In a classroom debate, a proposition is stated and students make arguments for or against it.
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Why should you facilitate a Case Study?
Possible learning goals: Have students conduct research to form an argument. Have students practice quick critical thinking to respond to counterarguments. Have students practice written and oral communication as they construct arguments. Have students acknowledge a range of perspectives on an issue.
Want to facilitate a Debate in your class?
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Prep
Prep Break students into two groups—For and Against the proposition- Students either choose or are assigned to argue a particular side in the debate.
- It may present an extra challenge, but it can be a positive learning experience for students to argue on the side of the debate they don’t actually believe in. Some instructors flip a coin and let the winning team decide whether they will argue in favor of or against the proposition.
- Possible roles include: opening speaker, rebuttal speaker, concluding speaker, researcher, organizer, debate moderator, leader, and speech composer
- Depending on the size of the groups, students may take on more than one role
- Possible sources include peer-reviewed journal articles, books and manuscripts, magazines and newspaper articles, websites, and interviews with experts on the topic.
- Tell students they should avoid or limit claims based on personal experience or opinion, and explain why these are considered less valid sources of information in a debate.
During
Write the proposition on the board
• The proposition is a statement that affirms or denies something. For example “Affirmative action policies should be banned”. The proposition may also be written as a question (e.g., “Should affirmative action policies be banned?”).
Monitor time limits and debate structure
•There are countless variations of the exact format of debates but, traditionally, debates follow a similar structure:
• Pro position (5 minutes) [Pro Team]
• Rebuttal (3 minutes) [Con Team]
• Con position (5 minutes) [Con Team]
• Rebuttal (3 minutes) [Pro Team]
• Teams question each other (5 minutes/team) [Both teams]
• Closing statements (3 minutes/team) [Both teams, in the opposite order from opening statements]
Monitor Participation
- Particularly if a student is filling the moderator role (and thus keeping track of time), you can keep track of students’ contributions to make sure that everyone participates
After
Open up the debate for comments from all students- After each side has presented their concluding arguments, you may want to let the rest of the class weigh in, ask questions, or present new evidence
Have students vote to indicate which side presented the most convincing argument
- Ask students to raise their hands in favor of the arguments made by the For or Against sides. You may want to ask if anyone’s mind has been changed by the debate—ask them to share what changed their thinking.
Reference: Keller, T., Whittaker, J., & Burke, T. (2001). Student debates in policy courses: promoting police practice skills and knowledge through active learning. Journal of Social Work, 37(2), 343–55.
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ABLConnect Fellow Julia Galindo on Debates:
Want examples of a Debate? Check out the ABLConnect Database
Want to learn more about research on Debate in the classroom? Click here!