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Is it "training" or engagement? In my experience (English MA), these EDID issues are part of nearly every English class, in that they are common literary themes. Students engage in conversation and thought, and hopefully grow in their own understanding. I don't think it is the prof's job to train them to be more aware of these issues or to learn the socially acceptable answers, but rather to train them to critically think and engage with difficult societal issues in a way that challenges and tests personal and cultural beliefs but does not judge them. The Arts teaches people how to think, not what to think.

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Hi Andrea - that is a great question. I think it is engagement with and exposure to information and approaches. Your comment about teaching people how to think captures it well. With EDID training (possibly the wrong word), I personally aim to have students better able to ask questions that consider how issues of EDID come into play for a particular topic, and better equipped to draw on relevant information in answering these questions for themselves.

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

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