Developing a Learning Community to Promote and Encourage Critical Thinking and Constructive Discourse in the Classroom

We are currently in a time where the value of a university education is being consistently challenged. University education is a chance for students to gain a liberal understanding of the world through engaging with multiple diverse perspectives and developing habits of mind that will help them be thoughtful and critical. We anticipate that students will use what they gain at the university to help them better their own lives and the lives of those around them as engaged citizens seeking to make the changes necessary to promote freedom, access, and democracy. But what does this look like in our current political climate? How do we develop classroom spaces where students and instructors have the courage to speak up, and the humility to have their views critiqued and challenged? Can there be room in the classroom for civil discourse, disagreement, and critical thinking without things getting out of control? In this workshop session, attendees will participate in a variety of discussion and dialogue activities that will facilitate constructive discourse in a learning community where teachers and students work together to build an environment that encourages critical thinking and constructive discourse.