{"id":1018,"date":"2015-09-01T09:11:02","date_gmt":"2015-09-01T13:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/?p=1018"},"modified":"2015-08-25T09:13:25","modified_gmt":"2015-08-25T13:13:25","slug":"one-simple-web-tool-spurs-discussion-and-buy-in-spotlight-on-berkman-question-tool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2015\/09\/01\/one-simple-web-tool-spurs-discussion-and-buy-in-spotlight-on-berkman-question-tool\/","title":{"rendered":"One Simple Web Tool Spurs Discussion and Buy-In: Spotlight on Berkman Question Tool"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What do you get when you cross a brainstorming meeting with Reddit?<\/p>\n<p>The Berkman Center for Internet &amp; Society has taken the best of online forums and crowdsourcing to offer a simple web tool for online or blended discussion. <a href=\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/questions\/chooser.php\">The Berkman Question Tool<\/a> is a free, open-source discussion tool in which participants can respond anonymously, with a pseudonym, or by name. It can be used for asynchronous online discussion or as a backchannel for in-person discussions. Gene Koo, Fellow at the Berkman Center, said, \u201cIt\u2019s an effective way to keep feedback focused, direct speakers to audience interests, and potentially prevent the mic from being hijacked by that weirdo.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Discussion leaders can create their own \u201cinstance\u201d with a short description that frames the discussion. This frame can solicit questions or answers. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Add a question you have about the today\u2019s course material.<\/li>\n<li>Please post a question you would like to discuss.<\/li>\n<li>How can we accomplish X?<\/li>\n<li>What opportunities does X provide? What risks?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Participants can go to the unique URL and enter their ideas, no log-in required. Then, they can vote up the suggestions of their peers.<\/p>\n<p>The Question Tool is well-suited for a variety of discussion settings, including conferences, classes, and public debate. By inviting everyone to participate without certain people dominating the conversation, the Question Tool can break the ice and generate buy-in from various stakeholders. By crowdsourcing discussion topics, discussion leaders ensure that they aren\u2019t cherry-picking or leading the conversation too much. The Question Tool provides transparency in the discussion process and a broader perspective for facilitators in service of a larger group. Participants can ask questions without worrying about sounding \u201cdumb\u201d or being judged based on who they are. It strips the conversation of context and bias, approaching the \u201cveil of ignorance\u201d on which John Rawls based his theory of justice.<\/p>\n<p>Professor Charles Nesson used the Question Tool in his online case-based course called JuryX: Deliberations for Social Change. Using video chat and the Question Tool, participants deliberated emotionally charged social issues with empathy and curiosity. To learn more, see the teaching manuals for the JuryX cases: <a href=\"http:\/\/casestudies.law.harvard.edu\/the-snowden-effect\/\">The Snowden Effect<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/casestudies.law.harvard.edu\/thinking-big-bringing-big-sports-energy-and-innovation-to-education\/\">Thinking Big<\/a>; <a href=\"http:\/\/casestudies.law.harvard.edu\/the-decriminalization-of-marijuana-in-jamaica-a-key-step-toward-international-legalization\/\">The Decriminalization of Marijuana<\/a>; and <a href=\"http:\/\/casestudies.law.harvard.edu\/the-color-of-police-action-in-these-united-states\/\">The Color of Police Action in these United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>A sleek, mobile-friendly 3.0 with social sharing is in the works. We\u2019ll be sure to announce when the new version launches!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What do you get when you cross a brainstorming meeting with Reddit? The Berkman Center for Internet &amp; Society has taken the best of online forums and crowdsourcing to offer a simple web tool for online or blended discussion. The &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2015\/09\/01\/one-simple-web-tool-spurs-discussion-and-buy-in-spotlight-on-berkman-question-tool\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5482,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4CR8M-gq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1015,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2015\/08\/25\/talking-about-the-elephant-in-the-room-how-to-create-a-safe-space-for-online-case-discussion\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":0},"title":"Talking about the Elephant in the Room: How to Create a Safe Space for Online Case Discussion","author":"Elizabeth Moroney","date":"August 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Some case discussion groups have the luxury of preexisting rapport, having already achieved affiliation and understanding. But for ad hoc or online case discussion, case-based learners may find it difficult to share honest opinions, making it hard to reach collective understanding on sensitive issues. Professor Charles Nesson has developed an\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"3266056756_5631882f3e_n","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2015\/08\/3266056756_5631882f3e_n-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":703,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2014\/03\/12\/is-online-education-supporting-or-suppressing-the-public-domain\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":1},"title":"Is