Executive summary: This write-up reflects on a five-week, low-cost academic journal club co-hosted by the UCLA EA group and the Rational Altruism Lab, which successfully fostered structured and inclusive discussions on moral psychology—particularly moral circle expansion—by using a hybrid format, shared summary documents, and silent reading time to enhance reflection and engagement.
Key points:
Purpose and motivation: The club aimed to deepen engagement with moral psychology literature and create space for reflection and shared intellectual development, addressing the common issue of reading without follow-up.
Core structure: Weekly hour-long meetings focused on a single paper, with a rotating moderator who prepared a 2–3 page summary using tools like ChatGPT, later discussed through guided questions and collaborative commentary.
Innovative silent segment: Each session included 15–20 minutes of silent reading and commenting, which became a highlight by promoting thoughtful contributions and ensuring shared baseline knowledge.
Inclusivity and hybrid setup: The club was run in a hybrid in-person/Zoom format, enabling broader participation through thoughtful logistical planning.
Key takeaways: Written summaries reduced the pressure of full pre-reading, structured silence improved discussion quality, and hybrid meetings were logistically feasible and inclusive.
Next steps and invitation: The organizers plan to expand the reading list into a mini literature review and invite others to replicate, co-host, or provide feedback on the format.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: This write-up reflects on a five-week, low-cost academic journal club co-hosted by the UCLA EA group and the Rational Altruism Lab, which successfully fostered structured and inclusive discussions on moral psychology—particularly moral circle expansion—by using a hybrid format, shared summary documents, and silent reading time to enhance reflection and engagement.
Key points:
Purpose and motivation: The club aimed to deepen engagement with moral psychology literature and create space for reflection and shared intellectual development, addressing the common issue of reading without follow-up.
Core structure: Weekly hour-long meetings focused on a single paper, with a rotating moderator who prepared a 2–3 page summary using tools like ChatGPT, later discussed through guided questions and collaborative commentary.
Innovative silent segment: Each session included 15–20 minutes of silent reading and commenting, which became a highlight by promoting thoughtful contributions and ensuring shared baseline knowledge.
Inclusivity and hybrid setup: The club was run in a hybrid in-person/Zoom format, enabling broader participation through thoughtful logistical planning.
Key takeaways: Written summaries reduced the pressure of full pre-reading, structured silence improved discussion quality, and hybrid meetings were logistically feasible and inclusive.
Next steps and invitation: The organizers plan to expand the reading list into a mini literature review and invite others to replicate, co-host, or provide feedback on the format.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.