Collaborative Deliberation

Purpose: 

In the “dominant” mode of deliberation, students consider opposing viewpoints on an issue and “take part in structured discussions or debates in which they present reasons and evidence to support a position.”

However, according to professors Keith C. Barton and Li-Ching Ho, approaching classroom deliberations with “non-adversarial problem solving” can foster a more inclusive classroom.

Directions (adapted from Edutopia and Kappan):

  1. As necessary, reframe the deliberation question to focus on a “how,” rather than a yes or no. (For example, the existing deliberation How Should Homelessness Be Addressed? is already appropriate for this activity, but Should the Electoral College Be Reformed? needs to be revised.)
  2. Set the culture of your classroom to ‘re-norm’ the way students will engage with the question, including allowing the use of multiple forms of expression (i.e., make space for expressions of emotion and passion and allow for a range of discourse, including arguments supported by personal testimony).
  3. As a class, have students reflect on the “shared values, purposes, or interests” they have relating to the question.
  4. Have your students divide into multiple groups alongside other “like-minded” students. Each group will explore the same question, but may come to different conclusions. 
  5. Encourage each group to develop a solution for the question. The positions that each group proposes should be “nuanced and complex, as well as better grounded in evidence (both personal experience and other reasons).” As an example, students can find anecdotes, videos, and interviews on C-SPAN.org to further illuminate their ideas and the multiple perspectives that exist within the question.
  6. After each group is finished constructing their position, have the groups share out their positions with the class. As a class, each position should be stress-tested to see if it is viable; this can be done via the Futures Wheel strategy.
  7. Depending on the result of each stress-test, have groups revise their positions and present again to the class.