Constructive Dialogue Institute's Listening Sessions Activity

If you’ve read a Chronicle of Higher Ed piece about civil discourse or dialogue across differences in the last two years—whether the tone is positive or critical—they likely mentioned the Constructive Dialogue Institute. Universities across the country are adopting CDI’s Perspectives online into their first-year student orientations (and educators can sign-up to explore this program at no-cost). I’m highlighting a guide here for a short classroom activity that builds a key component skill of dialogue: listening to understand, setting aside our impulses to evaluate, respond, or compare to ourselves.