{"id":229,"date":"2022-02-01T16:43:20","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T21:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=229"},"modified":"2022-07-25T01:46:33","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T05:46:33","slug":"2-1-reflection-before-discussion","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/chapter\/2-1-reflection-before-discussion\/","title":{"raw":"Reflection Before Discussion","rendered":"Reflection Before Discussion"},"content":{"raw":"<h2 style=\"text-align: left\">Planning a Discussion<\/h2>\r\nBefore leading class discussions, instructors should begin by considering the learning outcomes for students. What do you hope students will learn during the discussion? Is the focus on course content, skills, dispositions, or all three? What strategies do you look to use to extend students\u2019 thinking and encourage critical analysis and broaden student perspectives?\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercises - Strategies to Prepare for Difficult Discussions<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\n<strong>Before the conversation:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Think about what you hope students will gain from the discussion.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Make intellectual exploration, not judgment or consensus, a goal for class discussions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Frame the conversation with prompts and questions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Consider how to reply to incomplete or inaccurate responses or when student views are at odds with prevailing perspectives.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"Name and Frame\u201d is the way you will address \u201chot button\u201d topics when they arise.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\"Name\u201d the challenge, and then \u201cframe\u201d your approach by describing your expectations for how students can disagree and respectfully share alternative viewpoints.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Teach students the skills they need to participate in difficult conversations<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left\">Supercharged Subjects<\/h2>\r\nWhile some topics can suddenly and unexpectedly generate heated discussions and hot button moments, others are likely to cause heated discussions every time. These are known as \"supercharged subjects.\" Talking about decolonization, anti-Indigenous racism and classism, or Indigenous land rights are a few topics that can be supercharged.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercises - Strategies for Planning and Implementing Course Content Involving Difficult Discussions<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nBelow are some strategies for planning a course or module that facilitates quality discussion and thoughtful debate, mainly when the subject is divisive or emotionally charged.\r\n\r\nBegin to shape the terms of debate long before the controversial issue arises in class.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>As a class, consider reviewing different perspectives and underlying knowledge bases forming major arguments around the topic.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nDefine the kinds of mental operations required to deal effectively with the controversial issue.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Layout the possible assumptions behind specific arguments, unpack popular attitudes around them, and what these may convey.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSystematically model the operations and roles students will need to encounter the controversial subject successfully.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Consider ways in which people might respectfully disagree about or expand upon a topic (\"I wonder if you have considered this from the perspective of...\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nProvide students with experiences of seeing a question from multiple perspectives.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Offer multiple critiques or discussions of the topic from very different viewpoints and angles.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nGive students practice at contextualizing controversial issues.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Discuss the cultural, contextual, historical, and social contexts surrounding the issues.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nApproach the controversial issue incrementally:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Step 1. Have students define the terms in which the issue has been faced in the past.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Step 2. Have students evaluate the validity of criteria that have been used to discuss the issue<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Step 3. Have students widen the range of possible positions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Step 4. Then have students contemplate their responses.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nInterrupt the discussion to make points of disagreement explicit and observe them together.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\"Let's pause here and consider what central disagreements and sticking points\u00a0 we can observe.\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nDespite the structure, make sure the discussion belongs to the students, and be prepared to take advantage of student input at every stage.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Facilitating a Tough Discussion<\/h2>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j5CTX0IyFhc[\/embed]\r\n<div class=\"chapter\" style=\"max-width: 700px;margin: auto\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-caption-text\">\r\n<div>Watch the \"<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/C9634Xn4XTE\">Navigating Difficult Conversations<\/a>\" video aimed to guide you through navigating difficult conversations.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Sources<\/h1>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">Center for Teaching, Research &amp; Learning (CTRL). (n.d.). Facilitating class discussions and navigating difficult conversations.\u00a0<\/span><em style=\"font-size: 1em\">American University.<\/em><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">\u00a0Retrieved from\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1em\" href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/portfolio-item\/facilitating-class-discussions\/\">https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/portfolio-item\/facilitating-class-discussions\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Pace, D. (2003). Controlled Fission: Teaching Supercharged Subjects. <em>College Teaching<\/em>, 51(2), pp. 42\u201345. