Assigned Discussants: A Quality Improvement Teaching-Learning Innovation to Increase Student Engagement and...

Presenting to peers is an effective practice to promote active learning. Assigned discussants ask prepared questions to spark meaningful dialogue among students. This project examined how students self-assessed the effects of using peer discussants on communication, engagement, and understanding of their presentations.

Students were provided with instructions about how to implement peer discussants for student presentations. Postcourse, students completed a six-item Likert-style survey assessing their engagement, understanding, and communication compared with no discussant role.

Sixty-seven students completed a postimplementation survey for a 40% response rate. All survey items were rated at least 2 on a 3-point Likert scale. Highest rated items included engagement and understanding (discussant role) and level of peer comments and questions (presenter role).

The use of assigned discussants is an active teaching-learning strategy that realizes potential to support nursing students as they become professional nurses and lifelong learners.