Imagine you are a student at a tertiary institution who belongs to a student representative association. Form groups and select a topic for discussion on an issue that has recently been seriously affecting students. There will need to be some preliminary discussion about the topic and the objectives and purpose for discussing it. The objectives may be to make some recommendations, present a solution to a problem, or simply exchange ideas. The following steps need to be taken:
a. Elect a group leader.
b. Make sure the topic for discussion is clear to all.
c. Arrive at a conclusion or recommendation, or provide a summary of what has been discussed.
At the conclusion of the discussion, each member should write up a short report on how the discussion progressed. Exhibit 8.2 can be used to help group members to reflect on their contributions. These views should then be exchanged and discussed among all the participants.
While one group discussion is in progress, another group can act as a team of observers using the exhibit below to monitor types of contributions.


After the group discussion, the observers should present their findings to the group for further discussion. The evaluation of the group discussion should be directed towards acknowledging task and maintenance roles demonstrated in the group and identifying any areas for improvement of the process of group discussion.