Design for Difficult Conversations
Prepare students in the course outline
Add something within your course outline which lets students know they should expect conversations that may be difficult and that diversity and inclusion is encouraged. One way to do this is through a diversity statement. A diversity statement is a 1-2 paragraph statement added to your course outline that is written in your own words and signals to students your values and approach to creating an inclusive and diverse class.
Another way to let students plan ahead for difficult conversations involving sensitive content (e.g. sexual assault, violence, racism, etc…) is to add content warnings. This may be a blanket statement if the whole course deals with specific issues, or if there are weeks where you envision the topic might be uncomfortable for some students, add this into the weekly module.
Prepare yourself
When designing a course that includes topics and areas that may lead to difficult conversations, start by considering your own position and bias.
Ask yourself: How does this fit within the course content? Why have I chosen it? (Clearly articulate in your course outline, why and how it relates to the course).
Consider your own bias: Do you have any strong feelings about the content?
Grading and participation
Although it is good to have discussions and/or participation included in grading since this rewards students for the hard work of the difficult discussions, consider having alternative options so that if a student is feeling that a topic is too difficult for them, they will not be penalized for needing to step out.
Classroom environment
The physical or virtual setting can impact the type of discussion you will have. Think about whether you will get everyone to sit in a circle, will one person lead, will there be small groups, is it easy for students to leave the room if they need to? Are there any accessibility considerations that need to be designed for?
Design an exit strategy: Build in a safe exit strategy that doesn’t academically penalize a student who may need to step away from the discussion.
Resources
Considering equity, diversity, and inclusion in creating your syllabus/course outline: Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the course syllabus: Considerations for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69-79.
Content Warnings: See this resource on Content Warnings from the University of Waterloo.
Creating Diversity Statements: See these activities for creating a diversity statement.
Trauma informed pedagogy: RRU Pedagogical Values session and University of Michigan guide.
Once your course is set up to support difficult conversations, you can use specific techniques to maintain and support ongoing dialogues.