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Structured Academic Controversy (also known as “Academic Controversy,” “Cooperative Controversy” and “Constructive Controversy”) is a cooperative learning strategy designed to help students understand competing sides of a controversial issue and potentially work toward consensus. In this presentation, Dave Dettman and Dona Warren will discuss ways that argument mapping can enhance Structured Academic Controversy by reducing cognitive load, reinforcing reasoning schema, and providing a framework for active listening, charitable interpretation, critical thinking, and productive dialogue. In this way, Structured Academic Controversy conducted within an argument mapping framework has the potential to help learners master an increasingly essential set of transferrable skills.
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About Dr. Richardson:
Alex Richardson has been Director of the renowned National High School Ethics Bowl program since 2019. He is an award-winning teacher and an advocate for public and pre-college philosophy pedagogy—particularly in ethics and civics education. Alex received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2021. In addition to his work at the Parr Center, Alex teaches courses in ethics and political philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Elon University and serves on Boards of Directors for the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics and Ethics Bowl Canada, as well as on the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Pre-College Philosophy. Beginning in June 2024, he will begin an appointment as Associate Director for Content Strategy and Engagement at the Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University, where he will also teach.
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Teaching productive disagreement requires helping students learn how to integrate analytical skills and soft skills, such as active listening and empathetic reasoning. My talk will showcase two tried-and-true methods, employed in Notre Dame’s God and the Good Life class, aimed at honing the latter skillset. Paired with ThinkerAnalytix – a powerful tool for critical reasoning – these methods enable students to participate in meaningful dialogues centered on disagreement. Specifically, we’ll explore our unique “Dialogue Training” program and the Center for Applied Rationality’s “Double Crux” method. After summarizing what the tools are and how they work, I’ll provide resources for educators interested in implementing these tools within their own courses, thus empowering students to navigate productive disagreements effectively.
Presented in partnership with AILACT.
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“Intellectual charity” refers to a set of skills that students— especially undergraduates studying philosophy— are expected to use when engaging new and controversial arguments. To demonstrate intellectual charity, students are expected to (among other things): listen carefully, represent opposing arguments in a favorable light, show intellectual humility about their own ideas, and so on. Despite its complexity, until now the skills and steps of intellectual charity haven’t been systemized for structured, focused learning. Instead, students often learn how to be charitable by engaging in a series of classroom discussions with faculty who model charity, and by receiving feedback on assessments like essays in which students are expected to represent arguments charitably. How can we systematize intellectual charity for wider and more accessible and equitable learning? This talk will discuss a recent collaboration between edTech leaders, philosophers, and lifelong educators to clarify and systematize the skills of intellectual empathy— our approach to intellectually charitable reading and listening.
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As artificial intelligence has emerged into society, seemingly overnight, educators have become aware of the potential drawbacks of this technology―plagiarism, cheating, and the rapid obsolescence of traditional assignments, to name a few. These are valid concerns, but there are also tremendous benefits to be realized from AI in the classroom. AI and the Future of Education author Priten Shah will discuss how you can embrace artificial intelligence to meet students’ needs, with a particular focus on leveraging AI to build students’ reasoning skills.
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