The Colloquium as a Pedagogy of Dialogue

Abstract

A pedagogy of dialogue can facilitate student civic engagement and critical self-reflection into divisive social issues. Although several scholars theorize and support this claim, few describe their practices for teaching students how to become agents of social change in their everyday lives through dialogic public discourse. This paper describes the context and methods used to foster students’ understandings of divergent points of view during a winter intersession colloquium that was affiliated with a campus and community lecture series at a women's liberal arts college.

Keywords:

• controversial issues
• collaborative teaching
• critical thinking
• interdisciplinary
• student responsibility
• deliberative democracy
• rhetoric