Contemplative Information and Visual Literacy (CIVL)

Barbezat and Bush (2014) offer these recommendations for implementing contemplative practices within the classroom:

• Maintain a personal contemplative practice to better understand and respond to the challenges students may face during contemplative exercises (p. 68). Your personal practice can help to address our own personal biases and beliefs (p. 74).
• Provide transparent context for practices, why you're incorporating them into the class, how they connect with the course learning objectives, and how students may benefit from these practices in their educational journey. Barbezat and Bush recommend framing the exercises "in a spirit of inquiry" (p. 69) and adapting exercises based on student needs.
• Follow respect for religious traditions and history behind contemplative practices, as well as students' own religious beliefs. Barbezat and Bush suggest offering cultural and historical background "appropriate for your students, the nature of the class, and the type of practice used" (p. 71). They also recommend understanding the background of contemplative practices to address student questions and potential troubleshooting issues.
• Offer options to support students who may have experienced past trauma. For example, invite students to either close their eyes or to gaze softly into the distance. And always allow students to opt out of any practices that they may not be comfortable with (p. 90).
• Consider offering students time to process practices. After practices, Barbezat and Bush suggest giving students time to write about their experiences, then discuss with a fellow student, before discussing as a class (p. 75-76)

Rendón and Kangala (2014) recommend these additional preparations to support culturally diverse students and social justice:

• Addressing social justice issues. "All faculty, whether they recognize it or not, are called to deal with epistemological issues, such as: What knowledge is valued in the classroom? Who can create knowledge and What should be part of the curriculum? Faculty need to be critically conscious of their own belief system and understand the implications of what it means to teach from a social justice orientation" (p. 72)

Reale (2017) offers this librarian-focused recommendation for implementing contemplative practices into one-shot workshops:

• "Reflection should add something to the learning experience, but it should never be an “add-on.” If you feel that you would like to implement instruction in a class, even in a very casual way, formulate learning goals and the opportunity (and time) for feedback" (p. 110)

Red pagoda in the snow by Hasui Kawase 

Note. From Red pagoda in the snow by Hasui Kawase, Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org/wikiRed pagoda in the snow by Hasui Kawase /File:KawaseHasuiRedPagodaInTheSnow.jpg). In the public domain.

Barbezat, D., & Bush, M. (2014). Contemplative practices in higher education: Powerful methods to transform teaching and learning. John Wiley & Sons. 

Reale, M. (2017). Becoming a reflective librarian and teacher: Strategies for mindful academic practice. ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association. 

Rendón, L., & Kanagala, V. (2014). Embracing contemplative pedagogy in a culturally diverse classroom. In B. F. Tobolowsky (Ed.), Paths to Learning: Teaching for Engagement in College (pp. 61–76). National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.