Abstract
This article presents the National Issues Forum as a model for innovative learning and citizen participation in response to rapid social change and the widening gap between public complexity and citizens’ capacity to address it. Drawing on discussions of the “human gap,” participatory democracy, and the communication era, the article defines innovative learning as a process characterized by anticipation and participation. It argues that National Issues Forums support this process by bringing citizens together to examine public issues, consider multiple viewpoints, identify underlying values, and work toward shared understanding rather than predetermined solutions. The article further proposes that the forum model can enrich speech communication instruction by teaching students a problem/possibility style of learning, decision-making, and public discussion. By adapting the National Issues Forum to the classroom, speech communication educators can help students develop skills in collaborative inquiry, issue framing, value-based deliberation, and democratic participation.
Recommended Citation
McMahan, Eva M.
(1985)
"The National Issues Forum: Bridging the Human Gap Through Innovative Learning,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 51, Article 23.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol51/iss1/23
