Learning for Democracy: Lessons in Power and Persuasion
Titus Alexander
Half Day, 1:30 Pm – 5:30 PM
Los Angeles Convention Center, 515B
Humanity’s biggest and most difficult problems are political: domestic violence, conflict, discrimination, inequality, global heating, environment, trade policy, you name it. Yet there are still too few opportunities for people to develop practical political understanding, strategies and skills – unlike business, the biggest subject in higher education and online.
This short course covers a range of tried and tested methods for teaching non-partisan, practical politics across the curriculum, including how to
- make the most of ‘teachable moments’
- create learning communities in a class or lecture programme, using peer induction, electing class representatives and devils’ advocates; setting up study buddies, huddles, buzz groups and action learning sets;
- tackle controversial issues constructively
- make the most of invited activists, politicians and practitioners
- base assignments on real-life tasks, projects or community service
- explore issues of power and exclusion
- use Solutions Focus and Systems Thinking in political problem solving
- present theories as stories, pictures and diagrams
- teach Theories of Change and how to plan and develop a campaign
- evaluate the impact of your course
This course is participative and informative, enabling participants to share their experience and prioritise topics they wish to explore. This could include strategies for promoting learning for democracy across the curriculum or in education more widely.
This course draws on four decades of experience in civic education, engagement and advocacy at a local, national and international level; my book on ‘Practical Politics: Lessons in Power and Democracy’ (2016, UCL IoE/Trentham) on teaching democratic politics, and into increasing the impact of social science and evaluation of education.
Titus Alexander is a regular contributor to the World Forum for Democracy at the Council of Europe, and has published widely on deepening democracy, including Family Learning: The Foundation of Effective Education (Demos 1997), Citizenship Schools: A practical guide (2001), and Unravelling Global Apartheid: An overview of world politics (Polity/Blackwell’s, 1996). He runs an advanced apprenticeship in campaigning, leadership and management for trade unions and public sector managers in the UK. He founded Democracy Matters, an alliance for learning practical politics, Charter 99, and co-founded the Parenting Education and Support Forum.
Participants will receive practical templates for learning and teaching, course notes and slides, and can download a copy of ‘Practical Politics: Lessons in Power and Democracy’ here: https://bit.ly/PP-Final
For a briefing paper on the case for teaching practical politics, examples and further reading download How Universities Can Make a Difference here: http://bit.ly/3jcjNu8
This course was fully subscribed at the APSA 2021 and 2022.