Classroom discussions enhance learning by exposing students to diverse perspectives and fostering tolerance for complexity. They promote respectful listening, collaborative learning, and encourage the co-creation of knowledge among students. Additionally, discussions help students develop communication skills, empathy, and critical thinking abilities.

1. Classroom Discussion is a valuable learning tool in that it:
It helps students explore a diversity of perspectives.
It increases students’ awareness of and tolerance for ambiguity
or complexity.
It helps students recognize and investigate their assumptions.
It encourages attentive, respectful listening.
It develops new appreciation for continuing differences.
It increases intellectual agility.
It helps students become connected to a topic.
It shows respect for student voices and experiences.
It helps students learn the processes and habits of democratic
discourse.
It affirms students as co-creators of knowledge.
It develops the capacity for the clear communication of ideas
and meaning.
It develops habits of collaborative learning.
It increases breadth and makes students more empathic.
It helps students develop skills of synthesis and integration.

2. It leads to transformation.
Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill, Discussion as a
Way of Teaching (2d edition, 2005, John
Wiley and Sons), 21-22.
Assignment
Step #1: Respond to the following Discussion Prompt
"Explain the difference between and EMPLOYEE and an
INDEPENDENT CONTRATOR and the tests that help us in that
determination."