People who participate in public comment/discussion events often have strong views--but they may have also significant gaps in their knowledge of the factual background, scientific or technical data (if relevant), and the competing interests that are involved. Moreover, they often do not understand: the decisionmaking process of which the public comment/discussion is a part; the role of the sponsor of the discussion; or any legal or regulatory context that controls what can or must happen.
Here are some ideas for informative Learn panels:
More information on these questions can presented in the Topic posts, and participants may be able to go into greater detail by reading materials included in the Helpful Documents section of the site. But the Learn slides can quickly provide people with information that situates them more knowledgeably in the discussion from the outset. For an example, see NYCSmartParticipation.