Online Education Supporting or Suppressing the Public Domain?","author":"Elizabeth Moroney","date":"March 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"New Product: MOOCs and Consequences for the Future of Education Professor Charles Nesson believes that the Internet has a \u201cgenerative capacity for expanding our public realm\u201d; it seems that the creators of MOOCs, or massive open online courses, share his philosophy. Industry leaders like Coursera, Udacity, and edX have rapidly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Problem Solving Workshop Blog Posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Problem Solving Workshop Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/category\/problem-solving-workshop-blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2014\/03\/Nesson-zoomed.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":881,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2014\/12\/02\/hbs-shares-how-to-make-class-discussions-fair\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":2},"title":"HBS Shares: How to Make Class Discussions Fair","author":"Elizabeth Moroney","date":"December 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Participation Tracking Tool Yesterday, we got to learn how our friends at Harvard Business School are thinking critically about call patterns and grading in case-based classes. HLS Case Studies came together with case-based programs across the university on Tuesday for the second meeting of the Harvard Affinity Group for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Experiential Learning and the Case Study Method&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Experiential Learning and the Case Study Method","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/category\/experiential-learning-and-the-case-study-method\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Paul Craig","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2014\/12\/pcraig.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":666,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2013\/12\/10\/blog-trailer-critical-decisions-in-negotiation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":3},"title":"Blog Trailer: Critical Decisions in Negotiation","author":"Elizabeth Moroney","date":"December 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"For years, HLS Professor Bob Bordone lamented that there was not an easily accessible, high quality teaching resource for negotiation instructors to demonstrate a range of critical negotiation behaviors to their students in practice. \u00a0Bordone explains, \u201cHelping students develop new behavioral moves in the heat of the moment and deepen\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program Blog Posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/category\/harvard-negotiation-and-mediation-clinical-program-blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2013\/12\/Disc_Units_Final-500x464.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1215,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2017\/05\/15\/police-community-dialogue-the-harvard-negotiation-mediation-clinical-program-releases-innovative-resource-on-facilitation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":4},"title":"Police-Community Dialogue: The Harvard Negotiation &amp; Mediation Clinical Program Releases Innovative Resource on Facilitation","author":"Lisa Brem","date":"May 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 The Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program has produced a new video resource on facilitation entitled\u00a0\"Police-Community Dialogue: A Facilitated Conversation Featuring Commentary with Harvard Law School Professor Robert C. Bordone\". The resource, which can be purchased on HLS Case Studies, features an unedited facilitated dialogue as well as retrospective\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program Blog Posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/category\/harvard-negotiation-and-mediation-clinical-program-blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bordone conversing with community members","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2017\/05\/police-community-dialogue-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2017\/05\/police-community-dialogue-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2017\/05\/police-community-dialogue-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/files\/2017\/05\/police-community-dialogue-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1008,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2015\/08\/05\/making-the-case-for-unfacilitated-case-discussion-how-students-make-meaning-of-case-studies\/","url_meta":{"origin":1018,"position":5},"title":"Making the Case for Unfacilitated Case Discussion: How Students Make Meaning of Case Studies","author":"Elizabeth Moroney","date":"August 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Ask almost any case teacher, and they\u2019ll tell you that guided discussion makes or breaks a case study experience. Well, anyone but Charlie Nesson. Professor Nesson unveiled a new case discussion method in his residential and online courses on the American Jury (taught at Harvard Law School, Harvard Extension School,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1018"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1019,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1018\/revisions\/1019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}