I just did an essay aswell. It never really occured to me to do a discussion or conversation type dialogue response. It doesn't really say it was a class discussion, just that your class had been exploring the question, so for all that means it is just what the class had been learning about Cloudstreet. (well i did cloudstreet)
I did however include 'I beleive that tim winton has bla bla bla' stuff like that, which kinda makes it more of a personal response as opposed to just a straight out essay... i dunno about the dialogue and what not, but im pretty sure that if you only attacked it as a straight essay then you may not get the marks for where it says a 'personal response' in the criteria.. but who knows they may see some of the confusion it has caused and i have heard that in the past, if the markers realise that each student or a large range of students have approached or interpreted the question differently, then they are less harsh on the guidelines. So if we are lucky then that is what will happen.
I didn't include any response by the other student who disagreed with my views on the novel at all, just wrote my opinion. For all they know i am just writing an essay which highlights my opinions and thoughts about the text, but that doesnt necessarily mean that you have to outline why the other student has disagreed with you and what their beliefs about the text are.
'Defend your response through a critical evaluation of ' this just means that you have to support your claims with extracts from the text, not necessarily show an actual argument taking place...well at least i hope so haha
By the way, did anyone else here do cloudstreet? If so what types of things within ur main content did you talk about and discuss..like what aspects of the book?