[Air-l] Fwd: TP Msg. #469 GUIDANCE FOR INSTRUCTORS CONCERNING CLASS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WAR IN IRAQ

[jeremy hunsinger]

I thought that I'd forward this through, since it popped up today and  
seems pertinent to the current discussion.

Begin forwarded message:
> "The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the  
> University of Michigan offers the following guidelines to help faculty  
> and graduate student instructors deal with class discussions of the  
> war in Iraq."
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> -----------------------
> 		         TOMORROW'S PROFESSOR(SM) LISTSERV
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>             THE STANFORD UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
> 		                 http://ctl.stanford.edu
>
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> -------------------------
> Folks:
>
> After September 12, 2001 I posted a set of guidelines for discussing  
> the previous days events developed by the Center for Research on  
> Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan.   CRLT has  
> just formulated guidelines for the purpose of of discussing the  
> current war in Iraq.  The guidelines are posted below and can also be  
> found at:  www.crlt.umich.edu.  I am indebted to Constance Cook,  
> Director, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, Associate  
> Professor of Higher Education, and Adjunct Associate Professor of  
> Political Science at the University of Michigan for this information.
>
> Regards,
>
>
> Rick Reis
> reis at stanford.edu
> UP NEXT: Getting Homework to Work
>
> 				Tomorrow's Academia
>
> 	-------------------------------------- 1,121 words  
> -------------------------------------
>
> GUIDANCE FOR INSTRUCTORS CONCERNING CLASS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WAR IN IRAQ
>
> The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the  
> University of Michigan offers the following guidelines to help faculty  
> and graduate student instructors deal with class discussions of the  
> war in Iraq. The guidelines contain three sections:
>
> * Issues to consider before discussing the war
>
> * Suggestions for classes in which the topic of war comes up  
> unexpectedly
>
> * Suggestions for instructors planning and leading discussions about  
> the war
>
>
> Issues to Consider Before Discussing the War
>
> 1. Students will have very different interpretations of the war, its  
> causes and its potential outcomes. It is important to allow students  
> to express these differences without fear of ridicule or attack, while  
> also encouraging disagreement, which is a cornerstone of critical  
> thinking and part of the academy's long tradition of intellectual  
> inquiry.
>
> 2. Some individuals have a special and complicated relationship to  
> this war. For example, discussions about the war may be especially  
> difficult for faculty and students from certain groups, including the  
> following:
>
>           * those personally connected to the U.S. armed forces,  
> including those in the campus ROTC
>              program and those with family and friends in the armed  
> forces
>           * those from the Middle East and those who have close  
> connections to the Middle East
>           * international faculty and students, who may be viewed or  
> treated differently during this
>              crisis
>           * members of groups that some are blaming for the current  
> crisis
>
> For each of these groups, there is a potential for backlash during  
> class discussions. It is important that students not be doubly hurt as  
> a result of discussion - first by effects of the war itself, and  
> second by misguided generalizations.
>
> 3. Comparisons of current world leaders and events with historical  
> figures or events must be made carefully and with an awareness of the  
> complexity of history. Individual perspectives on these comparisons  
> are shaped by differences in political point of view, personal history  
> or age, past experience of violence or tragedy, group membership, or  
> geographical or cultural origins or reference points. Expression of  
> these differences can be a resource for enriching discussion.
>
> 4. Instructors should not feel compelled to lead a discussion,  
> especially if your own emotions or reactions make you hesitant to do  
> so, if you have strong views that would make it difficult to relate to  
> all students, or if you do not consider this discussion an appropriate  
> use of class time. You can make a simple statement to the class to  
> this effect and then move on.
>
>
> Suggestions for Classes in Which the Topic of War Comes Up Unexpectedly
>
> 1. Acknowledge the concern of the student who raised the issue and  
> also point out that all those in the room have their own individual  
> responses and concerns.
>
> 2. Decide whether you are ready and willing to engage with this topic  
> now.
>
> 3. Get a quick sense from the class if others would like to devote  
> time to sharing views. If you do pursue a discussion, set a time frame  
> and then look to the strategies outlined below for suggestions about  
> format for the discussion.
>
> 4. If a discussion seems inappropriate, or other students resist  
> having a discussion on the spot, point out the available forums on  
> campus and encourage students to attend them, stay informed, and share  
> their concerns. Alternatively, you could schedule a discussion for a  
> later class and suggest ways that students could prepare for it.
>
>
> Suggestions for Instructors Planning and Leading Discussions About the  
> War
>
> 1. Think through appropriate ways to introduce and close the session.  
> For example, you might begin with the reasons you are having the  
> discussion, acknowledging that there are widely divergent opinions and  
> feelings about the war. In closing a discussion, you might reiterate  
> the fact that substantial differences of opinion remain, and you can  
> encourage students to continue the dialogue and look for ways to take  
> advantage of campus programming on this topic.
>
> 2. Ask the class to establish ground rules for the discussion before  
> it begins. For example, you might suggest that the class:
>
>       A. Commit to use the discussion as an opportunity to learn more  
> about complex and difficult
>           issues, rather than re-enacting polarized debate.
>
>       B. Respect each other's views and avoid inflammatory language.
>
>       C. Allow expression of personal stories and feelings. (Be  
> prepared for students to be emotional
>           about this topic.)
>
>       D. Allow students to express anger and frustration within  
> limits. (While it is important for
>           students to express themselves, it is also vital to control  
> the class and maintain an
>           environment that encourages responsible discourse.)
>
>       E. Limit the length of any one student's contributions to avoid  
> "speeches" so that all students
>           have an opportunity to participate.
>
>       F. Agree to discuss this topic in a way that does not shut out  
> any members of the class.
>
> 3. Create a framework for the discussion. Where you can, explore links  
> to your discipline, letting topics emerge from the specific content of  
> your course. Discussion topics applicable to all students include the  
> following:
>
>       A. What questions and fears do you have about this war?
>
>       B. In what ways are you personally affected by these events?
>
>       C. How might these events affect your/our future?
>
>       D. How can you become better informed?
>
>       E. What positive actions can individuals take in response to  
> this war (e.g., attend university
>           events about the war, support students who are far from  
> home)?
>
> 4. Encourage participation, but don't force students to participate.  
> Ways to accomplish this include:
>
>       A. Use of a "round," i.e., giving each student a chance to speak  
> without interruption or discussion
>           in response to a guiding question, and allowing students to  
> pass if they desire. Following the
>           round, open the discussion for general response.
>
>       B. Division of students into discussion partners or small groups  
> of 3-5 students.
>
>       C. Offering students a chance to write down and organize their  
> thoughts before speaking.
>
> 5. Be prepared for the ways these discussions can go awry:
>
>       A. Prepare questions that will help break down silence and  
> hesitation about speaking. Some
>           examples include the following: What makes this hard to talk  
> about? What is most confusing
>           at this point?
>
>       B. Balance the emotional and intellectual aspects of the  
> discussion by helping students
>           differentiate between these ways of responding. For example,  
> acknowledge the emotion in
>           responses and help students to identify important questions  
> and issues embedded in these
>           responses.
>
>       C. Validate personal experience while also helping students to  
> identify inappropriate
>          generalizations.
>
>       D. Prepare a brief in-class writing assignment that can be used  
> to refocus discussion if you feel
>           as if you are losing control of the class or if the  
> discussion is going in unproductive directions.
>
> 6. Exchange ideas and strategies with other instructors, including  
> debriefing the class discussion.
>
>
> Contact crlt at umich.edu or 734/764-0505 with comments or questions.
>
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Jeremy Hunsinger
Center for Digital Discourse and Culture