Professional services

At The Discussion Project, our team knows that improving instruction requires risk-taking, practice, and feedback. We provide workshops, coaching and consulting as well as events to help you improve your instruction and your students’ learning.

Improve teaching and learning through coaching and feedback.

The Discussion Project’s flexible model delivers personalized coaching services at the individual, team, department, and institutional level to support professional learning. Our team focuses on helping you achieve your goals in your chosen time frame.

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2-hour Workshops

Learn to facilitate discussions on controversial issues and address AI in education.

The Discussion Project’s highly interactive workshop, with a focus on Structured Academic Controversy, teaches instructors a tried-and-true method for having students discuss controversial issues in a safe and productive manner. The workshop also addresses the role of discussion in the new era of AI in learning environments.

Enroll in our 2-hour Workshops

Customized coaching

Coaching and professional development designed to support individual and team growth.

Often instructional teams or entire departments choose to work on pedagogy together and need expertise, support, consultation, and facilitation. Our instruction experts can work with your group to customize professional learning opportunities. Our team also offers support through one-on-one coaching to design, implement and improve over time.

Learn more about coaching

Events

Events to advance your teaching skills and create more inclusive learning environments.

The Discussion Project hosts online and in-person events throughout the year for both individuals and teams. These events are open to all individuals and bring together a wide set of perspectives. This helps create the ideal environment to learn about Structured Academic Controversy through an engaging and interactive series of days.

Find an event near me

TESTIMONIALS

What our professional learners say

Carey McAndrews

Professor, Urban Planning, UW-Madison

“Unlike other forms of professional learning, the Collaborative Classroom Visit was an immersion, a 360. First, we prepared to observe a classroom, learning about how to observe and collect evidence and hearing about the lesson. Next, we attended the class and paid close attention to what students were doing. Along the way, we couldn’t help but pick up some of the class content, which was intellectually exciting. Finally, we had the opportunity to debrief what we learned using a method of communicative feedback that has helped me feel more confident communicating in a host of other situations. The entire experience has helped me think about what I might be able to accomplish in my classroom with a little attention from helpful colleagues and a fantastic method.”

Rhonda Reinholtz

Psychology, UW-Madison

“I would recommend the CCV to anyone interested in improving their teaching! For me it had two primary strengths: For one thing, just knowing that observers would be in my classroom and then going through the experience led me to new insights about my teaching — it was a sort of catalyst that caused me to think about my class not only through my own eyes, but also through the perspective of someone in the class. I also realized more clearly what my own goals were and the ways in which I was and wasn’t meeting them. In addition to gaining a sharpened perspective on my own teaching, I gained the observers’ perspectives on the class — they were able to notice and document aspects of the students’ engagement and experience that I would not have seen without their feedback and they provided me with their own reactions which also enriched what I learned from the process. I would honestly characterize the CCV as an enlightening experience of my teaching and I can’t imagine anyone not benefiting significantly from going through it. “

Ready to have a discussion?

Submit your information for a personalized course walk-through with The Discussion Project team to better understand how it can support the growth of your instructors, departments, and institution.

Schedule a consult today