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Thoughts and Opinions
Group-led Discussion of Readings
Week 10 - Economics of Information (powerpoint)

"It should be pointed out that the group is to prompt, organize, and challenge the class for an active discussion, not to read the materials on behalf of others."

In regards to the group-led discussions that have been presented in this class, I find myself disappointed. More often than not, over the course of the semester, the leading groups have spent the majority of their efforts, and the class period, summarizing and representing the assigned reading material as opposed to prompting creative thought and group discussion.

Having the opportunity to witness several group-led presentations in advance and observe the bland and the engaging, our group decided to structure our discussion around the submission of open-ended questions. It was our goal to spark group interaction rather than rehash material for members of the class who had decided not to read and digest the material on their own.

It is my opinion on this matter of the weekly readings that the lecturing be left to the Professor, who is better equipped in his understanding of detail to teach the class. The material should not be presented by the leading group in a way that cuts short or overlaps the lesson plan of the Professor. The leading group should be focused on broadening the class' sense of scope and application of the material, and leave the details to the lecture of the Professor.