Events

Schreyer Institute programs are for anyone at Penn State who has an instructional role or is preparing for a future one. Our participants are typically faculty, graduate students, and postdocs. Academic administrators, instructional designers, staff members, and undergraduates in instructional roles are also welcome.

Building Your Classroom Discussion Repertoire: Student-Centered Discussions

Facilitated by Beate Brunow, Associate Director and Associate Research Professor

Monday, 8/24/2026, 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Rider Building Room 315

Register

What would it look like if students, not the instructor, drove the conversation? Student-Centered Discussion© (SCD) is a structured, flexible model that helps students engage in productive, generative dialogue about course content. In this session of our series on “Building your Classroom Discussion Repertoire”, participants will explore the three foundational components of the SCD model: creating a classroom climate where students feel safe to participate and take intellectual risks; developing the discussion skills students need and implementing the practical tools and processes that make student-led discussion work. Participants will experience SCD, examine the pedagogical intentions, and leave with strategies ready to adapt for their own courses and disciplines.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the access provided, please contact the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at SITE@psu.edu or call 814-863-2599 at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the program to allow sufficient time to effectively meet your access needs.