An attitude continuum

This is a powerful way of getting the students to represent their position on any number of issues, from morality to philosophy. There are many ways of doing it, but they all require the students to move from their position of security in their seats to somewhere else in the learning space (usually the classroom).

Follow these instructions:

• Designate one part of the learning space as ‘Agree’ and somewhere else as ‘Disagree’; this usually works best if they are at opposite ends of the room.
• Mark these spaces either with a poster or some other symbol. A Microsoft_® PowerPoint slide is provided below which uses arrows to denote the continuum you could make. This can be printed out and pinned on the wall at the centre of the continuum, or you could project it using a data projector or run it through an interactive whiteboard. It will also work if printed onto acetate and displayed with an OHP.
• You have now created a virtual line along which students can stand when you propose statements that they can either agree or disagree with. The key point here is not the movement to their position of choice. Rather, it is the ‘talk’ in which you engage once they have moved. You can ask them why they have placed themselves where they have.

An attitude continuum

Use some of the following as stimulus questions:

• Are you the furthest away from the centre?
• Does this mean that you disagree more strongly with the proposition than anyone else?
• Does the fact that you have placed yourself right in the middle mean that you are sitting on the fence on this one?

Change the proposition and then see if there is any movement. You can ask individuals why they have moved, what this tells you about what they think, and so on.

This can be a very non-threatening way of opening up discussion.

Experiment with something contentious but not life-threatening! For example, try asking students what they think of a piece of ‘cheesy’ music – this works well because some of them will have strong reactions in favour and others will have strong reactions against. You, however, should probably sit on the fence on this one!