Fostering Civility in the Teaching and Learning Environment Zopito A. Marini, Ph.D.

1. Fostering Civility in the Teaching and Learning Environment Zopito A. Marini, Ph.D. Professor of Child and Youth Studies Chancellor’s Chair for Teaching Excellence Brock University Keynote Presentation at Wilfrid Laurier University Wednesday, September 2, 2000; 9:00am to 10:30am

2. Agenda • New Academic Term • New beginnings and new opportunities • Why civility? • Students • Professors • Administrators • Understanding Incivility • Using bullying research as a lens • Fostering Civility • Thin line between incivility and civility • Questionnaire • Making sense of the feedback • Declaration of civility • Take home messages • Civility as relationships and rules • Connecting to the rest of the day - Workshops & Panel Discussion

3. New Academic Term: New Beginnings & New Opportunities • Unique opportunity to re-energize our teaching • Following up on students’ feedback from the previous year • Implementing new instructional ideas, • Most importantly, setting a positive tone for the rest of the term.

4. Why Civility? • Students • Focus on learning and self development • More likely to participate and contribute • More likely to maintain long terms connections with the institution (Hirschy & Braxton, 2004) • Professors • Focus on teaching • Reduces misunderstandings and conflicts • Administrators • Less disputes, grievances, appeals, and damaging conflicts

5. Incivility • …research has traditionally focused on more explicit antisocial behaviors of greater intensity (such as aggression and harassment), and much less is known about lower-level interpersonal stressors such as incivility • Lim et al., (2008) • “low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of …norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others.” • Andersson and Pearson (1999, p.457)

6. Activity • Incivility • Turn to your neighbor (s) • Form a group of 2 or 3 people • Discuss examples of incivility you have heard about, witnessed or experienced

7. Continuum of Incivility:From Annoyance to Nightmare • Depending on who you talk to, classroom civility is either an occasional annoyance or a growing systemic nightmare. • Incivility can range from lack of consideration to outright physical assault.

8. Examples of Incivility • "I once saw a student eat an entire rotisserie chicken, a tub of mashed potatoes with gravy, and a two-liter Pepsi in the back of my class. He did try to belch quietly.“ • Thomas Benton, The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 9, 2004

9. Examples of Incivility • "Thursday we had a confrontation again after I handed her an assignment back. I was fearing it. I knew she would come back at me....I felt nervous. I couldn't think clearly, couldn't get my points out, I stayed up all that night with nightmares. The next day I didn't want to teach any more. I wanted to be removed from any further grading responsibilities." • Female Engineering TA 36-years-old, fourth semester in the classroom

10. New Forms of Rudeness & Meanness:The Bad and the Ugly of Electronic Incivility • Electronic incivility • a new challenge facing educators • Technology has changed the way students approach learning, and created new opportunities for rudeness • Cyber bullying • During class, students play computer games, check e-mail, watch DVDs, participate in chat rooms, answer cell phones, and surf inappropriate (and distracting) web sites • Outside class, students use blogs and web sites to malign peers and professors • Unfortunately, in most cases, e-mails and postings are a mix of mean and offensive attacks on people’s character, including intellectual abilities • Cyber bullies exploit technology to distract, intimidate, causes tension, and interfere with teaching and learning

11. Sliding down the Incivility-Bullying Continuum

12. Multidimensional Bullying Identification Model A) Forms of AttackManifestations “How” is bullying carried out? of Bullying or, what does it look like? Direct  Overt confrontations, involving physical & verbal attacks Indirect  Covert attacks, harming others by manipulating peer relationships B) Function of AttackGoals of Bullying“Why” is bullying carried out? or, what is the motivation? Reactive  Defensive attacks, frustration driven, hostile expressions (i.e., reaction to perceived provoked attacks) Proactive  Predatory attacks, unprovoked, goal-directed (use of aversive acts to obtain instrumental & social goals) C) Types of InvolvementRoles Played “What” role does the individualin the Bullyinghave in bullying? Single role vs. Dual role Passive  Active  Aggressive Marini (2009)

13. Activities to Foster Civility 1) Thin line between incivility and civility 2) Civility Questionnaire 3) Making sense of the feedback 4) Declaration of Civility Take home messages

14. Activity:The thin line between incivility & civility • In/Civility • Form a group of 2 or 3 • Discuss examples of in/civility in each of the assigned quadrant

15. (1) Consequences of Un/Intended In/Civility(Marini, 2009) Intentionality Unintentional Intentional Civility (3) Civility (4)  Civility  Unintentional Intentional Incivility (2) Incivility (1)

16. Definitions of Civility • “the sum of the many sacrifices we are called to make for the sake of living together.” • Stephen Carter • “Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices.” • Ralph Waldo Emerson • “Civility can be defined as the ability to act as a “citizen” of a group and function in a positive manner so that individual academic engagement can create benefits for both the individual and the group.” • (Marini, 2007)

