Office of Faculty Development and Advancement

What if my course involves instruction on one or more of the “specified concepts”?

As with all courses, instructors who teach courses that cover controversial topics, including one or more of the “specified concepts”, ought to provide a variety of evidence-based arguments and interpretations and provide students with opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills through practice interpreting, evaluating, and assessing evidence.

It is also important to cultivate trust and community in our classrooms. All students can learn more effectively and more deeply when they feel valued and respected. When we make our classes into a community of learners who listen with openness to varied perspectives and experiences and who practice disagreeing respectfully and thoughtfully, we support their development as thinkers and as adults.

Here are some resources that you may find helpful for teaching and facilitating classroom discussions:

     Resource on cultivating classroom community:

• https://www.baylor.edu/atl/index.php?id=984867

     Useful resources on helping support students’ development as critical thinkers:

• https://www.ideaedu.org/idea-notes-on-learning/learning-to-analyze-and-critically-evaluate-ideas-arguments-and-points-of-view/
• https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/03/02/teaching-students-think-critically-opinion
• https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/node/671

Return to HB7 Frequently Asked Questions