Making the Most of Guest Experts: Breakout Rooms, Interviews, and Student Discussants

Abstract

Hosting guest speakers is a common practice among instructors because it can yield new insights for students. However, the experience is often disappointing. This article refers to guest experts to signal a break from the conventional approach, in which guest speakers deliver information primarily in a one-directional manner without any engagement outside the classroom. Three methods are presented as examples of how guest experts can be used differently. First, experts are invited to question-and-answer sessions without a lecture component, and students are assigned discussant roles. Second, students conduct interviews with experts and then use the information that they gather in a debate assignment. Third, online breakout rooms are organized so that practitioners can work through a key issue directly with students. The article draws on conceptual writing on active learning, multiple learning genres, reflective learning, and scaffolding to argue that the use of guest experts can be redesigned for better impact. By encountering experts in different formats, students improve their research and communication skills and gain confidence and motivation for further study and civic engagement. The advantage of these three teaching practices is that they can be selectively added to classrooms that bridge in-person and online learning.