Chapter 9: Student-Led Research and Biopics as an Interdisciplinary Teaching Tool For Conflict Analysis in the Urban Community College Classroom

In his article, “Conflict in the Community College Classroom,” author, Will Carpenter, advises professors to tell students that they are all equal regardless of socioeconomic status, values, high school rivalries, or differing world-views. Further, he stresses that the consequences of “acting inappropriately” could be suspension so they should “realize they need to act professionally and this may help them avoid many conflicts” (2010). While Carpenter is to be commended for raising and naming many of the issues new college students (and their teachers) face in the classroom upon their transition from high school to college, the purpose of the university is to foster “student learning and, ultimately, student success” (Anderson, 1999). Rather than lecture and threaten, perhaps an approach that includes modeling and teaching the skills necessary to de-escalate, resolve, and even transform controversies could better cultivate our students’ capacity for living in our diverse world. Furthermore, making education experiential, multimodal, and personally relevant will lead to engaged learning that is more meaningful and able to be internalized and externalized (Immordino-Yang, 2016). This is the potential of teaching and learning the theory and practice of peace education and conflict resolution in the college classroom.