Description: An adaptable student discussion guide to encourage

anticipation, engagement, reflection, connections, and applications. Use as

a way to have individual students or small groups of students dig deeper as
they read, view, or listen to experts.
Tags: Introductory psychology

Psychology - Student Content Discussion Guide

Created by: Patricia Adams - Pitt Community College; Jean Cahoon - Pitt
Community College; Kelley Eltzroth - Mid Michigan College

Goals:
● To engage your students in content by reflecting/responding to the piece.
● To follow the template to meet any particular learning outcome.

Options:
● Use as a reading guide for students
● Use as a discussion small group activity
● Use as discussion prompts for online forums
● Use as collaborative projects with your students
● Use as a tool to help students learn how to read in your discipline
● Any combination of the above!

A template for a handout is on page 2

An example begins on page 3
Ideas for the chapter topics in OpenStax Psychology can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ezMxxNeZ8-
j8vTV5gNGED3t7GGKoK-gpoE9024Z_Bb4/edit?usp=sharing
Title:{Insert title of your content piece here, e.g. video, chapter, chapter
module, article}

Anticipation question: What does the title indicate you are going to learn?

Reaction: Were you right? Why or why not?

Challenge:
In what ways does the speaker/author
challenge you to question your beliefs or to
think about something in a new way? Does
the speaker/author challenge you to take
action? Are you challenged by any of the
terms or concepts that are new to you?

Change:
How has your thinking changed after
watching this talk (or reading this chapter or
article)? Was it the speaker’s (author’s) use
of logic and facts, or was it an appeal to
emotions that caused you to want to make a
change in your actions, thoughts, or
behavior?

Concepts:
What ideas do you think are important and
worth holding onto from this piece? What are
some terms, concepts, theories, or theorists
to remember?

Connections:
What connections do you draw between this
content and your life? How is the material
connected to learning outcome for this
course?

References (as needed)

Example: The Power of Believing that You Can
Improve
Student Content Discussion Guide
Author: Kelley Eltzroth, Mid MIchigan College
Discussion Guide Created by: Patricia Adams - Pitt Community College; Jean Cahoon -
Pitt Community College; Kelley Eltzroth - Mid Michigan College

Goals:
● To engage your students in content by reflecting/responding to the piece.
● To guide students to consider how their mindset is influencing their success.

Options:
● Use as a discussion small group activity in a synchronous course
● Use as discussion prompts for online forums
● Use as collaborative projects with your students

Title:The Power of Believing That You Can Improve - Carol Dweck Ted
Talk (10 minutes)

Instructions:
● Have students form groups of three. Distribute the discussion guide.
● Small groups discuss the anticipation questions (approximately 3
minutes). A note taker should record a few of their thoughts.
● Show the TED Talk (10 minutes)
● In the small groups, students discuss the remaining discussion
questions, with the notetaker recording main ideas.
● Have a spokesperson share out some of the thoughts from small
group discussions.
Group member names:

Title:The Power of Believing That You Can Improve - Carol Dweck Ted
Talk (10 minutes)

Anticipation question: What does the title indicate you are going to learn?

Reaction: Were you right? Why or why not?

Challenge:
In what ways does Dr.
Dweck challenge you to
think about something in a
new way? Are you
challenged to take any
action? Are you challenged
by any of the terms or
concepts that are new to
you?

Change:
How has your thinking
changed after watching this
Dr. Dweck’s TED Talk?
Was it her use of empirical
evidence, or was it her
examples, that caused you
to want to make a change
in your thoughts about
mindset?
 Concepts:
What ideas do you think are
important and worth holding
onto from this piece? What
are some terms and
concepts that are important
to know?

Connections:
What connections do you
draw between this content
and your life? How is the
material connected to
learning outcome for this
course?

References:
Dweck, C. (2014). The power of believing that you can improve [Video file]. Retrieved from:
https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve?
utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare