Do you have summer plans to update a course? Instead of beginning with a textbook order or class themes, consider designing your course as a transformative gathering. In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker challenges us to find bold, meaningful purposes for our group experiences. We have all wasted hours in boring committee meetings or social events. Parker argues that with clear direction and design our gatherings can be life changing. The Art of Gathering is full of insights, so we will focus on identifying the purpose of a group experience and how that purpose can shape time together. These foundational concepts are relevant to the quintessential academic gathering: class sessions. Let’s explore how your course could be designed as a gathering with students throughout the semester.

Identify the purpose of your gathering

Before we waste more time in meetings, Parker challenges us: what is the purpose of our gatherings? Why do we come together? Is the point of the event worth a group experience? In higher education, we could ask similar questions: why do we get together, in a classroom or online? Does the purpose require a group experience? In light of these questions, Parker describes how a clear, bold purpose can create a transformative gathering.

As you design a course, begin by identifying the class purpose. After gathering for a semester, how do you want your students to walk away from the course? Sometimes we answer similar questions with learning outcomes. How will students demonstrate learning? But a broader, more meaningful question could be: how could this gathering be a transformative experience for students? The example below shows how a course purpose could be more meaningful by connecting it to a pressing, local need.

Course Purpose Example: MGMT 45100 Organizational Management

For MGMT 45100, students could have an inspirational, specific purpose to achieve after a semester of gatherings. If the course purpose captures students’ attention and imagination, they will be one step closer to a meaningful learning experience.

Frame the gathering with your purpose

Once a purpose has been identified, it can be used to design every aspect of the event. How does the objective shape the time together? For example, would inviting a leading public intellectual to class threaten the purpose of creating a vulnerable community of learning? To achieve something transformative, the group experience must be thoughtfully crafted. Parker recommends creating an environment solely focused on the chosen purpose.

An experience designed to achieve a meaningful purpose is a world of its own. In an age of distraction, creating this alternate world is challenging. Parker argues that to gain the participants’ attention, the host should communicate bold expectations. The guests need to know what is required of them and what they can expect from their host. Specific guidelines for behavior have been a feature of events for some time, for example black tie attire for a formal dinner. More recently, rules that address phone use can be seen in invitations for unplugged weddings. These explicit rules establish common ground for people from a variety of backgrounds. When a gathering includes a range of behavioral norms, clearly stated standards create an environment that supports the purpose.

Once you have identified your course’s purpose, design your class to support it. Establishing explicit guidelines for behavior is a facet of many courses already. One example is academic integrity expectations that are included on the syllabus. More robust guidelines will create an alternate world, giving your students the best chance of achieving a transformative purpose. You could frame your class by articulating expectations for the student’s productive struggle in the learning process or how you intend to facilitate an environment of equity and belonging.

Clearly stated behavioral norms will address the range between your students and yourself. Penn State classes are gatherings of a wide background of students. Instead of assuming certain etiquette around technology use, articulate shared expectations that support your class gathering’s purpose.

Conclusion

Parker invites us to gather with a bold, meaningful purpose. With clear guidelines an alternative world can be created, one where students can have a meaningful learning experience. I highly recommend reading The Art of Gathering to learn how to invite your students into the purpose, activities that enliven gatherings, and how to host intentionally. I hope this fall you will have an opportunity to invite your students to a clear and awe-inspiring gathering.

Reference

Parker, P. The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters. (2018). Penguin Random House.