to class prepared to discuss a topic. They also explain how to balance the voices of students and teachers, while still preserving the moral, political, and pedagogic integrity of discussion.

The Authors

Stephen D. Brookfield is Distinguished University Professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. A prolific writer, he is a three-time winner of the Cyril O. Houle Award for Literature in Adult Education for Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning, Developing Critical Thinkers, and Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher all from Jossey-Bass. He is also the author of The Power of Critical Theory.

Stephen Preskill is Regents Professor of Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Organizational Learning in the College of Education at the University of New Mexico. He has written extensively on the history of educational reform, the connections ­between education and democracy, and the role leaders and activists have played historically in fostering meaningful change.