The Leadership Letters is a business and social-science Journal dedicated to advancing multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary understanding of leadership.
Editor Robert M. Yawson
Using the World Café Approach for Class Discussion Participation and Engagement (2025)
Robert Yawson, Therese Sprinkle, Michael Urick, Ivy Johnson-Kanda
The selection of suitable pedagogical tools can make a significant difference in student engagement and learning performance. The World Café is an intentional way to create a living network of conversations around questions that matter. It is a creative methodology for hosting authentic discussions in groups of all sizes. The World Café technique has been used in various settings, including both graduate and undergraduate classrooms. Its classroom use has proven to be a robust pedagogical tool for active learning, including class discussion, participation, and student engagement. In this proposal, we will demonstrate the World Café classroom approach and how instructors can facilitate the process.