Students 'listen' to a text passage, film clip, or image, paying close attention to its forms of expression but refraining from evaluating or interpreting the work. Then in small groups, they paraphrase as much of what they witnessed as possible to their team members as a warm-up to a large-group or whole-class discussion in which they make meaning of what they perceived.
In a culture characterised by high speed and multitasking, some faculty have expressed concerns that students have difficulty being still and taking the time needed to really focus and concentrate. This SET provides a procedure for students to practice this kind of mental activity, a skill that is particularly important as they approach tasks that are difficult and require sustained effort to accomplish.