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Learning with Empathy September 14, 2017 | Volume 13 | Issue 1 Table of Contents
Empathy Through Academic Inquiry: A "Controversial" Approach
Jessica A. Hockett and Kristina J. Doubet
At first blush, empathy and academic inquiry may seem unrelated. When discussing controversial or sensitive topics, students should focus on facts, not feelings … right? In truth, however, rigorous study of any topic, text, or issue without empathy leads to incomplete—even inaccurate—findings and conclusions.
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005) define empathy as "the ability to get inside another person's feelings and worldview" (p. 98). Empathizing doesn't mean casting aside reality or denying one's own beliefs, convictions, or perspective; rather, it means primarily seeking to understand rather than be understood (Covey, 1989). The ability to empathize is innately human, but that doesn't mean it comes easily to all students in all situations. Associated behaviors—like listening without judging, acknowledging without agreeing, questioning without interrogating, and even attending without interrupting—are skills that take time and practice to develop.
Structured academic controversy (SAC), developed by cooperative learning experts David and Roger Johnson, is one practical strategy that rises to the challenge of teaching empathy within academic inquiry. It can be used across grade levels and subjects and is ideal for showing students what it means to empathize, because it calls for them to do so both practically and personally.
At first, SAC feels like debate, but it's different in that it requires students to empathize with and argue both sides of an issue, and it strives to build consensus rather than having the user win or beat an opponent. Here's how it works:
Setup
Figure 1. Different types of sample SAC topics
Sample SAC Topics by Type
Yes/No Statements
Double-Sided Issues
Dichotomous Viewpoints
Process
There are three "rounds" in SAC.
Round 1
a. You said: ____________________ (point made by opponents)
b. Which I applaud, because: _____________ (area of partial agreement)
c. However, I believe: ________________ (opposing view on the topic)
d. Because: _______________________ (reasoning)
Round 2
Round 3
Figure 2. Sentence frames for building consensus
Consensus-Building "Sound Bites"
To close out your use of SAC in your classroom, have students reflect—individually or in groups—on the "big picture" painted by the varying perspectives they have explored. Students respond in writing or in classroom discussion by relaying the questions the discussion raised, reflecting on how their viewpoints have shifted, or assessing their contributions to the process. These responses can take many forms—students can write questions on exit slips or in apps like Let's Recap and use these questions or observations to feed follow-up discussions. Teacher prompts such as "What do you see now that you didn't before?" or "How did it feel to argue for a side you didn't agree with?" can tap into whether and how students were able to empathize.
There's no single strategy or magic trick for teaching empathy. But, used well and often, SAC has the potential to teach young people the value of tiptoeing beyond the boundary of selfhood to "try on" the eyes, ears, and heart of another—both in the classroom and in everyday life.
References
Covey, S. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York: Free Press.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. (Expanded 2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Jessica A. Hockett is an education consultant and ASCD Faculty member specializing in differentiated instruction, curriculum and performance task design, and gifted education. She is coauthor with Kristina Doubet of Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies to Engage All Learners and its K–5 companion, "Differentiation in the Elementary Grades: Strategies to Engage and Equip All Learners" (available October 2017). Connect with her on her website or on Twitter @jahockett or @diy_diff. Kristina J. Doubet is a member of ASCD's Differentiated Instruction Cadre and associate professor of middle and secondary education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Follow her on Twitter @kjdoubet and learn more about her work at www.KristinaDoubet.com.
ASCD Express, Vol. 13, No. 1. Copyright 2017 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.
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