Discuss

Intervention description

Discuss is an application which aims to encourage pupils to share ideas with each other. It can be used to facilitate class collaboration and discussions, and the content created forms a shared knowledge base which can be accessed in the future for homework and exam revision. Firstly, the teacher creates a presentation to be used in lessons using text, images and videos, adding discussion questions to key slides if required. Slides are then shared on the whiteboard to prompt class discussion, and pupils can send comments which are then shown anonymously to the rest of the class. The teacher can review students' comments on their mobile device, starring good ideas and managing discussion points.

Discuss is provided by Spiral, and is available to use free of charge by creating an account on the Spiral website. From within the site, teachers can manage their classes and approve requests from pupils to join a class. Pupils require their own accounts to log in to Spiral and use the applications, but an email address is not required, simply a username and password.

Technology

Spiral is a suite of collaborative learning apps designed for classroom use. Supported devices include tablets, iPads, Android devices, laptops/computers, mobile phones.

Evidence Summary

Discuss has not been included in any systematic reviews into the effectiveness of educational programmes.