Beliefs Workshop

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You will do this workshop mostly in pairs, in class in week 2. Write your work in your notebook, using this document as a guide. You will write up your results formally by the end of the week. This workshop is a crucial first step in planning your Research Project, which will be your major independent work this quarter.

Updated on 27 Sept.2005.

GOALS:

• Understand differences among some of your beliefs
• Clearly articulate a couple of your beliefs
• Examine sources of some of your beliefs
• Engage your skepticism and acknowledge doubts about your beliefs
• Consider how to test your beliefs
• Conduct challenging, respectful conversations with peers, to clarify and deepen your understanding
• Reflect on your learning, and summarize it clearly in writing.

ACTIVITIES: 1. Brainstorm beliefs (5 minutes) List as many of your beliefs as you can think of. Don't censor your list - nobody else will see it. Write freely.

2. Sort beliefs (5 minutes) Make up a (flexible) set of categories for sorting your beliefs. Are some of your beliefs faith-based? Are some common, and others bizarre? Are some interesting and others trivial? Are some of your beliefs testable, or supportable by evidence? Which of your beliefs might be open to change, if you learned of new evidence that challenged them? A given belief might fit more than one category. Make notes beside each belief to indicate which categories it fits.

(5-10 minutes) We will discuss categories of beliefs in class.

3. Focused brainstorm (5 minutes) Consider beliefs which are common (not bizarre), interesting (not trivial), and testable (supportable with evidence). Take 5 more minutes to list as many of these as you can think of.

4. Discuss beliefs (10 minutes in pairs, shared equally) Pick two of your common, interesting, testable beliefs. Discuss them with a classmate. Don't worry about providing evidence at this point, and don't argue about whether you believe each other's beliefs. Just focus on helping each other articulate the beliefs as clearly, specifically, and concisely as possible .

5. Articulate beliefs (10 minutes, solo) Based on your conversation, write your two beliefs as clearly, specifically, and concisely as possible. Then revisit your list from part 3. Pick two more interesting beliefs, and articulate them clearly, specifically, and concisely (under 20 words, if possible), this time, without discussing them with a colleague.

(5-10 minutes) We will share a few beliefs with the class.
BREAK

6. Brainstorm sources (5 minutes) Pick ONE of the beliefs that you have articulated clearly. Why do you believe this? You may believe it because of feelings, experience, evidence, because someone told you so, because it just makes sense, or for other reasons.Write everything that comes to mind, without hesitating or censoring.

7. Doubts (5 minutes) For the same one belief, list any doubts or questions you might have. Then consider doubts or questions you anticipate others might raise. Write them all down.

8. Discuss reasons and doubts (15 minutes in pairs, shared equally) Pick a different classmate. Concisely tell your partner your belief, why you believe it, and key doubts or questions about it. Your partner will then restate your belief in her own words. Then your partner will respectfully and frankly raise her doubts about your beliefs.

Welcome disagreements as opportunities to stretch your own thinking. Your goal is not necessarily to convince each other of your beliefs, but to help each other consider different perspectives. This is a skill you will develop in seminar as well.

9. Articulate sources and doubts (5-10 minutes, solo) Based on your conversation, summarize the reasons for your belief and key doubts or questions about it.

10. Brainstorm evidence (5 minutes) How could you test your belief? You probably have some ideas about what evidence could be sought in support of your belief. If your belief is truly testable, you will also, eventually, find evidence that challenges your belief. What evidence could you seek, for or against your belief? List everything that comes to mind.

(5-10 minutes) We will share with the class a few ideas for testing beliefs.

REFLECTION: What have you learned about your beliefs that surprised you? How did discussions with peers help clarify your thoughts? How might you deepen your investigation into your belief?

AFTER CLASS: Apply the methods in this workshop two more interesting, common, testable beliefs of yours, either beliefs you brainstormed, or new beliefs that you thought of in the course of this workshop. Write up the results of your workshop for Project Assignment 1. You need not include everything from all 10 activities. Give credit by name to colleagues who helped you clarify or deepen your ideas.

• Clearly articulate two or three common, interesting, testable beliefs of yours. For each belief, list
• (a) sources and reasons for your belief,
• (b) doubts and questions about it - your own, and those of others, and
• (c) possible ways to test your belief, that is, to seek evidence that may support or challenge it.

Which of these beliefs might you like to investigate more deeply?