When participating in a group discussion, a good group member maintains a balance between a). speaking and listening. b). summarizing and elaborating. c). stating facts and offering opinions. d). taking notes and contributing.

When participating in a group discussion, a good group member maintains a balance between:

a) Speaking and listening

The point of a discussion is to interchange ideas about a specific topic. Therefore, one needs to speak in order to add to the discussion but; it is also important to know when to be quiet and simply listen. A good listener pays attention to what others are saying, this might include taking notes. However, taking notes does not necessarily contribute to a discussion. In a discussion whenever one speaks one needs to back up one's claims with facts and in the end, it is necessary to summarize the main ideas. Nevertheless, summarizing is not a key factor of a good group member that participates in a discussion.