Leading a discussion allows you to engage your peers in analyzing and debating your selected research article. It encourages engagement, critical thinking, diverse viewpoints, and a deeper understanding of the material. It also allows students to develop skills in facilitating academic discussions, a crucial part of research and professional work. Consider the approaches below to foster a structured and engaging discussion.
1. Prepare Discussion Questions
Develop 3-5 open-ended questions relevant to your selected article. Below are examples to guide you:
- Methodology & findings Were the computational models effective?
- Limitations & future directions What could be improved or explored further?
- Implications & applications How does this research impact connectomics, AI, or clinical fields?
2. Engage Your Peers
Use interactive techniques, such as:
- Think-pair-share Discuss in pairs, then share
- Quick polls Gauge opinions on methods or findings
- Small groups Analyze different aspects of the paper
3. Connect to Prior Knowledge
Encourage links to course concepts relevant to your selected article. Below are examples to guide you:
- Graph theory & network science How does the study model brain connectivity?
- Machine learning & AI How do the computational approaches compare?
- Neuroscience principles Does this support or challenge known brain function theories?