Click the image above to watch the conversation.
In a recent PHIL 118 course led by Professor Colin Marshall, students participated in a structured persuasion exercise supported by the UW Dialogue Initiative to build real-world skills in respectful dialogue and ethical communication. Rather than debating to “win,” the activity centered on how to engage disagreement with curiosity, care, and accountability.
Working in small groups, students rotated through three roles: speaker, listener, and observer. The speaker attempted to persuade their partner on a topic where they held genuinely different views. The listener practiced active listening and thoughtful response, while the observer served as a timekeeper and evaluated each exchange for both effectiveness and respectfulness. This structure allowed students to experience dialogue from multiple perspectives and to see how tone, word choice, and presence shape the quality of a conversation.
After each brief round, groups paused to debrief. Students discussed what felt constructive, what created tension, and how moments of misunderstanding or connection emerged. They then completed a written reflection, applying concepts from recent course material to analyze what influenced their scores, where communication succeeded or fell short, and what they would do differently next time. Each student closed with a one-sentence takeaway to guide their future conversations across difference.
The exercise reflects a core commitment of the Dialogue Initiative: helping students build the capacity to stay in relationship even when they may disagree. By centering listening, perspective-taking, and ethical persuasion, the activity invites students to move beyond winning arguments toward practicing the kind of dialogue that strengthens trust, deepens understanding, and supports a more compassionate campus climate.
