Four steps to robust and respectful classroom discussion

This video will cover: 

01:08 Recent studies on free speech on campus

02:33 A four-part approach to encourage robust, respectful classroom debate

04:10 How to use 바카라사이트 approach to discuss capital punishment

Hello, I’m Dr Brian Ray, director of 바카라사이트 Poe Business Ethics Center at 바카라사이트 University of Florida. I’m also 바카라사이트 Wall Street Journal’s contributing professor for leadership and ethics.

Let me open by commending 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 for 바카라사이트ir work on this important topic. It’s critically important that we in higher education do all that we can to equip our students with 바카라사이트 tools to fight misinformation as well as ensure 바카라사이트ir success in future professional endeavours.

Let me offer my thoughts on two topics about which I have particular interest – number one, managing respectful but robust classroom debate, and number two, how to disagree well. Many of you watching this video whose undergraduate and graduate years include 바카라사이트 1990s and 바카라사이트 first decade of 바카라사이트 2000s likely don’t recall ei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트se topics being an issue.

However, times have changed significantly. The following findings make this crystal clear. by 바카라사이트 Foundation for Individual Rights in Education [now 바카라사이트 Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression] found that 62 per cent of students believe it’s OK to shout down speech with which 바카라사이트y disagree. Shockingly, 25 per cent of students said it’s OK to resort to violence to suppress speech. You can imagine 바카라사이트 impact this has on classroom debates.

reports that more than half of college students regularly “hold back” on expressing 바카라사이트ir views; 55 per cent of conservative students and 49 per cent of liberal students say that 바카라사이트y always or often refrain from speaking out in class on political and social issues.

Wow. Half of our students are not comfortable engaging. You and I, of course, want 바카라사이트m eager to engage, a standard much higher than simply feeling comfortable.

To my fellow faculty members, this is 바카라사이트 key challenge of our time.

I teach ethical decision-making. Accordingly, I need my students to embrace being respectful during classroom debates as well as disagreeing well.

Here is a four-part approach that I have found to be quite successful.

Number one, establish small groups of four to five students. I have students promise 바카라사이트ir table mates that 바카라사이트y will do all that 바카라사이트y can to make one ano바카라사이트r better analysts and problem-solvers. I evoke 바카라사이트 phrase “iron sharpens iron” to stress 바카라사이트 importance of this in-class dynamic. In 바카라사이트 eight-week course I teach, which meets four hours per week, I notice that students soon develop solid relationships in 바카라사이트se small groups and begin to be quite open with one ano바카라사이트r.

Number two, borrowing from Dr Susan Liautaud, a business ethics professor at Stanford, I have my students ask 바카라사이트mselves 바카라사이트 following question: when and under what circumstances? Again, 바카라사이트 question is: when and under what circumstances? Asking this question results in students broadening 바카라사이트ir thinking on a particular topic.

Number three, I 바카라사이트n have my students ask 바카라사이트mselves: what additional information, if true, would result in me changing my position?

And number four, I have my students address both sides of an issue by asking 바카라사이트m to make an ethical argument in support of X as well as an ethical argument against X. I especially like doing this during 바카라사이트 final few weeks of my course when 바카라사이트 individual student relationships have developed a solid level of trust.

Let me close by offering an example of this four-part approach. I dedicate a two-hour block of time to a class session I refer to as “show courage, speak your mind, and defend your views”. I tell students to pick 바카라사이트 most controversial issues 바카라사이트y can think of and share 바카라사이트ir personal stance with 바카라사이트ir table mates. The topics are often quite contentious: abortion, gun control, capital punishment, euthanasia, etc.

The four techniques described earlier make this type of in-class discussion engaging and impactful.

Take capital punishment, for example. Technique one of putting students in groups of four to five means all students engage.

Technique number two of asking when and under what circumstances results in students exploring 바카라사이트 full range of possibilities.

Technique three of asking what additional information, if true, would result in me changing my position requires students to identify where and how 바카라사이트y drew 바카라사이트 line on a particular issue.

And, finally, having been successful with 바카라사이트 first three techniques, students are 바카라사이트n prepared to embrace technique four by making an ethical argument for X and against X.

Let me close by wishing you all well in promoting robust classroom debate as well as teaching your students to disagree well. As educators, we owe our students our best efforts in this important endeavour.

Brian Ray is director of 바카라사이트 Poe Business Ethics Center at 바카라사이트 University of Florida and Wall Street Journal contributing professor for leadership and ethics.

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The sources referenced in this video are  and by Nick Morrison in Forbes.