Harkness Discussion: Is Every Voice Heard?

Note: students' names are anonymous in the article to protect their privacy.

“I don’t like Harkness discussions because I don’t have the chance to speak about my perspective,” one Havergal Grade 11 student said. “I feel like only extrovert’s voices are valued and appreciated in the discussion.”

People rarely know that the Harkness discussion was named after a philanthropist Edward Harkness in 1930. To improve the way students learn, he gave $5,840,000 to the Phillips Exeter Academy, of which one-third of his donations were used for the necessary alteration in the classroom, including adding tables and chairs. Edward Harkness has said, “What I have in mind is a classroom where students could sit around a table... and each student would feel encouraged to speak up.” After years, the purpose of Harkness discussion can be synthesized as “giving everyone an opportunity to talk and putting the ownership of discussion in students’ hands.” But does Harkness discussion welcome “every” perspective? As a commonly used method in teaching, students at Havergal College are mostly familiar with Harkness discussion. Students’ varied responses can identify the effectiveness and weaknesses of Harkness discussion in school.

In the interviews, some students agreed that their experiences are consistent with the initial purpose of Harkness discussions. One student mentioned that “the open format of Harkness discussions allows more productive arguments to be shared and generated.” Unlike other discussion formats, Harkness discussion lets students lead the conference and eliminates the need for hand-raising, which gives students more time and freedom to express their point of view.

“I love Harkness discussions since they give students a chance to debate with people,” one Grade 11 student said. “In contrast to a normal class discussion, the open format of Harkness is more friendly because my refutations are not interpreted as ‘targeting’ the person that raised the argument.” Interviewees also commented that they could hear different opinions regarding the same topic. Harkness discussions provide them the opportunity to share their knowledge as well as listen to others’ thinking. In addition, as the discussions involve lots of interactions between students, one interviewee said that the Harkness discussion helped her to get to know people that she was not familiar with before.

However, how can you ensure that the open format and the freedom of self-expression plays an equal impact on every individual in the discussion?

As most Harkness discussions in Havergal College are categorized as observation marks or learning skills, some students claimed that the discussions become too aggressive. Students are eager to speak up multiple times to present their understanding to get a better grade.

“Sometimes the topic moves on too fast. People try to pitch beforehand instead of having the discussion naturally.” Said a student during the interview. When Harkness discussions are marked, sometimes students present a rehearsed play rather than an ongoing discussion. But aren't Harkness discussions meant to be a natural flow of conversation?

Students are also concerned about how people repeat the same idea during the discussion and focus on speaking more with added depth. This behavior further caused students to compete on who has a louder or faster “umm”. Since the raising hand process is eliminated, students now have to “compete” to speak. The random order and the competitive environment encourage students to cut others off before they finish their sentence, so they have a chance to speak.

Furthermore, one student identified that Harkness discussion “can easily become dominated by the more extroverted classmates,” thus “can be stressful for quieter people.”

The voluntary nature of Harkness discussions can be a terror to introverts. At times, multiple conversations happen simultaneously, making some introverts afraid to interrupt others, and causing them to stay silent in this toxic environment. One student who identified herself as an introvert said, “I am worried that speaking up may interrupt others, so I chose to speak fewer times and I am afraid that I will end up getting bad marks.”

When asked if her worries occur depending on the environment, she answered that even though some discussions may flow calmer than others, none of them provides her the chance to actually talk about her opinions. “Diversity is one of the most important values we promote in the community. But the current Harkness discussion structure gives me a sense that it is encouraging everyone to be an extrovert, and introvert’s interests are not valued.” Said the student.

Then how can we ensure everyone’s voice is heard in a Harkness discussion? First of all, there should be some adjustments made to the open format. Similar to MUN speeches, during the discussion there could be a speaker list that indicates the next to talk. If this change in format fails, I suggest that when one finishes sharing, she should come back to anyone whose body language shows the intention to talk. Moreover, a discussion can always be more productive and inclusive if fewer members are involved. The teacher could split the class into half rather than having a whole class Harkness discussion. Students could always note down important points from the other discussion that she wants to respond to. With a small group discussion, pressure on introverted peers can be minimized.

To reiterate, the purpose of the Harkness discussion is to give everyone an opportunity to express their ideas, despite their personality. Although some students agree that their experience is aligned with the purpose, one should not overlook the weakness of Harkness discussion in which it fails to represent the opinions of introverted students. To further promote DEI values in the community, it is significant to recognize that the structure of Harkness is not promoting diversity in personality; it seems like the extroverted peers have a greater chance to speak in the discussion and get a better grade; nor is the random order of speakers providing introverts a fair opportunity to speak. As a kind request, next time after a Harkness discussion, could you please look around the room and reflect: Is every voice heard?

Work Cited:

https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/blog/to-harkness-or-not-to-harkness

http://blog.oakknoll.org/harkness-discussions-enhance-student-learning

https://www.treasurers.org/hub/treasurer-magazine/definitive-guide-introverts-and-extroverts