Silence is golden: using silent discussions to promote inclusivity and critical
Silence is golden: using silent discussions to promote inclusivity and critical thinking
Dr Lucy Spowart
What is the idea?
Whether online or in the classroom, a discussion is typically thought of as being a verbal dialogue between two or more individuals. In a silent discussion all verbal communication is banned and written communication is deliberately privileged. Learners are asked to respond in writing to a particular question, statement or image, whilst maintaining complete silence. The facilitator specifies the time the silence needs to be maintained.
Whilst learners respond individually, as the number of responses increases, a dialogue develops. Where learners don’t understand a comment or want more information, they are encouraged to convey this in writing.
Why this idea?
Whilst active learning is known to promote deep learning (Exley & Dennick, 2009), many active learning approaches require students to engage in verbal discussions. Quieter, more introverted individuals can be marginalised in such activities as can students from countries where silence plays a significant cultural role (Frambach, Driessen, Beh & van der Vleuten, 2014; Lees, 2013). Worse still, silence can be associated with a deliberate lack of engagement, disobedience or conflict (Granger, 2004; Hanh, 2020). However, there may be a plethora of reasons underlying student silence including: insufficient time to digest information; a fear of making mistakes and being judged; language competence; demotivation; inappropriate teaching methods and a lack of confidence (Delima, 2012; Hanh, 2020).
Using silence as a pedagogical tool has a number of potential advantages:
1) Students can participate simultaneously thus promoting more democratic forms of interaction, preventing a situation where louder voices dominate;
2) Silent activities can promote inclusion by catering for different learner needs;
3) Anxieties frequently associated with contributing verbally may be reduced;
4) Individuals are encouraged to actively reflect BEFORE responding thus promoting critical reflection;
5) Emotive or contentious issues that may give rise to strong opinions are well suited to this activity;
6) Silent discussions are highly flexible being suited to both small and large class sizes. A class of up to 100 could undertake this activity by moving in small groups silently between discussion boards (Trust me, they can!).
How could others implement this idea?
The discussion can be structured in different ways, depending on class size, and whether delivered online (e.g. using tools like a MiroBoard) or in a classroom using flipchart paper, whiteboards or writing walls. When working with large classes (~100) in big spaces such as lecture theatres, the teacher should prepare enough ‘discussion boards’ to keep group sizes manageable (< 8). This ensures that each individual has the space to contribute to the discussion.
The activity typically has a number of steps:
1. Choose a topic to debate and discuss.