Description --
In this model, the class is broken up into several groups of 3-5 students. Each class session, one group would “take the floor” and hold a discussion among themselves about the texts or topics for the day. This can either be paired with a pre-writing assignment or a short video lecture and a series of discussion prompts, and/or a small group meeting between the panel and the instructor. During the class session, the students in the panel, along with the instructor, discuss either their writing or the prompts, engaging with the material much as would occur in a regular seminar class.
The other students in the class would be observing the discussion remotely, via Zoom or similar video conferencing program. Rather than passively watching the panel, each student would be assigned one of a series of tasks. Some examples:
Recorder: this person would follow the conversation and take notes, recording who said what to whom
Archivist: this person is responsible for seeking out connections to earlier conversations or course material
Tracker: this person focuses on locating places in the reading for the day that the panel either discusses, or could have discussed
Projector: this person should be asking questions that move the conversation forward or deepen it in some way
As the conversation goes on, the observing students should enter the comments/questions associated with their role either into a chat or a shared Google document. The instructor can watch this document develop, and use it to shape the conversation for the panel participants as s/he deems appropriate.
The next class meeting, a new group would take the floor to repeat the process.
Advantages --
One of the main advantages of this model is that classes could feasibly be held in regular, indoor classrooms while maintaining social distancing requirements. With only 5 or 6 people in a room, they could still sit around a large table or an arrangement of desks, and even with masks they would hopefully be able to hear one another without too much difficulty. In addition, the observing students would still have a task to perform that would enable them to participate in the discussion with a specific goal in mind. The result of their participation could easily be shared with the rest of the class as well.
In terms of self-directed learning, the students in the discussion itself would be responsible for the reading for that day, as well as performing a bit for the student-observers. They are on the spot, and so hopefully would feel a fair amount of responsibility for their participation. However, the other students are in no way left out--their engagement is also recorded. The more the instructor can step back, and simply facilitate the interaction between the observer-students and the panel, the better.
Assessment --
Assessment can be done through a participation grade, either evaluated by the instructor via a simple rubric, or through student self-reflection.
Challenges/Dealbreakers --
This would require some technology investment on the part of the institution inasmuch as classrooms would need to be able to be recorded and the recordings shared. Students would also need computers and reliable internet access.