In “Factfulness”, Hans Rosling shares a valuable insight into why we must question our assumptions. In times when we are bombarded with information, when false claims abound, having a disposition towards scepticism seems vital. Rosling urges us to not only question the facts we are presented with but the internal biases which influence how we interpret these facts.
Rosling shares his personal story of investigating contracts between UNICEF and the big pharmaceutical company Rivopharm for the supply of Malaria tablets. It is common to question the motives of large organisations and pharmaceutical firms are not immune to this. In the particular case that Rosling was investigating, Rivopharm’s bid was significantly lower than what other companies were offering. Clearly there was something going on here and Rosling was suspicious; what was Rivopharm up to? Suspecting that this might be an unreliable, fly-by-night company, Rosling was surprised when he was picked up in a limousine, accommodated in a fancy hotel and taken to a world-class factory. He questioned the manager to determine how Rivopharm could be bidding below the cost of manufacture expecting to uncover some form of scam.
The truth was more complex. Rivopharm indeed was buying the raw materials from the same suppliers as everyone else and at the same cost. The difference was that they had invested in highly automated manufacturing methods. They could turn the raw materials into packed and ready to dispense tablets in three days. One day later the tablets are shipped to UNICEF and on the same day, Rivopharm gets paid. But Rivopharm has 30 days to pay their suppliers and while the money from UNICEF sits in their banks it is earning interest. Rivopharm makes their profit not directly from the sale of the tablets but from the interest, they make while the money sits in their accounts.
Our assumptions about how the world works shape what we imagine is possible and how we interpret the facts we engage with. When reality doesn’t fit with our assumptions, we are likely to be caught out with thinking that is limited and that opens the door to misunderstandings.
Our students benefit from strategies that help them uncover complexity and examine multiple viewpoints. One of the most powerful questions we can ask our students is “What makes you say that?”. When we ask this question we invite students to explore and make visible the assumptions that are behind their thinking. The process is valuable for all involved and can help the student better understand their response. In a safe and non-judgemental environment, asking “What makes you say that?” invites reflection and exposes biases or assumptions that prevent us from seeing issues from another perspective.
Here are some other thinking routines which can be useful when confronting the circumstances described in “Factfulness”.
Thinking routines for Uncovering Complexity:
True for Who? - Discuss a given situation thinking about the circumstances of the decision, the people involved, what was at stake, what were the interests and goals of the people involved. Collect this information into a chart and group ideas by points of view. Now use that information to Dramatise the thinking that led to the original decision. Each person uses the chart to respond to three questions:
My point of view is . . .
I think this claim is true/false/uncertain because . . .
What would convince me to change my mind is . . .
Some group members should observe this dramatisation and then reflect on what they have seen and heard.
Think, Pair, Share - Begin by considering options or responses by yourself. Give this process some time and then share your ideas with a partner. Once you have explained your ideas to your partner and listened to their thinking, share your combined ideas with the larger group. This can maximise the options available to the group and increases the power of many minds working together.
Connect, Extend, Challenge - How are the ideas presented Connected to what you already know? What new ideas are presented that Extend what you know? What is still Challenging you and where does your learning journey go next?
I used to think. . . Now I think . . . (So now I will. . . ) - Use this routine to make visible how your thinking has changed over the course of a learning experience. Then go beyond by describing What made you change your thinking? How did this change occur? What new learning have you achieved?
Thinking Routines Considering Viewpoints:
Circle of Viewpoints - a thinking routine that will help you see diverse perspectives and look at a situation from another person's point of view. Useful in small groups.
Brainstorm a list of different perspectives and then use this script skeleton to explore each one:
I am thinking of ... the topic... From the point of view of ... the viewpoint you've chosen
I think ... describe the topic from your viewpoint. Be an actor – take on the character of your viewpoint
A question I have from this viewpoint is ... ask a question from this viewpoint
Wrap up: What new ideas do you have about the topic that you didn't have before? What new questions do you have? Record your thinking with a mind map, locating differing points of view around a circle.
Here Now/There Then - a thinking routine to encourage thinking about how attitudes and beliefs change over time or from place to place.
Identify an issue that has changed over time or is seen differently from place to place or across cultures
Brainstorm what is known about the issue now and then, how has it changed and what has caused the change. Identify cultural perspectives that make one understanding more true for one culture compared to another.
Ask 'What do I not understand about the other point of view or why things are/were different?' then ask 'How will I find that information?'
Create a comparison chart or Venn diagram to organise your information.
Use this information in a 'Circle of Viewpoints' to help you understand the different perspectives.
Explore other thinking routines here from Project Zero
By Nigel Coutts