THATCamp LAC Session – Deliberation and Technology

I’m interested in having a conversation about the intersections of the humanities, technology, and deliberative democracy.  This past year, I’ve worked at the Kettering Foundation and have taken part in workshops among a small group of college faculty who are using deliberation in their classrooms.  A consistent theme in our discussions was how technology might facilitate the teaching of deliberation or the act of deliberation.  Put another way, what is to be gained by adding technology to deliberation theories and processes?  Why and how might humanities faculty combine deliberation and technology in their courses, particularly around the civic mission of many liberal arts colleges?  Some brainstorming ideas: discussions about theories of democracy and technology, using deliberative methods via social media, the use of technology to enhance civic engagement with the class, the campus, and the community, and so on.

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About civicsam

Sara A. Mehltretter Drury is an Assistant Professor at Wabash College in the Department of Rhetoric. She attended the 2011 ThatCampLAC (liberal arts colleges).

5 Responses to THATCamp LAC Session – Deliberation and Technology

  1. This could be really interesting. I wonder if there’s some way to focus on forms of expression that encourage dialogue and forms that … don’t? I’m thinking of the way so much online chatter is so polarized and polarizing, particularly on mainstream media sites. Yet there are other online communities that are really warm and self-regulating and welcoming. Figuring out how to create inclusive online communities would be interesting.

  2. civicsam says:

    Great point Barbara! I’d very much like to discuss how new media might encourage/discourage more or less civil forms of discourse.

  3. amycavender says:

    This sounds like a really interesting session! I’d love to share ideas, as I’m trying to think of ways to get my Political Issues students thinking about what makes for good political argument and conversation (with an emphasis on conversation

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