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Divergence-groan-convergence participatory decision-making structure for group ethics discussion

Design · All designs
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 qualitative), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

The system structures each discussion stage around a participatory decision-making model comprising "divergence (generating diverse ideas), groan (struggling with differences), and convergence (narrowing down to shared decisions)." Each stage cycles through Idea-gathering (90 seconds of free idea presentation), Deliberation and Questioning (alternating turn-based phases), and Wrap-up (key idea selection). This structure was adapted from Kaner et al. and applied to all stages except Write Reviews, where participants write individually.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

  • A facilitator (human or LLM) to manage phase transitions, speaking turns through stacking, and time management

Constraints

  • Some participants noted the stacking-based turn format limited opportunities for in-depth exploration of a single idea

Target Learners

  • Undergraduate STEM students in group-based ethics education

Learning Goals

  • Structured ethical deliberation covering diverse perspectives within limited time

Claims

Examples

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Key Sources

  • Seo, Y., Jang, S., Park, H., Gutierrez, R. S., Seering, J., & Lee, U. (2026). Ethics Training Agents: Facilitating Group-Based Ethics Education with Role-Playing and Discussion for Ethical Reflection and Exploration. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.11529. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2609.11529
Page metadata
Field Value
type design
id divergence-groan-convergence-discussion-phases
title Divergence-groan-convergence participatory decision-making structure for group ethics discussion
description The system structures each discussion stage around a participatory decision-making model comprising "divergence (generating diverse ideas), groan (struggling with differences), and convergence (narrowing down to share...
status review
generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-10
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 1 — seo-2026

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