Topical Group Discussion 

Topical group discussion may be defined as an activity in which a small number of people meet face to face and exchange and share ideas freely or attempt to reach a common-sense decision on a specific theme. Participants bring up ideas, solve problems and give comments. This is a creative and dynamic activity which stimulates reflective thinking among the school children. Group discussion on study topics plays vital role in understanding the topic. Discussing a topic with classmates helps in learning the topic with perfection. Also, it facilitates addressing barriers and identifying solutions and facilitators to behavioural change. Group Discussion differ from a debate. While in a group discussion, there are many people collectively putting in their thoughts, people can interrupt in between to put forward their views, whereas in a debate a set amount of time is given to two groups of people to prepare an argument for a summary speaker to voice the views of the group.

A very critical difference between a group discussion and debate is that in debate there is a set topic around which your statements should revolve, whereas, in a group discussion, the arguments may take different flow and can lead to another view or thoughts in between. The latter offers participants an opportunity to refine their own views in due course. This activity is a systematic exchange of information, views and opinions about the topic or situation presented in the E-learning session, as well as, an opportunity to identifying challenges, facilitators and solutions among school children. 

A typical AHI HPS model topical group discussion format includes a whole school class (20-25 children). The topic of the group discussion must be related to the topic presented in the previous week (e.g. Impact of diet on health). The moderator will welcome the students to the group discussion and explain the rules. The moderator starts the group discussion briefly reintroducing the topic statement (e.g. ‘A diet rich in refined sugar keeps me healthy’) or setting a scene. Next, the moderator will ask participants to reasoning on their views on the statement and discuss among themselves. The moderator should motivate all participants to share their views and opinions with other participants and work as a team to identify solutions to a challenge (e.g. how to reduce sugar consumption). The moderator should encourage team approach, an approach that requires cooperative problem solving, effective communication skills, and the ability to influence others by presenting ideas in an open, approachable, and non-threatening way. The moderator ends the session by asking the schoolchildren to develop a goal associated with the topic addressed (homework), write it in piece of paper, decorate it with a draw, and bring in the next and final session a week later to conclude addressing the specific topic.