Discussion

On this page

  1. Debate
  2. Learning Cells
  3. Think-Pair-Share

Debate

An instructional approach used to encourage discussion between two or more people who are positioned on opposite sides of an issue or topic.

Promotes: communications, critical thinking, argumentative skills, research

Learning Cells

This is used to get students to ask and answer questions they develop themselves based on a reading or lecture.

Promotes: analysis and knowledge acquisition

Learning cells is a technique used to get students to ask and answer questions they develop themselves based on a reading or lecture.

To prepare, students listen to the lecture or do the assigned reading and write questions they have about the material. In class, students work in pairs and ask each other their questions while the instructor circulates, giving feedback and clarifying when appropriate.

The illustration shows the Learning Cells active learning technique. It consists of two illustrated diagram shown side-by-side. The first one, 1 of 2, show a groups of 12 figure drawn students with a thought bubble above their heads containing "Q & A". The illustration to the right side of the first one, 2 or 2, shows two pairs of figure drawn students moving sequentially in three repeated turn-based steps with student A presenting a "Question" depicted as a speech bubble above the head to student B who answers as depicted in the speech bubble above the head as "Answer". This is followed, with arrows in between indicating the turn-based sequence, by the figure drawing of student B presenting a "Question" to the figure drawing of student A indicated in the speech bubble with student A responding indicated in the speech bubble as "Answer". This is then followed by a third turn with student A asking a question again with a speech bubble indicating "Question" and student B responding as shown in the speech bubble with the text "Answer". This sequence is illustrated twice, one illustration above the other.
Diagram representing learning cells.

Think-Pair-Share

Students take time on their own to consider a question, then with a partner and, optionally, after with the entire class.

Promotes: analysis and critical thinking, knowledge integration and synthesis

Teaching Technique 37: Think-Pair-Share video © The K. Patricia Cross Academy.

Online Teaching Adaptation: Think-Pair-Share video © The K. Patricia Cross Academy.

Think-pair-share is an active learning technique that encourages peer-to-peer collaboration and opportunities for creating a greater sense of classroom community. Students are given a single question to briefly think about individually. They are then asked to share and discuss this question with a partner seated next to them. This paired discussion can then be followed by a full class discussion so that the class can benefit from a broader range of answers and a more comprehensive exploration of the questions. This technique provides opportunities for clarifying misinformation and prompts critical reflection.

This diagram shows the Think-Pair-Share technique being used when the classroom has flexible seating where chairs and tables can be moved around. Figure drawings representing students can turn to the other figure drawings representing students seated next to them or to groups or four to eight students seated nearby and shown in the diagram illustration because the classroom seating shows a flexible setup.
Think-Pair-Share with a flexible classroom.

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