Verbal and Cognitive Activities Between and Among Students and Faculty in Clinical Conferences

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study analyzes verbal and cognitive activities between and among students and faculty during 30 postconference sessions. Data indicate that faculty used a student-centered model to structure conferences and encourage students' verbal participation (student dialogue 58% of total conference Unes). Students assumed the teaching role surpassing teachers in use of all pedagogical activities: lecturing (62%), soliciting (52%), responding (74%), and reacting (62%). Verbal interactions in conferences were described as lively with cooperative student-faculty relationships. One-fourth of conference discourse was spent in high cognitive levels with faculty employing high cognitive levels more often (27%) than their students (24%). Emphasis is placed on the role of faculty to coach for cognition by carefully monitoring cognitive levels in discourse to encourage higher levels in thinking and extension of student thought.