In late 2005, we began thinking about education in general and college classrooms in particular as another arena or field in which we might employ, test, and further develop our methods for facilitated, small-group discussions of broad public policy issues. We were drawn to this approach by certain, key similarities between higher education and our evolving approach to public discussion:
Time – both have a longer-term framework and don’t impose demands for immediate pay-offs
Developmental – both are focused on exploration and development as valuable activities in their own right
Discussion and interactivity – both value continuing discussion, dialogue, and discourse as important democratic and life skills
Civic engagement – both attempt to increase individual engagement with the political and policy realms.
In time, our thinking led to our sponsorship and hosting of “Summer Institutes” in both 2006 and 2009. For these summer conferences, we selected and worked with interested college professors to adapt elements of our discussion process to the college classroom environment. Out of each of these intense summer programs, the Foundation has supported, in the following academic years, a variety of college courses that employ significant aspects of the IF discussion process.
Our work with the summer institute faculty members has been very productive—both for us and, we hope, for the faculty members. We are continuing to work with many of them—not only on course design and implementation but also on a number of other collaborative research and discussion-related projects.
Classroom Discussions
In late 2005, we began thinking about education in general and college classrooms in particular as another arena or field in which we might employ, test, and further develop our methods for facilitated, small-group discussions of broad public policy issues. We were drawn to this approach by certain, key similarities between higher education and our evolving approach to public discussion:
In time, our thinking led to our sponsorship and hosting of “Summer Institutes” in both 2006 and 2009. For these summer conferences, we selected and worked with interested college professors to adapt elements of our discussion process to the college classroom environment. Out of each of these intense summer programs, the Foundation has supported, in the following academic years, a variety of college courses that employ significant aspects of the IF discussion process.
Our work with the summer institute faculty members has been very productive—both for us and, we hope, for the faculty members. We are continuing to work with many of them—not only on course design and implementation but also on a number of other collaborative research and discussion-related projects.