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Leading a Discussion

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?