Dialogue is a specific form of communication that promotes connection, understanding, and inclusion, especially across differences. This resource includes practical strategies that the CDP team and our participants have found particularly helpful for implementing Community Agreements in classrooms and other academic settings.
Model Inclusivity Early
Use your syllabus to set a tone and expectation of inclusion and accessibility. Refer to resources and templates available from different campus units, such as the Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) and Student Disability Services (SDS).
Use a start-of-course survey to offer students space to share preferred first names, pronouns (if they want to), accessibility needs, and anything else you might need to know. Follow up by making plans to address needs, using partners on campus like SDS and CTI.
Engage students in discussing class Community Agreements, and provide a Community Agreements handout.
Many community agreements supported, such as:Practice active and empathetic listening Be both teachers and learners Acknowledge judgments and assumptions, including our own |
Other goals supported:Model the practice, expectation, and impact of inclusivity in the classroom Recognize students and yourself as individuals and agents in learning Facilitate engagement, connection, and collaboration among students |
Set expectations for not engaging with devices
Start the conversation by asking participants to close and put away devices (or just phones) unless they are needed to engage in the conversation.
Community agreements supported:Practice active and empathetic listening Be here now |
Other goals supported:Model how sharing intentional, engaged time impacts classroom connection and learning |
Advocate for diversity mindsets
When exploring complex topics, such as field priorities in research, design, development, and investment, explicitly frame differences as a source of value: “we are likely to have different perspectives, which will help us arrive at a fuller understanding of this topic and its underlying issues.”
When asking a question, explicitly encourage different viewpoints and perspectives. Ask students to reflect on and explain what informs their thoughts, feelings, and views, including their identities, lived experiences, and/or knowledge.
Community agreements supported:Be both teachers and learners Use “I” statements Challenge the idea, not the person Acknowledge judgments and assumptions, including our own |
Other goals supported:Model the impact and importance of overcoming socialized or expected preferences for agreement Motivate participants to share perspectives that contrast with others Help participants identify gaps in their own thinking |
Invite anonymous input before or during class
Invite anonymous input during class using iClicker or online platforms such as Google Forms and Padlet. For example, use iClicker to ask scaled questions about agreement with specific statements or confidence in specific topics. Use Google Forms or Padlets to collect and organize open responses about questions, learning points, or areas of agreement and disagreement.
Share students’ responses with the group anonymously, e.g. print and post on the wall for a gallery walk, create a word cloud, display poll results, or collect responses in a shared document in which students can respond to each other.
Community agreements supported:Stories stay, lessons leave Challenge the idea, not the person Acknowledge judgments and assumptions, including our own |
Other goals supported:Include those who feel less comfortable or inclined to offer their authentic perspectives in a visible way Surface the diversity of perspectives and understandings in the group and model the benefits of this diversity for learning, developing shared meaning, and collaborating |
Use the “three hands” strategy
After posing a question, state that you will wait for at least three participants to raise their hands to offer input before calling on anyone.
You can then call first on voices that have been quieter or those who you think will offer a fresh perspective. When possible, make sure to follow up by inviting in any others who raised their hands.
Community agreements supported:Take space, make space Be both teachers and learners |
Other goals supported:Make space for those who are quieter or need time to process before responding Prioritize voices with new and/or key perspectives |
Set an expectation of “no interruptions”
Set this expectation by asking participants to refrain from responding or envisioning their response while someone is speaking and noting that this is an essential demonstration of mutual respect and empathy. Interruptions or raised hands while someone is speaking indicate that the listener hasn’t listened fully.
Community agreements supported:One microphone Practice active and empathetic listening |
Other goals supported:Promote constructive communication, connection, and the development of trust and mutual understanding |
Scaffold conversations
Use small groups and think-pair-shares before building to a large group conversation to give all students the space to reflect on and share their perspectives.
For example, offer students a prompt and time for individual reflection, then send them to small groups with a reminder to share the space equitably. Then invite small groups to share key ideas with the larger group. Be mindful of group dynamics, e.g. who might need to take or make more space for their voice.
Community agreements supported:Take space, make space Be both teachers and learners |
Other goals supported:Highlight the importance and impact of hearing diverse perspectives Promote connection, co-learning, and collaboration among participants |
Use reciprocal learning strategies
Promote deeper learning and collaboration with a scaffolded structure for students to expand and share their content expertise:
- Divide students into “expert groups,” with each group focused on a different key class topic or concept.
- Begin by having students individually review materials and/or think through a problem or question related to their assigned topic.
- Send students to their expert groups with prompts to discuss their topic, identify and clarify points of confusion, and strategize how to teach the topic clearly and compellingly to their peers.
- Structure cross-topic co-learning. For example, have expert groups create and present a mini-lecture on their topic to the class. Alternatively, or in addition, arrange students into project teams with experts in each topic. Have teams collaborate on a problem or question that connects topics.
Community agreements supported:Be both teachers and learners Take space and make space Acknowledge judgments and assumptions (including our own) Embrace discomfort |
Other goals supported:Enhance and deepen learning by setting an expectation of teaching Promote collaboration by structuring opportunities for learning from others Reinforce students’ skills for learning and communication with structured opportunities to expand and share their expertise |
Incorporate LARA
Remind students of the goals and stages of LARA, which all incoming students learn about in Community at Cornell. Encourage them to use this framework and model using it in conversations.
Be generous in assuming intentions (and say this) but be courageous about sharing impact in a way that allows for dialogue.
Intentional Communication: Using LARA Resource
Community agreements supported:Practice active and empathetic listening Be both teachers and learners Take space and make space Trust intent, name impact |
Many other goals supported, such as:Use a shared framework and language for all to engage meaningfully with each other, especially across differences Model the impact of intentional, honest, and open-minded discourse on co-learning, including your own |
Reflect on the conversation
After an important or challenging group conversation, ask each student to reflect on and share one thing they learned. Alternatively, ask students to share an idea or moment that challenged them, or a lingering question they have. Lessons might be shared using think-pair-shares, small group conversations, or a large group go-around. Whenever possible, instructors should participate in this reflection as well.
Community agreements supported:Stories stay, lessons leave Use “I” statements Be honest with ourselves and others Challenge the idea, not the person Trust intent, name impact |
Other goals supported:Model the impacts of introspection, humility, and openness on learning Model current knowledge in your field as evolving and as an outcome of the collaborative co-generation of ideas Promote students’ sense of ownership, agency, and capacity in the group and in their learning |