Harkness Learning
What is a Harkness discussion? ​(Hint: It’s not that ^)
“It’s a way of life. It begins in the classroom and extends beyond it, to field, stage and common
room. It’s about collaboration and respect, where every voice carries equal weight, even when you
don’t agree… It’s where you explore ideas as a group, developing the courage to speak, the
compassion to listen, and the empathy to understand.
It’s not about being right or wrong.It’s a collaborative approach to problem solving and learning”
(​www.exeter.edu​).
What is the point?
The purpose of a Harkness is two-fold: 1) You are trying to add depth of thinking to a
concept/question 2) You are trying to have the best conversation possible. I am more interested in
how​ you participate rather than what you talked about.
You will learn how to analyze a problem, synthesize course material and your lived experience to
arrive at new possibilities, elaborate on ideas until you have multiple answers, disagree with respect
and grace, and collaborate in critical, thought-provoking, ​rigorous​ ​vigorous​ discourse.
Here are some tips:
1. Make it something you want to talk about. ​The goal is to create open-ended questions
around that prompt that you want to explore in the unit or text.
2. Take the conversation seriously. ​Learning is work. If it’s not effortful, you’re probably
not learning.
3. Be aware of how much you are speaking. ​Use the Finger Counting protocol to
self-monitor. There IS such a thing as speaking too much or for too long. Keep your
opportunities to speak down to one main point. If you’re not speaking, then consider how
you might jump in—pose a question, add evidence to someone else's point, disagree and
offer another lens through which to look at the same concept/idea.
4. Bring peers in by asking open-ended questions. ​This takes preparation and active
listening.
5. Listen Mindfully: ​There is almost nothing less courteous than repeating something that’s
already been said. It demonstrates that you were not listening to your peers, who are
making important intellectual risks to help you grow.
6. If you disagree, do so clearly and kindly. ​Dialogue is not a Twitter war. We respect
each other’s humanity and recognize that disagreement is not a reflection of how we feel
about another person, but rather simply a relationship we have to an idea.
7. Speak to your peers.​ Say their names. ​Listen to them​ and respond, rather than react, to
their ideas. Cognitive science research indicates that learning happens through interaction
and socialization. We need each other to learn.