The Student Engagement Technique of Paraphrasing is an important skill for students to excel at. Paraphrasing is used to express the meaning of a message using different words than the speaker (or written information) to achieve greater clarity. It is used to assess understanding and ensure messages are accurately being received. When utilizing paraphrasing in education, both the educator and the learner play a role. The educator can facilitate this strategy by providing scaffolding, modelling, and coaching activities. The learner can take the active role of participation, reflection, and exploration to deepen their understanding. There are several pros and cons to the paraphrasing strategy. Pros include several benefits; a better understanding of material, ability to be concise, greater proficiency in communication, and improved quality care. A couple cons to this strategy would be the overuse of paraphrasing and possible redundancy of information. However the benefits outweigh the potential downsides and thus should be encouraged amongst our students.
Karen Deol 