The 36-page discussion guide, The United States’ Democratic Promise, was published by Interactivity Foundation in 2011 and edited by Dennis Boyer. For this discussion guide, IF brought together panelists to explore what democracy has come to mean in the US, why we value it, and to guide further discussion by offering contrasting public policy possibilities. Below is an excerpt from the guide, which can be downloaded as a PDF for free from IF’s site here, both in English and in Spanish. From the introduction… In this project, the two […] (continue)

The 18-page discussion report, Promoting Mental Health in Community, was published by Interactivity Foundation in October 2015 and edited by Nneka Edwards and Suzanne Goodney Lea. This is the initial draft of the discussion report; IF is planning to create a full discussion guide that communities can use when gun violence occurs in order to take mental health concerns into consideration when developing public policy. Below is an excerpt of the guide, which can be downloaded as a PDF for free from IF’s site here. From IF… This is a […] (continue)

The 32-page discussion guide, Future Possibilities for Civil Rights Policy, was published by Interactivity Foundation in May 2011 and edited by Suzanne Goodney Lea. For this discussion guide, participants consider what does a civil right actually mean and then explore the policy directions that will redefine civil rights over the next few decades. The guide is available in both English and Spanish. Below is an excerpt of the guide, which can be downloaded as a PDF for free from IF’s site here. From IF… We hear a lot about civil rights. […] (continue)

The 20-page discussion guide, Global Responsibility for Children, was published by Interactivity Foundation in 2015 and edited by Mark Notturno. For this discussion guide, IF brought together [in video conference] panelists from 14 different countries to explore what it means to take responsibility for children and what would policies can be put in place that would uphold this task. Below is an excerpt from the guide, which can be downloaded as a PDF for free from IF’s site here. From the introduction… Children are, almost by definition, the most vulnerable […] (continue)

The 48-page discussion guide, The Future of Family, was edited by Jeff Prudhomme and Jack Byrd, and published from Interactivity Foundation in the fall 2013. This guide explores the evolving ways in which families are shaped, and takes  into consideration how to shape policy with the varying ways in which family is defined. In this guide are nine contrasting public policy options concerning the family unit for participants to explore regarding how policy questions and concerns. You can view the discussion guide in full on IF’s […] (continue)

The 40-page discussion guide, Shaping Our Towns and Cities, was published by the Interactivity Foundation in 2014 and edited by Jeff Prudhomme.  The guide offers seven contrasting public policies to consider when shaping our towns and cities. These policies are broad approaches on how to design our communities; and while not exhaustive, these are mean to provide a starting point for creating public policy that supports thriving communities. You can view the discussion guide in full on IF’s site and it can also be downloaded […] (continue)

The 32-page discussion guide, Freshwater For The Future, was edited by Shannon Wheatley Hartman Ph.D. and Dennis Boyer, and published on Interactivity Foundation’s site in January 2016. This discussion guide explores multiple dimensions around water issues and the future of water needs. You can view the discussion guide in full on IF’s site and it can also be downloaded as a PDF for free here. From Interactivity Foundation… Water, water, not everywhere… and maybe soon not a drop fit to drink. Water issues present a convergence of […] (continue)

The Guidebooks for Student-Facilitated Discussion in Online Courses, by Shannon Wheatley Hartman, Ph.D. and Jack Byrd Jr., Ph.D. were published January 2016 from Interactivity Foundation (IF). IF offers both a 64-page student guidebook edition and a 60-page instructor guidebook, which describes their discussion process in the 3-parts. Read more about the guidebook  and download the PDFs for free on Interactivity Foundation’s website here. From IF… These guidebooks offer a practical guide for students and instructors in online courses. They offer a step-by-step guide to our 3-part online discussion process: […] (continue)

In 2014, The Interactivity Foundation published the 40-page Discussion Guide, What Might Childhood Look Like in the Future? A Discussion Guide For Exploring Possibilities for Public Policy, which came from discussions between 2011 and 2012, that were then reviewed, tested and revised, before publishing. From IF.. Whitney Houston sings in The Greatest Love of All (1985) that “the children are our future”. What, though, is the future of childhood? What does it mean, in our society, to be a child- or to have a childhood? And what […] (continue)

The Human Impact on Climate Change: Opportunities & Challenges, a discussion guidebook from the Interactivity Foundation (IF), serves as a discussion guide designed to use non-ideological language that helps participants to separate potential policy directions from partisan agendas and arguments over science, and to explore possibilities for how they or their communities might respond. The easy-to-use, 40-page guide frames the possibilities that discussion participants can consider in two categories. The first, “Setting the Stage,” focuses on immediately impact awareness and action, and the second, “Meeting the Continuing Climate Challenge,” is focused on the more […] (continue)