Discussing Politics In the Classroom

We are in the final weeks leading up to a presidential election.  One of Illinois State’s core values is civic engagement.  It would seem, on the surface, at least, a no brainer to find ways to discuss and critically evaluate the issues and the candidates in our courses in an effort to encourage our students

Engaging Students in Discussion of Controversial Issues

Most faculty members are reluctant to engage students in the discussion of controversial issues for various reasons. Some fear how such discussion will be received by students in the classroom. They argue that students’ lack the knowledge and confidence in their ability to discuss topics that are controversial, they often become more emotional than intellectual