In 1984, Geoffrey Comber, Nick Maistrellis, and Howard Zeiderman joined forces to better understand the benefits and challenges when using classroom discussion as the primary mode of instruction. While teaching in the all-seminar program at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, the three lifelong educators recognized patterns in student engagement that contributed to or hindered the development of a cohesive class in which all students were active participants.

Their inquiries led to the formation of the Touchstones Discussion Project, an independent nonprofit dedicated to building a world where all people develop collaborative discussion skills to foster understanding. leadership, and community.

Today, our highly replicable and proven discussion programs reflect more than 40 years of research and development from thousands of implementation sites. Across the United States and in 46 additional countries, Touchstones uniquely teaches students of all ages and backgrounds essential communication and thinking skills that support their development as self-aware and fully actualized life-learners. In Touchstones programs, all participants share responsibility and apply their Touchstones skills to build a more connected, effective, and collaborative world,.

A touchstone is ancient tool used to determine the contents of rare minerals. It is also an idea or concept that sparks thinking and reflection. It is something against which we can compare our ideas and opinions.

In Touchstones programs, the touchstones include the ideas and experiences of the participants, the discussion process itself, self-reflection and group evaluation, and the ideas raised in the short primary-source texts embedded in each lesson.