What is a Group Discussion? Where is it used?
A GD (Group Discussion) is
a forum where people sit together; discuss a topic for a certain amount of time
with the common objective of finding a solution for a problem or discussing an
issue that is given to them.
Why are
Group Discussions used as a part of the selection process? How are they useful?
Group Discussions measure
certain attributes of the candidates that are otherwise difficult to identify
and time consuming to assess. A number of people who can communicate their
ideas well and discuss effectively with others in a one-to-one situation become
tongue-tied in a group situation. They will just not be able to present their
ideas or discuss their ideas with the other members of the group. A Group
Discussion will identify people who have such group communication skills and
people who do not possess such group communication skills.
What are
the similarities / differences between Group Discussions and Public Speaking /
Debating?
Debating and Public
Speaking are one-to-many communication situations whereas a Group Discussion is
a many-to-many situation. A debate or a public speaking contest is about solo
performances whereas a Group Discussion is not. In a debate, it is your
individual views that matter. In a Group Discussion, apart from your individual
views, the views of the entire group matter. In Public Speaking / Debating, the
speaker can take a particular position on the topic and speak accordingly. In a
Group Discussion, all the members of the group will participate and one has to
listen to the views of the other members of the group. It is a discussion and
the speaker will be "interrupted" by the other members of the group
while speaking.
How is a
Group Discussion conducted?
A group of candidates are
made to sit together in a circular / semi-circular fashion or in a U-shape
fashion. There will be a person to co-ordinate the Group Discussion (called the
moderator).
After the topic is given,
the candidates start discussing the topic amongst them. They stop the
discussion when the moderator asks them to stop. Any one of the candidates
might be asked to summarize the discussion.
How many
candidates will there be in a Group Discussion?
The group size could range
between 6 to 15 students.
How much
time is given for each Group Discussion?
Normally, it could be
between 10 to 20 minutes.
Are the
participants expected to address each other by name?
No. You should address a
specific person either by looking at him / her directly or by pointing out to
him / her.
What is
the role of the moderator?
The primary role of the
moderator is to evaluate the performance of every participant. She / He is the
person who tells the group members what they should do, announces the topic and
the time for the discussion, keeps track of the time of the Group Discussion
and evaluates the performance of the candidates who participated in the Group
Discussion. For all practical purposes, She / he is non-existent once the Group
Discussion starts.
Does the
moderator write the topic on the board?
The moderator normally does
not write the topic on the board. She / He just reads it out and repeats it
once - you have to be attentive while the topic is being given and make sure
that you have got the wording right.
Will we
be given paper and pen / pencil to note down the topic?
No. You are normally
expected to carry your own pen / pencil and paper to a Group Discussion.
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