JMU's Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue

08/25/2024

AI has a democracy challenge - Citizen Assemblies provide a dialogic solution. A provocative essay by Jack Stilgoe in the journal Science.

When it comes to making decisions about artificial intelligence (AI), Eric Schmidt is very clear. In 2023, the former Google CEO told NBC’s Meet the Press, “there’s no way a nonindustry person can understand what is possible. It’s just too new, too hard, ...

07/26/2024

Do you work with students on a campus in classroom, or co-curricularly? Are you looking for support to help students engage in conversations about difficult issues this fall? Here is a low-cost webinar by a group of folks who have a lot of experience. Consider attending and sharing widely.

Check out Engaging in Challenging Conversations in Higher Ed by The National Coalition For Dialogue And Deliberation, Inc.!

05/04/2024

Icebreakers are a great way to set the stage for dialogue, a topic which you can read more about on our newest blog post! Check it out by clicking the link in our bio!!

04/18/2024

A fresh, new blog post is up! Read all about the experience our two student directors Chloe and Taylor had a few weeks ago at the National Student Dialogue! (Click the link in our bio to access!)

04/04/2024

New Blog Post Alert!!

Though the topic of climate change is widely talked about, it is not always considered in terms of the small steps each of us can take to lead to a better future. A recent dialogue workshop with JMU students revolved around the areas of purchasing habits, idea of "place", and how climate change is framed in the media. Read more about how students discussed these topics by going to the blog post linked in our bio!

03/28/2024

What an amazing weekend! ICAD students representatives Chloe and Taylor had the opportunity this past weekend to join Dr. Britt in attending the SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue at the Biden School of Public Policy & Administration, University of Delaware. Revolving around the topic of balancing free speech and inclusivity on college campuses, there was the chance to workshop stakeholders, problems, and action plans in a facilitated dialogue with students all around the nation, listen to panelists discussing how to engage the campus community in civil discourse, and brainstorm ideas to implement at JMU to help students to have a respectful conversation about issues even while having differing perspectives.

03/08/2024

Do you ever wonder how students are thinking about AI, in both positive and negative ways? A new blog post is up that looks into a discussion students at JMU had about AI in the classroom, workplace, and beyond! The facilitated conversation showed the diversity of students perspectives around this tool, and how it can be seen as both destructive and helpful in society. To read all about it, check out the post through the LinkTree in our bio!

03/01/2024

Facilitation Friday! The sharing of multiple ideas and perspectives is such an important aspect of creating a productive and insightful conversation, which is why it is so crucial to include everyone in the conversation. Though some participants may be more willing to share than others, there are ways to pull individuals into the conversation so that their ideas are heard and shared!

02/29/2024

ICAD's Lori Britt talking about her experience as part of the Institute for Citizens and Scholars,

Dr. Britt shares insights into her College Presidents for Civic Preparedness Faculty Institute experience and how it has impacted her classroom instruction.

02/27/2024

Looking for a short but interesting read? Well, the Aging in Society blog post is up!

You can read all about the conversation between SCOM students and members of the JMU Lifelong Learning Institute as they navigated the concept of aging and the generational differences that come with it!

Follow this link to read more: https://conta.cc/4bMsXse

02/23/2024

It's... Facilitation Friday! Today we are focusing on the preparation step of facilitation to emphasize the importance of how the questions are worded and created. Never underestimate the power of a good question and what it can do to impact the conversation. Think back on these tips the next time you are preparing to facilitate a conversation and they will help to increase participant engagement!