Embedded Files
Fall 2025 Faculty Conference | Fri 8.15 & Mon 8.18
Deliberative pedagogy links how we teach to developing democratically engaged citizens.
Deliberation is discovering a shared direction guided by what we value most. Unlike debate, lecture, or an airing of grievances, deliberation asks us to begin with what we hold dear and share our personal experiences with a given issue.
It’s not about reaching an agreement or seeing eye-to-eye.
It’s about examining the costs and consequences of possible solutions to daunting problems and determining what a group of people will or will not accept as a solution.
It facilitates deeper listening, exploring facts, testing ideas, weighing options, and balancing tradeoffs to find a shared direction.
It facilitates deeper listening, exploring facts, testing ideas, weighing options, and balancing tradeoffs to find a shared direction.
Universities across the country have integrated the principles and practices of deliberation into graduate and undergraduate teaching:
Universities across the country have integrated the principles and practices of deliberation into graduate and undergraduate teaching:
Science-related: Portland State University has incorporated deliberative pedagogy into its science curriculum by having students work through scientific policy controversies. Go here to view an overview and specific assignments, lessons, and worksheets for both biology and chemistry classes.
Collaborative: The Collaborative Discussion Project is an open-access resource designed by dialogue and deliberation experts, practitioners, and educators. It includes 50+ learning activities, each designed to intentionally develop collaborative discussion skills in areas of creativity, criticality, cultural responsiveness, and civic engagement. Each activity can be executed within 30-60 minutes; adaptable for a wide variety of disciplines, students (both Grad/UG), and group sizes; offers an experiential learning loop in which students practice, reflect, dive deeper, and repeat; tested, rated, and revised by a community of experts. The project also offers free certificates and coaching programs to specialize in collaborative pedagogy.
History, Poli-Sci, & GE: Dozens of campuses have used Historic Decisions guides to help students in history, political science, and general education courses to deliberate past choices. Guides explore the making of the U.S.-Mexico border, the formation of the U.S. Constitution, and world wars (go here to access dozens of guides).
For a deeper dive into what this could look like in Communication Studies, Comparative Politics, and General Education, see Deliberative Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning for Democratic Engagement, ed. by Timothy J. Shaffer, Nicholas V. Longo, Idit Manosevitch, and Maxine S. Thomas (East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press, 2014) or visit the Deliberative Pedagogy Lab website.
Page updated
Report abuse