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/27559130\">http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/27559130<\/a><\/p>","rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: left\">Planning a Discussion<\/h2>\n<p>Before leading class discussions, instructors should begin by considering the learning outcomes for students. What do you hope students will learn during the discussion? Is the focus on course content, skills, dispositions, or all three? What strategies do you look to use to extend students\u2019 thinking and encourage critical analysis and broaden student perspectives?<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercises &#8211; Strategies to Prepare for Difficult Discussions<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p><strong>Before the conversation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Think about what you hope students will gain from the discussion.<\/li>\n<li>Make intellectual exploration, not judgment or consensus, a goal for class discussions.<\/li>\n<li>Frame the conversation with prompts and questions.<\/li>\n<li>Consider how to reply to incomplete or inaccurate responses or when student views are at odds with prevailing perspectives.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Name and Frame\u201d is the way you will address \u201chot button\u201d topics when they arise.\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Name\u201d the challenge, and then \u201cframe\u201d your approach by describing your expectations for how students can disagree and respectfully share alternative viewpoints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Teach students the skills they need to participate in difficult conversations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left\">Supercharged Subjects<\/h2>\n<p>While some topics can suddenly and unexpectedly generate heated discussions and hot button moments, others are likely to cause heated discussions every time. These are known as &#8220;supercharged subjects.&#8221; Talking about decolonization, anti-Indigenous racism and classism, or Indigenous land rights are a few topics that can be supercharged.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercises &#8211; Strategies for Planning and Implementing Course Content Involving Difficult Discussions<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Below are some strategies for planning a course or module that facilitates quality discussion and thoughtful debate, mainly when the subject is divisive or emotionally charged.<\/p>\n<p>Begin to shape the terms of debate long before the controversial issue arises in class.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As a class, consider reviewing different perspectives and underlying knowledge bases forming major arguments around the topic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Define the kinds of mental operations required to deal effectively with the controversial issue.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Layout the possible assumptions behind specific arguments, unpack popular attitudes around them, and what these may convey.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Systematically model the operations and roles students will need to encounter the controversial subject successfully.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Consider ways in which people might respectfully disagree about or expand upon a topic (&#8220;I wonder if you have considered this from the perspective of&#8230;&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Provide students with experiences of seeing a question from multiple perspectives.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Offer multiple critiques or discussions of the topic from very different viewpoints and angles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Give students practice at contextualizing controversial issues.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Discuss the cultural, contextual, historical, and social contexts surrounding the issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Approach the controversial issue incrementally:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Step 1. Have students define the terms in which the issue has been faced in the past.<\/li>\n<li>Step 2. Have students evaluate the validity of criteria that have been used to discuss the issue<\/li>\n<li>Step 3. Have students widen the range of possible positions.<\/li>\n<li>Step 4. Then have students contemplate their responses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Interrupt the discussion to make points of disagreement explicit and observe them together.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Let&#8217;s pause here and consider what central disagreements and sticking points\u00a0 we can observe.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Despite the structure, make sure the discussion belongs to the students, and be prepared to take advantage of student input at every stage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Facilitating a Tough Discussion<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"Navigating Difficult Conversations\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j5CTX0IyFhc?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"chapter\" style=\"max-width: 700px;margin: auto\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<div>Watch the &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/C9634Xn4XTE\">Navigating Difficult Conversations<\/a>&#8221; video aimed to guide you through navigating difficult conversations.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Sources<\/h1>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">Center for Teaching, Research &amp; Learning (CTRL). (n.d.). Facilitating class discussions and navigating difficult conversations.\u00a0<\/span><em style=\"font-size: 1em\">American University.<\/em><span style=\"font-size: 1em\">\u00a0Retrieved from\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1em\" href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/portfolio-item\/facilitating-class-discussions\/\">https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/ctrl\/portfolio-item\/facilitating-class-discussions\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"hanging-indent\">Pace, D. (2003). Controlled Fission: Teaching Supercharged Subjects. <em>College Teaching<\/em>, 51(2), pp. 42\u201345. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/27559130\">http:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/27559130<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1076,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-229","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":223,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1076"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1406,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/229\/revisions\/1406"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/223"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/229\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=229"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=229"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/decolonizingengineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}