Introduction and Definition

One way to ensure productive collaboration and prevent disruptive behavior in a class is to establish ground rules, guidelines, or community agreements. Their purpose is to clarify and codify expectations regarding how students participate and treat each other and the instructor. Some focus specifically on discussions, and others refer to general class behavior. They can be developed by the instructor and presented to the students or developed by the students, working either from a draft developed by the instructor or from ideas they generate themselves. It is believed that if students are involved in creating the ground rules, they will be more likely to abide by them. In any case, it is important to develop them early and to revisit them when necessary.

According to the Harvard University Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, “Group agreements (also referred to as class norms, participation norms, ground rules, community agreements, or group contracts) are rules, intentions, or guidelines for behavior and interaction that are communally formulated and agreed upon. They are a tool for fostering participation, inclusivity, and habits of explicit consent and accountability in the classroom.”

Group Agreements

Purpose and Benefits

The Graduate Student Instructor Teaching and Resource Center at the University of California/Berkeley recommended creating community agreements that “can help promote and organize productive conversations among students by building a sense of community and setting clear expectations and boundaries.” Their purpose is to facilitate respectful discussion and maximum participation. Specific functions include

  • Encourage students to work collaboratively in developing a respectful environment.
  • Give students a stake in abiding by the agreed-upon guidelines.
  • Establish a process of group participation rather than instructor-led lecture.
  • Create an atmosphere in which all students feel free to participate.
  • Remind students of the need for respect, openness, and sensitivity.
  • Establish the tone for [class] by encouraging group interaction and feedback.
  • Establish the [class] as a responsibility of both the student and the [instructor].

Creating Community Agreements

According to the Stanford University Teaching Commons, “Collectively deciding on norms and making commitments for how students will interact with one another is an important step towards creating a respectful, supportive, and productive class learning environment.” They listed the following benefits of formulating class norms and commitments:

  • Transparency: instructor and students clarify expectations of each other
  • Equity: making expectations explicit is fairer and more equitable for all students
  • Gravity: instructors convey the seriousness of class behaviors and their effects
  • Agency: students help shape their desired learning environment
  • Representation: all students help shape the class learning environment
  • Empathy: instructors and students consider each other’s perspectives
  • Accountability: students share responsibility for their learning environment
  • Solidarity: instructors and students are united in a shared project

Setting Norms and Commitments

The Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation argued that “Establishing classroom norms sets the tone of a class, provides clear guidelines on how to behave, decreases instances of incivility, and enables students and lecturers to feel safe expressing their ideas or points of views.” They listed the following areas that can be included in norms:

  • How to communicate
  • Ways to disagree
  • Behaviors to avoid
  • Steps for dealing with conflict
  • Consequences for unacceptable action
  • Process for giving and receiving feedback

Establishing Community Agreements and Classroom Norms

Process

The Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence at Carnegie Mellon University outlined a method for helping students create ground rules:

  • Ask students to think about the best group discussions they have been a part of and reflect on what made these discussions so satisfying.
  • Next, ask students to think about the worst group discussions in which they have participated and reflect on what made these discussions so unsatisfactory.
  • For each of the positive characteristics identified, ask students to suggest three things the group could do to ensure that these characteristics are present.
  • For each of the negative characteristics identified, ask students to suggest three things the group could do to ensure that these characteristics are not present.
  • Use students’ suggestions to draft a set of ground rules to which all agree and distribute them in writing.
  • Periodically, ask the class to reflect on whether the ground rules established at the beginning of the semester are working, and make adjustments as necessary.

Ground Rules

The Boston University Center for Teaching and Learning defined community agreements as “Documents about classroom expectations for discussion and behavior that are created collaboratively between students and instructors. The agreement helps to build a foundation for an inclusive learning environment through the process of co-creation and transparency about expectations and boundaries.” It laid out some options for the ways students can participate in developing agreements:

  • Create a list of suggestions that students vote on (electronically or through hard copy check lists) to highlight the behaviors and attitudes they feel are most important for the success of their learning environment.
  • Ask students to brainstorm suggestions for the agreement in small groups and/or in whole class discussion.
  • Ask students to reflect, individually and then in small groups, on the characteristics of positive learning experiences and contrast these with negative experiences. From these reflections, the class may develop a list of behaviors to frame their interactions.
  • Provide options for students to express agreement with the principles before developing the final community agreement.

Creating Community Agreements

The Brandeis University Center for Teaching and Learning alluded to group agreements that include “expectations, rules, and guidelines for behavior that are collaboratively developed and agreed upon to help motivate student participation, foster inclusion, and clarify accountability in the classroom.” They described a process for developing these norms collaboratively with students by beginning with a “starter” list and asking students to edit it. They also advocated for reviewing the agreements in the weeks following their initial development to allow students to further edit or elaborate on them. Additionally, students should periodically be reminded of them by (a) posting them on course website or Canvas site; (b) adding them to the syllabus; or (c) allowing class time to review them and discuss their effectiveness.

