Amir Rafiei, a statistics major at the University of California, Berkeley, recently reflected on how his approach to collaboration in filmmaking had sometimes led to tension and division. After taking part in a new online course offered by UC Berkeley this summer, Rafiei said he has started to reconsider how he engages with others who hold different viewpoints.
The course, called “Openness to Opposing Views,” is part of the Berkeley Changemaker program. It was launched as an asynchronous online class available for one credit to students, while faculty, staff, and alumni can enroll for free without credit. Nearly 500 people have already registered for the course, and thousands more are expected to participate in the fall semester.
Rafiei explained that before taking the class, he often felt “locked in” with his own ideas during creative projects. He described situations where disagreements over filmmaking techniques led him to stop listening or even leave a project entirely. “My mindset has slowly shifted,” Rafiei said after completing the course.
He noted that he learned strategies from Berkeley faculty about handling criticism and understanding how social media algorithms can reinforce existing beliefs and deepen divides among people. The course also emphasized asking well-timed questions as a way to improve listening and foster better conversations.
“I personally thought taking the course Openness to Opposing Views would open up my mind about collaborating with others and being open to other ideas,” Rafiei said. “It definitely did.”
Laura Hassner, who codesigned the course with Jennifer Johnson-Hanks—executive dean of the College of Letters and Science—said it brings together lectures from a Nobel laureate, university leaders including the provost, and more than 20 scholars from 14 departments across campus. “Our Berkeley Changemakers have been asking for a class that would help them navigate charged conversations inside and outside of our classrooms,” Hassner said. “Thanks to our donors, we’re able to offer this course to our entire community. It’s our hope that everyone has the opportunity to get better at constructive disagreement.”
The curriculum addresses not only methods for engaging productively with opposing views but also explores how information bubbles can limit perspective—a point highlighted by Professor Oliver O’Reilly’s lecture on social media algorithms creating echo chambers.
Rafiei shared practical lessons from the class: “I tend to get emotionally charged in conversations. This class taught me to stay grounded using empathy and deep breathing. I now recognize my emotions as distractions, not as signals to argue.” He added that when feeling anger or anxiety during discussions, he tries deep breathing techniques before responding so he can listen fully rather than interrupting.
“Definitely. At Cal and at work, I now approach conversations with more curiosity,” Rafiei said about his changed attitude since taking the class.
He also mentioned seeking out diverse perspectives by reading news from around the world: “This class showed me the importance of breaking out of my information bubble.”
The program reflects ongoing efforts at UC Berkeley to promote dialogue across differences through academic initiatives like survey courses involving multiple departments.
Rafiei concluded by noting that while openness is important for most issues—since “true wisdom comes from being open to different perspectives”—there are still times when it is necessary “to stand firm in your beliefs,” referencing comments made by Professor Dacher Keltner during one of the lectures.
