31: Assessing Discussion of Public Issues: A Scoring Guide

The importance of civic discourse in social studies education has been emphasized in recent scholarship. There is a call to rededicate ourselves to “public talk” as an essential element of the curriculum and to assess the quality of oral discourse produced by students (Barber 1989; Newman, 1992; Parker 1989).

The rationale for oral discourse about public issues is manifold. First, it facilitates the learning of social studies content. The effort to produce coherent language in response to a question of public policy puts knowledge in a meaningful context, making it more likely to be understood and remembered. Second, dialogue among students reinforces the development of social perspectives considered fundamental to democratic citizenship, especially tolerance or taking the role of another. This kind of reciprocal thinking, the persistent effort to anticipate the perspective of another, fosters more than communication; it is the essence of moral sensitivity. Third, intelligent conversation promotes reflection crucial to the preservation of democratic values such as consent of the governed, individual liberty, equality under law and, more recently, national economic prosperity within the world economy. Fourth, when thoughtfully engaged in conversations about public issues, students are building not only substantive knowledge but also higher order thinking abilities. They use complex language to express their ideas. They must speak not in single words or short phrases but in sentences and paragraphs; they share ideas that are not scripted or controlled, as in teacher-led recitation; they must explain themselves, ask questions, and respond directly to comments of previous speakers.