In-Class Discussion

Each student is expected to lead a class discussion for one assigned reading during the semester. Although the instructor strongly recommends minimizing the use of computers, phones, and tablets during class, their use is not permitted during the student-led discussion portion. This policy is in place to help everyone stay focused on the discussion(a) led by students and actively participate in conversations. If you need to use a device during this time, please step outside the classroom if possible, or speak with the instructor in advance if you have an emergency or special circumstance.

Discussion Strategies

• Selecting the reading for your assigned session. The selected article must be peer-reviewed and reflect user-centered research. It should be a full-length paper from a flagship venue in security, privacy, or HCI, such as USENIX Security, IEEE S&P, SOUPS, PETS, CHI, HRI, or CSCW.
• Developing 1–2 discussion prompts that require thoughtful engagement with the reading. These prompts should encourage deeper understanding and critical thinking.
• Leading an engaging discussion lasting 10–15 minutes. Slides are optional but may help structure your presentation.

To guide your session effectively, start with a very brief 1–2 minute summary of the paper's key contributions and findings. Make sure to only include the details that are closely related to your prompt(s). Then introduce your prompt(s) and have students discuss in small groups of 3–5 for about 5 minutes. During this time, remind each group to write down the key points they discuss. Before leaving class, each group must hand in a paper copy of their discussion summary, including all group members' names, to the TA or instructor. After small-group discussions, facilitate a full-class conversation for about 5 minutes. Encourage students to build on each other's ideas and keep the discussion dynamic and inclusive. Leave 1–3 minutes at the end for students to return to their groups and finalize their written summaries before submitting them to the TA or instructor. If a session has multiple discussion leads (typically 1–2 per session), the leads are expected to coordinate in advance to select a reading and develop the prompts. It is important to ensure that the prompts are distinct and do not overlap in focus.

Discussion Lead Grading

As a discussion lead, you do not have to submit reading commentary for the session that you are leading. Indeed, your reading grade for that session will be thoroughly based on your role as the discussion lead. I will consider the following criteria when assigning your reading grade:

• Professional: The discussion has an energetic flow, where most (if not all) students are actively engaged in it. The designed prompt(s) reflect a deep understanding of the readings and inspire new insights and perspectives on the reading (1 point). You will receive an extra 0.5 point if you connect the discussion to the lessons learned in the class with clear references. 
• Insufficient: Either no meaningful activities are developed and used in the class, or they are not helpful to help the conversation flow. The discussion drifts without a well-designed structure, or the structure introduces a lot of dead time during the discussion (0.25 points).