Group Discussion Skills Dse

[Vernie Montagna]

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Moderating calls some intellectual, emotional and psychological skills. Alongside, their language competency soaked in humour and wit, sensibility to the moods and responses of the audience are a few skills that are required. Here are a few suggestions which I would like to offer:

The moderator has to come fully thorough with the topic in terms its universe of operation, knowledge dynamics and its relevance to the past, present and the future. This would indeed call for a lot of preparation. Hence an informal discussion either with the panel members or other experts in the are before hand may be necessary. At the same time, being a catalyst to the debate dynamics, one should not position oneself as a specialist in the field. This would help in gravitating better ideas from the panel members. If the moderator engages in the topic dynamics personally, the panellists may show withdrawal symptoms, either thinking they should not get trapped or thinking that they should not expose the moderator!

Knowledge of the profile of the panelist is very important to get the best of the person. There are speakers who want to project usually their achievements, their organizations and their leadership leaving aside the core issues of the topic. In many cases, before they get on to the major topic on the table, their time is already over. Hence the moderator, knowing their profile in advance, could put certain pointed questions to them to reply, thus limiting their scope for any diversions. Sometimes, may be a humourous intervention, gravitating them back to the topic may be necessary.

Sometimes the panellist has tendency to transform the seriousness in the core nucleus of the topic to an entertainment to keep the people enjoy the speech. The model is sustained by others too and finally the entire discussion manifests into more of a gossip. The grace and the quality of the discussion stands neutralized. It is important for the moderator to play a watchdog and navigate the discussion on a right track so that the audience gather multiple views and stand intellectually benefitted. The learning and take away from a panel discussion depend upon the competency of the moderator.

It is important to have audience participation in any seminar or a webinar. It should never be the delivery of knowledge from the ivory towers. It is important to create an ownership for the discussion among the listeners. It is quite possible that many of the audience may not have either direct or indirect link with the topic of discussion and hence they would like to show some negation through their body language. This can easily be changed through energetic discussions. The moderator needs to put across questions even to the audience which would push them to stand on their legs for an answer, however ensuring such questions are not polarized. Avoiding questions which have a political, religious, racial or other impact should be absolutely avoided unless the topic is cantered in any one of them.

Summarizing a conference and listing the takeaways is vital for a panel discussion. Very often, the panel discussions end abruptly without any summary or takeaways, due to shortage of time or fatigue on the part of the audience. In such cases, the very purpose of the panel discussion stands defeated and is detailed more as a gossip or as a conversation.

Group discussions are often a part of the hiring process of companies. It might be the first or last step of the job interview process, depending on the organization. Do you have your first group discussion interview soon? If so, learn all about it from this article.

A group discussion can be considered a session where different people come together to shed their opinions on a specific topic. During a job interview, a group discussion takes place between candidates interviewing for the role. Recruiters give serious consideration to how candidates perform during the group discussion before hiring them.

In the competitive job market of today, various types of interviews are included in the initial stages in an evolved hiring process. One such integral step, a phone screen interview presents itself as a vital cog. This...

Why teach group discussion skills?

Developing group discussion skills is useful for everyday life as we regularly find ourselves having discussions amongst friends, family and colleagues. These may vary from very informal chats about day-to-day things, to more serious topics, for example a discussion about a recent news story or a problem that needs to be solved.

Giving and encouraging feedback

Feedback can take several forms and it is a good idea to vary the way it is given. Students can observe each other doing group discussions and give each other feedback on the specific areas of input that you have covered (ideally using a feedback form that you have created).

Conclusion

As we have seen, group discussions can take a variety of formats and are useful for all types of students. They can be done in preparation for job interviews or as extended speaking practice simply to increase fluency.

It is important to consider the different sub-skills that are involved in participating in a group discussion and ensure that you do activities that address each of these. Additionally, structuring and varying the way that feedback is given will help the students to identify areas for improvement.

For groups to function effectively, it's important for students to think critically about the climate within their group and the process by which they accomplish their tasks. Although students can gain many of the skills described below through ad hoc interactions, instructors play a key role in making them explicit protocols.

To hone these skills, students need opportunities to practice and to receive regular feedback. Consider sharing the information below with your students, structure activities for them, and incorporate three components of feedback into your plan: instructor comments (oral and/or written); reflective group discussions and/or peer assessment; and self-reflection (see the reflection prompts in Appendix A for ideas).

One of the most important things you can do as an instructor is to have students reflect regularly on their group experiences. Their self-reflection will reinforce and further develop critical teamwork skills. Based on your objectives for the group project, create a set of prompts using the questions below. Have students use these prompts to journal about their reactions to group climate and process. The journals encourage self-reflection and can help students see teamwork issues in new ways and create ideas for resolution. They can also provide a good basis from which students can choose comments to share with their group members in debriefing sessions.

If students submit their journals periodically throughout the term, give them feedback orally or in writing, and to the extent appropriate, discuss any trends that you have identified through observation or in the journals (remember to reassure students that other groups may be facing similar challenges). Also, requiring all students to submit a final reflective report after the group project can help them to see the value of the teamwork expertise they have developed through practice.

This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Teamwork Skills: Being an Effective Group Member. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

Group Discussion or GD is a type of discussion that involves people sharing ideas or activities. People in the group discussion are connected with one basic idea. Based on that idea, everyone in the group represents his/her perspective.

GD is a discussion that tests the candidate's skills, such as leadership skills, communication skills, social skills and behavior, politeness, teamwork, listening ability, General awareness, confidence, problem-solving skills, etc.

The Group Discussion is generally the next level after the entrance exam to pursue a professional degree. In the case of recruitments, Group Discussion can be the starting or at the end, depending on different companies or organizations.

It is not fixed that the group discussion is always performed around the table. People can sit in any arrangement, but everyone should be able to see every face. It is not only the usual discussion, but it is also a discussion with knowledge and facts.

A group means many people are working together to achieve some targets. The performance of a group depends on the collaborative work of the individuals. The team of three or more than three people is considered as a group.

Discussion means exchanging ideas between two or more than two people, which is generally a face-to-face interaction. It is a process of talking between people to reach a specific decision. It is also defined as a conversation about a specific topic.

Over the last years, GD is used to test the soft skills of the candidates. It is used as a quick method to shortlist a few candidates from the massive strength. The written exam tests the knowledge and aptitude. Organizations check the social skills, technical, and communication skills so that a candidate can work effectively without any obstacle in between his/her skills.

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