#  Balancing and Pacing 

 



##  Balancing and Pacing 

A truly balanced discussion promotes equity by amplifying the voices of all students rather than just the outspoken few. This seldom occurs by chance. Rather, it is the result of careful planning and intentional strategies. We would additionally be hard-pressed to find an instructor who has not struggled with pacing class discussions. In addition to keeping an eye on the clock, this demands quick thinking and real-time adjustments, nimble reframing of questions and nonstop judgment calls. Without attention to pacing, lesson objectives might not be met. Meanwhile, without some healthy flexibility, those spontaneous moments of collective discovery characteristic of productive class discussions may be abruptly halted.

Which students in our classrooms tend to dominate the conversation? What strategies might help us get more voices into the mix? When should we chime in? How do we pivot the dialogue when necessary? In these videos, featured professors share strategies for facilitating more equitable and well-paced discussions in their classrooms.



 

 

 

       ![banner](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_28_10__1920x685/public/instructionalmoves/files/03.2_balancing_and_pacing2-2.jpg?itok=xaencL73) 

 

 



 

 



 

##  How do I ensure every student has the chance to learn through classroom discussion? 

 



  [### Calling on students in equitable ways

 ](/calling-students-equitable-ways) 

   ![Professor McCarthy raising his hand](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.1.jpg?itok=lzJr2mso) 

 



 

 

   [### Considering other perspectives through role plays

 ](/considering-other-perspectives-through-role-plays) 

   ![Professor Rakoff teaching in calss](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.5.jpg?itok=ifG8TM13) 

 



 

 

   [### Expanding participation through cold-calling

 ](/expanding-participation-through-cold-calling) 

   ![Professor Rakoff lecturing in front of students](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.3.jpg?itok=oxg3BBQq) 

 



 

 

   [### Facilitating student-led discussions

 ](/facilitating-student-led-discussions) 

   ![Whole group discussion in seminar classroom](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.6.jpg?itok=8tkjQxOo) 

 



 

 

   [### Making thinking visible

 ](/making-thinking-visible) 

   ![Close up of hand writing "awareness of 'false general--' with a purple white board marker in a box on a white board wall. Other boxes with writing in them surround it.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/bm_003.jpg?itok=V_wKXSGs) 

 



 

 

   [### Nurturing voices that challenge the dominant narrative

 ](/nurturing-voices-challenge-dominant-narrative) 

   ![Professor Villarreal being interviewed](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.4.jpg?itok=LkOISBcD) 

 



 

 

   [### Waiting for student responses

 ](/waiting-student-responses) 

   ![Student pointing](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.2.jpg?itok=7IpJfrdM) 

 



 

 

  

 

 

 

 

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##  How do I plan and manage student-centered discussions that achieve my learning goals? 

 



  [### Adjusting lesson plans in real time

 ](/adjusting-lesson-plans-real-time) 

   ![Christina Villarreal explaining activity procedure](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.10.jpg?itok=wNx2-5-r) 

 



 

 

   [### Enforcing expectations for sharp, concise comments

 ](/enforcing-expectations-sharp-concise-comments) 

   ![Jane Mansbridge guiding discussion](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.8.jpg?itok=H3zP8R9a) 

 



 

 

   [### Knowing when to intervene in the student-centered discussion

 ](/knowing-when-intervene-student-centered-discussion) 

   ![Tim McCarthy chiming in during discussion](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.9.jpg?itok=nG-FwC5E) 

 



 

 

   [### Using discussion protocols

 ](/using-discussion-protocols) 

   ![Five graduate students seated at a table with papers, snacks and drinks. One student is speaking.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/bm_004.jpg?itok=qwuiCoTn) 

 



 

 

   [### Using pre-work to honor diverse voices and structure the discussion

 ](/using-pre-work-honor-diverse-voices-and-structure-discussion) 

   ![Jane Mansbridge explains her teaching practice](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/3.2.7.jpg?itok=NNYpoRmE) 

 



 

 

  

 

 

 

 

##  What does the research say? 

- One study demonstrates that providing opportunities for regular collaboration and interaction during class can help address performance gender gaps in the physics classroom while improving student understanding in general ([Lorenzo, 2006](http://aapt.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1119/1.2162549))
- Building on sociological research, one study finds that comfort in public speaking is highly gendered, with female students demonstrating markedly higher levels of anxiety than their male counterparts, underscoring the imperative for developing more secure, empathetic learning spaces ([Moffett et al., 2014](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3956477/))
- One study demonstrates that flipped classrooms which require pre-work and use that pre-work to shape instruction saw improved scores on both summative assessments and student GPAs ([DeRuisseau, 2016](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28145270))



 

 Further Print Resources Further Online Resources 

## Further Print Resources

 

 

### [Brookfield, S. D., & Preskill, S. (2005). Discussion as a way of teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.](http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787978086.html)

Brookfield and Preskill discuss how to balance student voices and instructor voices

### [Christensen, C. R. (1991). Education for judgment: The artistry of discussion leadership. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.](https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/3654-PBK-ENG)

In chapter 9, Christensen explores questioning, listening, and response (p. 153-172). All three components are critical for the execution of a successful discussion course.

### [McKeachie, W., & Svinicki, M. (2013). McKeachie's teaching tips. United Kingdom: Cengage Learning.](http://www.cengage.com/c/mckeachie-s-teaching-tips-14e-mckeachie)

Instructors can get an overview on how to pace discussions in McKeachie’s “Moving things along” section (p. 45).



 



 

 

 

## Further Online Resources

 

 

- Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning offers [“Ten Strategies for Effective Discussion Leading”](https://commons.trincoll.edu/ctl/files/2013/08/WEEK-3-10-Strategies-for-Effective-Discussion-Leading.pdf)
- An article from *[Review of Radical Political Economics ](http://journals.sagepub.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/doi/abs/10.1177/0486613409357185)*shares methods for helping students assume more active roles in class activities by using their original thinking to shape instruction.
- Princeton University’s McGraw Center for Teaching & Learning shares ideas for [“What to Do When Class Discussion Stalls”](https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/node/1271)



 



 

 

 

 

 

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