Community Norms and Expectations

While advocating for the importance of having guidelines for class discussions, Duke University Learning Innovation & Lifetime Education Blog raised several points to consider when developing guidelines, including (a) Lengthy guidelines are unlikely to be read as carefully as briefer guidelines and (b) The “tone” of the guidelines may be important. Those written positively set a different tone than those written as rules of what not to do.

Guidelines for Interactions for Better Class Discussions 

Examples

According to the Washington University in St Louis Center for Teaching and Learning, “Establishing such ground rules at the start of the semester provides a common framework that will be very helpful if it becomes necessary to talk with the class, or with individual students, about any conduct that could be negatively affecting the learning environment.” They provide the following sample ground rules:

  • Show respect for others as individuals by learning and using their preferred names and pronouns.
  • Respect the speaker, even when you do not agree with or respect the point the speaker is making.
  • Listen carefully; do not interrupt—even when you are excited to respond.
  • Try not to generalize about groups (even groups with which you identify) and do not ask another person to speak as a representative of a group.
  • Keep an open mind—enter the classroom dialogue with the expectation of learning something new. Look forward to learning about–and being challenged by–ideas, questions, and points of view that are different than your own.
  • Do not “monopolize” the conversation; give others a chance to contribute to the discussion.
  • Support an atmosphere of learning and growth. Approach discussion as a means to “think out loud.” Allow others (as well as yourself) to revise and clarify ideas and positions in response to new information and insights.
  • Bring out ideas, perspectives, or solutions that you think are not yet represented or haven’t yet been adequately discussed.
  • Support your arguments with evidence. Be honest when you are not sure if you have enough evidence to make a strong argument or when your thoughts about a topic are still speculative or exploratory.
  • Try not to make assumptions; ask questions to learn more about other perspectives, especially those that are different from your own.
  • Talk with the instructor about patterns in the discussion that are troubling or that may be impeding full engagement by you or others. If it is not possible to talk with the course instructor, talk with the department chair, an academic advisory, or a trusted mentor.

Establishing Class Ground Rules

As part of a review on facilitating classroom discussions on difficult issues, the University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching provided suggestion for class ground rules or guidelines for discussions. They included the following:

  • Listen respectfully, without interrupting.
  • Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others’ views. (Don’t just think about what you are going to say while someone else is talking.)
  • Criticize ideas, not individuals.
  • Commit to learning, not debating. Comment in order to share information, not to persuade.
  • Avoid blame, speculation, and inflammatory language.
  • Allow everyone the chance to speak.
  • Avoid assumptions about any member of the class or generalizations about social groups. Do not ask individuals to speak for their (perceived) social group.

Guidelines for Discussing Difficult Topics

The Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence at Carnegie Mellon University advocated for establishing ground rules at the beginning of a course, with the instructor explaining their purpose and reminding students about them periodically. The center provides two lists.

Sample Ground Rules for Discussions:

  • Listen actively and attentively.
  • Ask for clarification if you are confused.
  • Do not interrupt one another.
  • Challenge one another but do so respectfully.
  • Critique ideas, not people.
  • Do not offer opinions without supporting evidence.
  • Avoid put-downs (even humorous ones).
  • Take responsibility for the quality of the discussion.
  • Build on one another’s comments; work toward shared understanding.
  • Always have your book/readings in front of you.
  • Do not monopolize discussion.
  • Speak from your own experience, without generalizing.
  • If you are offended by anything said during discussion, acknowledge it immediately.
  • Consider anything that is said in class strictly confidential.

Sample Ground Rules for Lectures:

  • Arrive on time.
  • Turn your cell phone off.
  • Use laptops only for legitimate class activities (note taking, assigned tasks).
  • Do not leave class early without okaying it with the instructor in advance.
  • Ask questions if you are confused.
  • Try not to distract or annoy your classmates.

Sources

Harvard University Bok Center for Teaching and Learning
Group Agreements 

University of California/Berkeley Graduate Student Instructor Teaching and Resource Center
Creating Community Agreements

Stanford University Teaching Commons
Setting Norms and Commitments

Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation
Establishing Community Agreements and Classroom Norms 

Carnegie Mellon University Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence
Ground Rules

Boston University Center for Teaching and Learning
Creating Community Agreements

Brandeis University Center for Teaching and Leaning
Community Norms and Expectations

Duke University Learning Innovation & Lifetime Education Blog
Guidelines for Interactions for Better Class Discussions

Washington University in St Louis Center for Teaching and Learning
Establishing Class Ground Rules

University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching
Guidelines for Discussing Difficult Topics