Civil debate at UF is going high-tech.
The Bob Graham Center for Public Service will begin test runs in February or March for its Great Civil Debate Wall, an interactive project that will encourage students, faculty and others to comment on controversial issues affecting day-to-day life.
The project should be officially installed in October, according to Ann Henderson, director of the center. It will use a wall in Pugh Hall to pose questions about pressing political issues, which people can then answer using an on-site multi-touch interface as well as associated electronic forums such as smart phones, Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.
For example, a student could vote on whether he or she approves of off-shore oil drilling in Florida and view others’ responses. The student could answer anonymously or choose to include personal information.
“What we hope to be able to do when we ask questions like that is find where [people] might agree,” Henderson said. “This is a way of practicing finding common ground.”
The idea developed from the center’s desire to create a project that would encourage civil debate, largely because Florida residents are not as engaged in civil issues as those of other states, she said.
The Great Civil Debate Wall is one way in which the Bob Graham Center hopes to address the need for increased civility, Henderson said. It is one of several projects funded by the center’s $3 million grant from the Knight Foundation, although its final price tag has not been determined.
The center began work on the project about a year ago with Local Projects, a New York-based design firm.
“Our studio focuses on different types of civil engagement and storytelling, so I think we’re a natural partner for the project,” said Jake Barton, Local Projects principal and founder.
The wall provides a unique opportunity to reach out and engage a diverse student body in discussions about controversial issues, he said.
When the project is completed, the Bob Graham Center Public Service Council will choose a new issue to explore each week. The council, which is made up of undergraduate students receiving minors from the center, will monitor the week’s responses and polling numbers and post the results to the center’s website.
The wall at Pugh Hall will hopefully be only the first of the project, Henderson said.
Potential locations for future walls include Library West, Starbucks and other places at UF and throughout Gainesville.
