“When am I ever going to use this?” is a question more commonly asked in grade school classrooms than in undergraduate and graduate school ones, but instructors in higher education often consider the relevance and transferability of their course material nonetheless. To ensure that her course content is relevant and useful to students’ lives, Jane Mansbridge centers class material around transferable, real-world takeaways. In this video, she describes how by doing so, she gives her students “tools” she hopes they will take with them forever.

By framing class discussions as a three-way conversation between authors, students, and herself, Jane Mansbridge broadens and enlivens students’ interaction with course material. This clever framing encourages students to consider the author’s point of view, place his/her writing in historical context, and uncover assumptions that underpin the author’s argument. Framing discussions this way can be an especially powerful technique for instructors teaching historical texts. When done well, it is almost as if the authors are present in the classroom.

Invariably, not all good ideas will be heard during the course of a discussion, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be heard at all. By requiring students to write responses to weekly readings before class, instructors can take a pulse on student thinking and use students’ written ideas to plan lectures and discussions. Through timely and detailed written feedback on such responses, Jane Mansbridge establishes an ongoing dialogue with students that extends far beyond the four walls of the classroom.

Students often pay close attention to how instructors receive wrong answers. Students who feel shut down by a professor after taking an intellectual risk may think twice before they raise their hands next time. Instructors sensitive to this possibility nurture curiosity by acknowledging the difficulty of a text, inviting students to share initial understandings, providing clear feedback, and normalizing the process of being incorrect as a crucial step on the journey toward understanding.  In this video, Jane Mansbridge describes how she channels candor and curiosity to create a...

It’s always powerful when students’ original thinking plays an integral role in the structure and design of lessons. Making this thinking known and/or visible can foster a sense of ownership among students. In this video, Jane Mansbridge uses student reading responses to structure a tightly structured discussion and ensure that diverse perspectives are heard.

If efficiency and accuracy are the goal, finding a way to keep students’ contributions short becomes imperative. Doing so can grow less uncomfortable, however, once expectations are made clear about airtime. Building strong relationships with students always helps, too. In this video, to facilitate an efficient discussion, Jane Mansbridge sets explicit expectations about student contributions. In doing so, Mansbridge demonstrates that discussion and efficiency need not be mutually exclusive.

Topics Covered

Opening class

• Instructor: Jane Mansbridge, Charles F. Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Value
• Student Group: Graduate
• School: Harvard Kennedy School
• Course: Democratic Theory
• Clip Length: 39 seconds (0:07-0:46)

Go to Mansbridge Clip 1

Topics Covered

Closing class; priming students for their next reading; take-aways/summary; scaffolding

• Instructor: Jane Mansbridge, Charles F. Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Value
• Student Group: Graduate
• School: Harvard Kennedy School
• Course: Democratic Theory
• Clip Length: 3 minutes, 54 seconds (1:00:25-1:04:19)

Go to Mansbridge Clip 5

Topics Covered

Eliciting participation; Making thinking visible; Instructional technology; warm calling; anchoring in the text; application; affirming students

• Instructor: Jane Mansbridge, Charles F. Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Value
• Student Group: Graduate
• School: Harvard Kennedy School
• Course: Democratic Theory
• Clip Length: 2 minutes, 29 seconds (22:09-24:38)

Go to Mansbridge Clip 2

Topics Covered

Eliciting participation; Using humor; using student prework to structure discussion; deepening students' understanding of theoretical concepts; encouraging students to respond to one another's thinking; encouraging a willingness to get it wrong; asking questions; linking student comments; changing opinions; knowing your students; scaffolding; affirming students

• Instructor: Jane Mansbridge, Charles F. Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Value
• Student Group: Graduate
• School: Harvard Kennedy School
• Course: Democratic Theory
• Clip Length: 7 minutes, 49 seconds (28:04-35:53)

Go to Mansbridge Clip 3

Topics Covered

Using humor; Building rapport; showing vulnerability; sharing personal experience; responding to students; authenticity

• Instructor: Jane Mansbridge, Charles F. Adams Professor of Political Leadership and Democratic Value
• Student Group: Graduate
• School: Harvard Kennedy School
• Course: Democratic Theory
• Clip Length: 3 minutes, 17 seconds (50:50-54:07)

Go to Mansbridge Clip 4