The Transformative Power of Communication: Democratizing Practices for the General Education Classroom

This article examines the common communication practices of deliberation, discussion, delivery, and debate, for their democratizing potential through their greater inclusion in all general education classrooms. It argues that these tools are underutilized outside of communication classrooms but offer numerous benefits to teachers and students alike who participate in the general education process. Increasing communication opportunities for students in more classes can contribute to greater self-reflection, more positive engagement with and openness to difference, and higher connectivity with class content. Likewise, increased communication by faculty with students about the values of general education can reduce the risk of students missing out on the democratizing values that stand to be gained through a general education curriculum. These findings have implications for the reenvisioning of how general education classes can be taught as well as how instructors might better appeal to student engagement with course material based on the transformative power of communication.