Guide Students in Constructive Dialogue
A University of Delaware professor shares why and how she makes dialogue about difficult-to-discuss issues a foundational skill in her classroom.
Many students have told me that their [peer-to-peer] partner was someone who disagreed with them, but once they began talking every week, they realized there were more things they held in common than [things that] divided them.
While the college classroom has traditionally been a place where students and professors can gain new perspectives while engaging in conversation, many students feel uncomfortable expressing their views on controversial topics. In a February 2021 Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse, one in five students disagreed, at least somewhat, with the statement “I feel comfortable sharing my opinions in class.” Broken out by respondents who are Republicans or lean that way, that response increased to three in 10.
The free online Perspectives program from the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) aims to help students of all viewpoints to better understand and appreciate each other, in spite of their differences, through lessons teaching the mind-set and skills needed to engage in such dialogue.
Lindsay Hoffman, an associate professor of communication at the University of Delaware, has embraced this approach in her communication and political science courses.