guidelines

The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) has compiled the following guidelines to help instructors facilitate classroom discussion around controversial issues.  Whatever the context, discussion about such topics must be structured in a way that defines boundaries for the process and that provides some degree of closure within the classroom. Discussion may or may not include everyone in the classroom; it should be respectful of all.

Spontaneous Discussions: Dealing with the Unexpected

It is wise to be prepared to respond to the possibility that a student will raise a controversial issue in class unexpectedly. Immediate response is called for, if only to decide what to do next:

1. Acknowledge the student who raised the issue while noting that students may vary in their responses.
2. Decide whether you are ready and willing to engage with the topic right away.
3. Quickly assess whether the class would like to spend time sharing views about the topic.

If students want to have a dialogue, and you want to wait on it, schedule a discussion for a later class and suggest ways that students could prepare.

If a discussion seems inappropriate or undesirable, encourage students to identify campus forums and reliable sources of information to share with one another, rather than discussing the matter in class.

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