A Tipping Point for Global Debate (original) (raw)
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Debating as a Deliberative Instrument in Educational Practice
Studies in Philosophy and Education
In recent decades, deliberation about public issues has become a central theme in citizenship education. In line with an increasing philosophical and political appreciation of the importance of deliberation within democracy, schools, as training grounds for democratic citizenship, should foster high-level deliberative skills. However, when this insight is translated into practical formats, these formats suffer from a number of shortcomings. Specifically, they can be criticised on philosophical grounds for advantaging select societal groups, and on empirical grounds for facilitating groupthink mechanisms. This paper aims to address these shortcomings by suggesting a role for debating techniques within deliberative education. Because debating stimulates the contestation of diverse opinions, it may counteract the silencing of minority viewpoints and the proliferation of groupthink. At the same time, debating-based formats must be closely regulated in order to not imperil compromise for...
Debating: a catalyst to enhance learning skills and competencies
Journal of Education and Training, 2013
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine if training through debates can be used as a rationale to enhance learning skills. In particular, it investigates whether debating can be useful in developing both, key graduate capabilities skills (critical thinking and communication skills) and the process to facilitate learning (motivation, intellectual challenges and learning in depth). The research validates some of the previous findings and argues that integration of debates into a curriculum enhances learning. Design/methodology/approach-Third-year undergraduate students participated in this exercise. The University invited the United Nations Association to administer their model conference that involved debating. A survey questionnaire was distributed to the students. Given that the sample was small, the data were analysed using cross tabulations. Findings-The research found that learning through debates for developing both, key graduate capabilities skills (critical thinking and communication skills) and the process to facilitate learning (motivation, intellectual challenges and learning in depth) were statistically significant. Not all students reflect a positive attitude to debating. Research limitations/implications-Knowledge can be conceived as being based on intersubjective reasoning processes that students are likely to adopt. This is dependent on how students want to learn, as they have different learning approaches, expectations, motivations, and meta-cognition. Practical implications-The implications of these findings are essential for training, learning, and open opportunities for further research. Originality/value-Findings from this study demonstrate quite clearly that debating is statistically significant on several learning outcomes that are desirable for graduate capabilities and learning processes.
Teaching Philosophy, 2017
One very common style of teaching philosophy involves remaining publicly neutral regarding the views being debated—a technique commonly styled 'teaching the debate.' This paper seeks to survey evidence from the literature in social psychology that suggests teaching the debate naturally lends itself to student skepticism toward the philosophical views presented. In contrast, research suggests that presenting one's own views alongside teaching the debate in question—or 'engaging the debate'—can effectively avoid eliciting skeptical attitudes among students without sacrificing desirable pedagogical outcomes. Thus, there are good reasons to engage philosophical debates as an educator, not merely teach them.
Debate as a practices in higher education curricula
2015
Currently, some courses of the 14 faculties of the University of Porto used the "debate" as a pedagogical strategy for teaching. For this study we took into account: syllabus of subjects which are using the debate as a method of teaching learning, the observations made by "De par em Par" program of the University of Porto as action of multidisciplinary training and the interviews to teachers that use debate in their courses, to achieve the research objectives.
The Relationship between Facts, Debate, and Education
Academia Letters, 2021
Around the world we are mourning the death of facts. People no longer snap to, fall in line, and begin to march to the drumbeat of the fact. The idea of having a set of information that, upon presentation, compels changes in heart and mind is a tempting fantasy. But this is not how facts have worked. Facts are powerful not because they are unchallenged, but because of how they respond-or more appropriately how they allow us to respond-to the challenges they face. That art of "response to the challenge" is something that we no longer practice, hopeful that facts will do it for us. Our loss of civility is also related to frustration that facts aren't working properly. It's like kicking the vending machine when our bag of chips remains hooked on the plastic corkscrew. We can see what's wrong, but have no ability to fix the machine. But it's the root of this metaphor that is the problem. Ralph Ellison warns us about treating the complexities of the audience like a jukebox, demanding they present the tune we want with the push of a couple of buttons. 1 Our emphasis on the rigidity of possible interactions with facts has harmed our ability to craft and create meaningful coalitions. Perhaps it's best to say that we've forgotten how to create meaning together. We expect the machine to work. A solution to this issue is the re-introduction of the art of debate into education not as an aside or a fun extracurricular for the chosen few, but as a central practice of the educated person. Along with practice in writing, and familiarity with the processes of mathematics, debating provides respect and familiarity with the process of creating meaning within uncertainty. English Professor Francis Parkman suggested as much at a Yale University English department faculty meeting when he expressed concern that his students could not stand and advocate their point of view on an issue. 2 Such a noticeable lack seemed to be a looming
Debating as a New Approach to Learning Primary and Middle School Guide
2023
This book, resulting from an Erasmus+ KA2 project, presents a collaborative effort by esteemed organizations including Società Nazionale Debate Italia, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, and Fundación Educativa Activa-t. Published in 2023, it offers a comprehensive guide to implementing debate as an innovative educational approach.
Formal Debate as a Pedagogical Tool in the College Classroom
1988
By understanding the values and goals of debate, the applicability of debate to all disciplines, the logistics of setting up a debate and the judging and grading procedures, college instructors in all disciplines can use debate to stimulate student interest and increase conceptual skills. Debate functions to develop skills in critical thinking, analyzing, synthesizing, and impromptu speaking. Though both types of debate are useful, Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) debate is more easily and appropriately adaptable to the college classroom than National Debate Tournament (NDT) debate with its stress on policies. Six major areas of concern arise in preparing students for formal debate: the topic and resolution, research, developing affirmative and negative cases, the general format of the debate, cross examination, and rebuttals. By using active listening skills, developing a flow chart of the arguments presented in debate and casting votes for one of the teams, the audience becomes an integral part of the classroom activity. Some of the factors considered in grading include the amount of time and effort students seem to have put into the debate, overall use of good reasoning and critical thinking skills as applied to the subject matter, and the sincerity and effort put into the debate. (Contains eight references. Appendixes discuss structure of the debate, judging criteria, and grading criteria, and contain a sample flow chart.)