2017 | 2018 Innovative Teaching Showcase

SHOWCASE INDEX | CIIA | WWU ISSUE 20

Engaging Social Justice
“People who use social justice as a signal for what their work engages with understand that inequities are produced, inequities are structured, and that things have got to change in order to achieve different educational outcomes. Social justice education is a choice away from pathology and linearity. … There is no future in the field of education without the contributions of people who are doing their work under the rising sign of social justice.""

– Toward What Justice,
Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang, eds.

Ideas

Idea #3: ORID: The Art of Focused Conversation

Learning Intention

“Once a society loses this capacity [for dialogue] all that is left is a cacophony of voices battling it out to see who wins and who loses.” --Peter M. Senge6

Overview

This discussion facilitation technique leads participants in a conversation that flows from surface to depth by posing questions in a progressive series of depths to build consensus or action plans on challenging issues.6 The acronym, ORID, stands for the four levels of questions: objective, reflective, interpretive, and decisional.1

Instructions 3,5,6

  1. Objective: Get the facts by engaging the five senses.

    2. Ask questions that will invite inclusive participation, focus attention, and help students gather the basic data, such as, “Who was present?” “What did you see/hear?” “What did you notice?”5

  2. Reflective: Share immediate emotional responses or experiences.

    3. Ask questions that allow students to acknowledge their emotions, memories and associations, such as, “How did you feel about___?” “What are you confused about?” “What is most exciting/difficult/boring/easy?”

  3. Interpretive: Identify meaning, values, purpose or implications attached to the topic.

    4. Ask questions that raise awareness of logical connections and available options, such as “What difference will it make?” “How has this been beneficial/detrimental?” “What insights are beginning to emerge?” “What values are we holding?”

  4. Decisional: Decide on a resolution, action, direction or steps.

    5. Ask questions that draw out deeper meaning and may lead to relevant future action, such as, “What would it look like to…?” “What are we committed to?” “What will you do differently?”

Considerations 4,6

  • Plan open-ended questions: Be sure the questions require elaboration from students, not a simple yes or no response, and arrange them in a useful order. There is a fantastic list of sample questions available from University of Virginia.
  • No “right” answers: Instead of imparting ideas or “teaching,” trust the wisdom of the group to let ideas emerge organically and build collective understanding.
  • Be specific: To get the best results ask for specific examples or illustrations from students to clarify their contributions.
  • Set aside enough time: Unlike reaching a simple conclusion, confronting a challenging issue takes time to reach deep engagement and insight.

References

  1. Abel, T. (2018). Praxis for Environmental Justice, Innovative Teaching Showcase, Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment, Western Washington University. Available:  http://cii.wwu.edu/showcase2017/
  2. Beever, G. (2017). The ORID Method, AgriFutures Australia. Available: http://extensionaus.com.au/extension-practice/the-orid-method-objective-reflective-interpretive-and-decisional/
  3. Gonzales, A. (2016). The Focused Conversation Method: Designing and Delivery Productive Meetings AND One-on-One Discussions, presentation for the National Center for Farmworker Health. Available: http://www.ncfh.org/uploads/3/8/6/8/38685499/orid_pres_mwsf_10.26.16.pdf
  4. Grayson, R. (2010). ORID -- Strategic questions that get you to a decision. Pacific Edge blog. Available: https://pacific-edge.info/2010/08/orid/
  5. Sample Questions for Each Level of the Focused Conversation (n.d.), Organizational Excellence, University of Virginia. Available: https://organizationalexcellence.virginia.edu/sites/organizationalexcellence.virginia.edu/files/PC_ORID_Questions_List.pdf
  6. Stanfield, B. (n.d.). The Art of Focused Conversation, Institute of Cultural Affairs. Available: http://ispimi.org/images/meeting/082212/focused_conversation_ica_associates.pdf