17. Dimensions of Civility Civility = civic (citizenship) + civil (relationship)

18. (2) Academic Civility Questionnaire(ACQ-Ver. 2 – Z. Marini, 2008) Please circle the answer that best describes your belief about each of the following situations Definitely Wrong Sort of Wrong Neither Wrong Sort of OK Definitely OK (1) (2) Nor Right (3) (4) (5) 1) Packing books up before a lesson is over 2) Making fun of a classmate who answered a question wrong *3) A teacher changing the course outline without informing the class *4) Sending text messaging/notes during class 5) Posting nasty notes on bulletin boards about a classmate 6) Spreading rumors about teachers because you do not like them 7) Posting unkind comments online about a teacher or classmates you don’t like 8) Calling a classmate names because they did not agree with your opinion 9) In working on a group project, letting others do the rest of the work 10) Teachers “talk down to” or disrespecting students in front of the class

21. (3) The Nature of Incivility:Making sense of the feedback 1) Forms • Direct vs Indirect 2) Function/Motivation • Reactive vs Proactive 3) Types of Involvement • Passive Active Aggressive 4) Severity • Low Mid High • (annoying) (disruptive) (Dangerous) Marini et al (under review)

22. CHYS 1F90(Postman, 1994) “Another interesting TV related behavior is the students’ tendency to engage openly in reading a newspaper in class or engage in other ‘unconcealed side involvements’. Many of the students are not aware that the teacher might consider their behavior to be rude because it’s ok to do while watching television”

23. (4) Co-Constructing a Declaration of Civility(Marini et al, under review) Part 1: Defining “Civility” • Individual activity – write (or draw) what civility means to you • Group activity –identify themes of civility Part 2: Operationalizing “Civility” • Individual activity - write how we are going to make “concrete” the identified themes of civility • Group activity –identify communal procedures Part 3: Construct a Declaration of Civility • Individual activity - generate a “statement of civility” that you believe the class should abide by • Group activity - Generate a class “declaration of civility” Part 4: Sustaining Civility • Provide clear expectations of behaviour in peaceful times as well as times of conflicts • Outline social mechanisms that will allow reparation of the learning relationship when it becomes strained Post the group “statement of civility” on webct or sakai discussion board

24. BALANCE Relationship Rules Decrease Incivility Increase Civility

25. Key Messages:Civility as rules • Do not assume civility • Reflect on the unintended consequences of some metaphors • The student as a consumer & customer (Albanese, 1999) • Know what to do if civility fails • Become aware of your options ahead of time • WLU has many documents on students’ conduct • Today, there are workshops and a panel discussion • Evidence • The age of CSI is here • Communicate with Colleagues, Chair or Dean

26. Key Messages:Promoting Civility as Relationships • Model civility, professionalism, and formality • (individual differences) • Who is in charge of your classroom? • move around the room with purpose & confidence • Structure your lessons and provide sign posts • (i.e., agenda for the day, and tempo) • Be responsive to students’ need to ask questions • Provide quality feedback (e.g., develop a grading template) • Administer a formative teaching evaluation • Consider adopting positive and useful teaching metaphor • The Professor as a Sherpa guide (Marini, 2000) • i.e., scaffolding (directing and supporting)

27. A Final Thought on Civilityand Learning Relationships “Civility is not another piece to be added onto the plate of education, it is the plate upon which all else is placed” (Vincent et al., 2004)

28. New Beginningsand New Possibilities Thank you for your time and best wishes for a civil academic year 

29. Concurrent Sessions Session I • Session A: When Students Are like Corn Presenter - Dr. Kristine Lund, Waterloo Lutheran SeminarySession B: The Entitlement Generation - Implications for the Classroom - Jeanette McDonald, Manager: Educational Development • Session C: "Why I Ban Laptops in My Classroom" - Dr. Ruth Cruikshank Session II • Session A: "Dude, thx 4 ur comments" Fostering Civility in the Classroom through Peer Editing - Dr. Michael Imort, Geography and Environmental Studies • Session B: The Other Side of the Table: Student Experience of (In)Civility - Moderator: Dr. Laura Allan, SBE; Student Panel: Danielle DeCourcy (4th year Business and Head TA), Ben Kearon (4th year Business and TA), Michael Plevan (4th year Business and TA) Session C - It's All in the Delivery - Dr. Deena Mandell, Social Work

30. Closing Panel and Refreshment Breaks Fostering and Responding to (In)Civility:It takes a community! • Dr. David McMurray, Dean of Students • Dr. MaryLouise Byrne, Acting Dean, Faculty of Arts • Dr. Alison Edgar-Bertoia, Director of Counselling • Rod Curran, Director of Special Constable Services • Time permitting, we could discuss Sandy’s story