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Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill. Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999. 248 pp. Cloth: $35.00. ISBN 0-7879-4458-0.
The use of class discussion as a teaching technique is much favored in academe today. Less recognized is that skills and strategies are needed to use discussion effectively. Good discussion is not fostered just by asking students, "Are there any questions or comments?" Class discussion, as with other teaching techniques, depends on a clear rationale, appropriate preparation and planning, and smooth execution.
A welcome source of assistance in exploring discussion as a way of teaching is this recent volume by Brookfield and Preskill. The authors write from their experiences in varied settings, including technical and adult learning, colleges and universities, and public schools. Brookfield, currently Distinguished Professor at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), has also taught at Teachers College, Columbia University, has three times received the Cyril O. Houle World Award for Literature in Adult Education, and serves on editorial boards of several international Journals on adult education. Preskill, an Associate Professor of Education at the University of New Mexico, has also taught at Carleton College, the University of St. Thomas, and in public schools. He has published more than 20 articles in educational journals and is currently writing a book about narratives of teaching.