Having students take responsibility for the process of learning

Abstract

There is often an inconsistency in conflict resolution teaching between what we are trying to impart-that process matters deeply and that we should be proactive about enabling effective and appropriate processand how class is often conducted. This short article offers some reflections on the sources of that inconsistency, and some suggestions for corrective action.T he first thing to understand is how a typical mediation or negotiation class is conducted in a law school. Most conflict resolution teachers understand the importance of experiential learning in learning about the process of negotiation or mediation, and so they structure a class that is a mix of role-plays, discussions, lectures, and other exercises. 1 Without a doubt, many professors recognize that students must experience the process of negotiation or mediation in order to understand it and improve their skills.The substance of what we teach in class encourages students to be proactive in the roles they will play in dispute resolution processes-for example, to take the initiative in setting the tone of the interaction, plan for an agenda, and negotiate control over process as well as substantive outcomes.The inconsistency that concerns us and that has given rise to this article appears in the pedagogic planning and delivery of courses on mediation and negotiation. If substantively we are teaching our students that they should be aware, and take responsibility for, choices over process, then how class processes are conducted should reflect, and ideally model, this philosophical commitment.

Using “Shocks and Rumors” to Teach Adaptive Thinking

“…Negotiation simulations are powerful vehicles for personal development (Schneider and Macfarlane 2003). They provide purpose and context for students in the process of learning to analyze issues, interests, parties, and linkages.…”

Negotiating Classroom Process: Lessons from Adult Learning

“…How can a teacher make use of the educational power of process responsibility in teaching negotiation? As Andrea Schneider and Julie Macfarlane (2003) noted, a negotiation class is a multiparty negotiation. The more the way in which one teaches models what one teaches, the more deeply the lessons will be learned.…”

“…What are the features of an environment conducive to adult learning? To help put learners in the driver's seat, some teachers use such devices as learning contracts, in which students set their own goals and terms of engagement in a class, midcourse evaluations that consider how well those commitments have been fulfilled and whether they remain appropriate, and self‐appraisals that help assess progress in a graded class (Schneider and Macfarlane 2003). In addition, most North American teachers of negotiation use role plays, games, reflective and analytical writing, minilectures, oral presentations, and/or demonstrations to engage students with varied learning styles and to keep them actively involved in the process (Bordone and Mnookin 2000).…”

Teaching Students to Shape the Game: Negotiation Architecture and the Design of Manageably Dynamic Simulations

“…It is possible to teach much about negotiation architecture and the art of shaping the game with a carefully chosen sequence of hypothetical scenarios and historical case studies, but it is not optimal to do it that way. Our experience in teaching negotiation suggests that student learning is more powerful when scenarios and case studies are supplemented with experiential exercises such as role simulations (Gardner 2000; Schneider and Macfarlane 2003).…”