The Rhetorical Triangle

The core of C-I pedagogy conceptually and practically dates all the way to 4th century BCE, some Greek named Aristotle, and perhaps one of education science’s oldest infographics: the rhetorical triangle. In its most simple interpretation, the rhetorical triangle highlights how effective communication requires careful consideration of the sender, the receiver, and the message itself. This means effective communication is not a one-size-fits-all skillset; it is variable at each of the points of the triangle. It is both an art form and a science. In the C-I classroom, we help students learn to ask and address these intentional questions the rhetorical triangle suggests: 

• Who is my audience, and how can I help them care about what I care about (pathos)?  

• What knowledge, information, or content can I give them to help them understand (logos)? 

• What should I do to help them trust/believe me (ethos)?

While understanding the role of the rhetorical triangle helps students with their communication assignments, it also provides a model for teachers to see themselves as communicators. After all, what is teaching but communicating specific content to an ever-changing audience?

We know that unexamined experiences are not necessarily educational. Self-assessment, particularly reflection, is important to make meaning of events so that students can learn from them (Dewey, 1910). It is important for learners to make meaning of events as they occur, as well as after time has passed (Schon, 1983; Kolb, 1984; Fink, 2003). It is also important to consider how we might be affected in the future by our experiences, whether it is to build upon these skills, or adjust them to new purposes in the future (Spencer, 1989; Stanfield, 2000; Rolfe, 2001).