![]() ![]() Avoid assumptions about any member of the class or generalizations about social groups.Avoid blame, speculation, and inflammatory language.Comment in order to share information, not to persuade. (Don’t just think about what you are going to say while someone else is talking.) Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others' views.Listen respectfully, without interrupting.Referring back to these community agreements can be very helpful if discussion becomes tense. In class, instructors can either work with students to generate ground rules or discussion guidelines, or they can present a set of guidelines and then work with students to accept or modify them. New York: Columbia University, College Teachers Press.)īack to the list Establishing ground rules or guidelines (This second list is adapted from Ronald Hyman, 1980, In Improving Discussion Leadership. Planning effective actions to reduce such incidents and/or to support vulnerable populations.Exploring possible consequences or implications of a conflict (i.e., a future-oriented discussion).Analyzing the root causes or reasons for a social conflict (i.e., a past-oriented discussion).Identifying a core problem underlying social conflicts and exploring possible answers to the problem.Examining and developing positions on issues of social policy, university policy, or social convention.More specific objectives for discussion about social conflicts, especially those involving language of hate or bias, may focus on policies, social conventions, or civic responsibilities, including the following: Relating classroom discussion to the roles that students have as citizens within the university community and larger society.Enhancing skills for dialogue that students can take into other venues.Promoting critical thinking by helping students to understand the complexity of the issues.Increasing awareness about the topic by providing information that is not generally addressed in informal discussions.Connecting the topic with course material, including fundamental concepts and strategies for analysis and thoughtful reflection.Starting a discussion with clearly articulated objectives can help shape the nature of the discussion and link it to other course goals. Handling issues that involve the instructor’s identity.Summarizing discussion and gathering student feedback.Creating a framework for the discussion that maintains focus and flow.Providing a common basis for understanding.Planning a discussion on a controversial topic or issue benefits from consideration of the following topics, each of which is addressed below: Planned Discussions on High-Stakes or Controversial Topics If students want to have a dialogue, and you want to wait on it, schedule a discussion for a later class and suggest ways that students could prepare.Ĭlick here for further resources for making the most of 'hot moments' that emerge in your classroom when you do not anticipate them. Quickly assess whether the class would like to spend time sharing views about the topic.Decide whether you are ready and willing to engage with the topic right away.Acknowledge the student who raised the issue while noting that students may vary in their responses.Immediate response is called for, if only to decide what to do next: It is wise to be prepared to respond to the possibility that a student will raise a controversial issue in class unexpectedly. Spontaneous Discussions: Dealing with the Unexpected Such discussions are an especially important time to explicitly discuss expectations for respecting a range of perspectives and experiences in the room. Whatever the context, it is helpful to structure such discussions in a way that defines boundaries for the process and provides some degree of closure within the classroom. The following guidelines can help instructors facilitate classroom discussion around controversial issues. ![]()
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