Conducting a debate

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Conducting a debate

• Eileen Tuimalealiifano
• Associate Professor
• Centre for Flexible Distance Learning

2
Benefits of debating

• Develop critical thinking by helping students
• know that topics can be looked at from different
  perspectives
• understand how perspectives are acceptable on the
  basis of how well reasoned they are
• Develop skills in
• a collaborative approach to achieving your
  learning objectives
• research
• developing an argument

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What is a debate?

• an argument or discussion defending different
  opinions/views about something
• a formal and structured presentation involving
  two teams of speakers presenting opposing views
  on a topic and competing for the more convincing
  argument. A panel of judges decides the outcome
  of the argument!

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Features of a good argument

• presents a clear insightful position on the
  issue
• develops the position with compelling reasons,
  evidence and/or persuasive examples
• is a well-focused well-organized analysis,
  connecting ideas logically
• expresses ideas fluently and precisely, using
  effective vocabulary and sentence variety
• demonstrates a good command of the formal aspects
  of language

5
What do you think?

• If any member of the board retires, the company,
  at the discretion of the board, and after notice
  from the chairman of the board to all the members
  of the board at least 30 days before executing
  this option, may buy, and the retiring member
  must sell, the members interest in the company
• I had a four hour meeting with Quality Office
  yesterday and realised later that as I was
  following through on some of the actions to be
  done, I noticed that there were a couple of work
  in progress statuses beside the things you were
  asked to follow up on from the meeting and when I
  queried the revised course proposal
  documentation, I was told that they were still
  waiting for your response

6
Some comment fallacies in argument

• against the person ad hominem
• various appeals to authority, common practice
  emotion flattery pity tradition ridicule
• claiming that the conclusion is true begging
  the question
• generalisation from a biased sample
• confusing cause and effect (because they usually
  occur together)
• distraction from the issue red herring
• Slippery slope one event will automatically
  follow another
• two wrongs make a right

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Some practice exercises!

• Exercise 1
• "I think there is great merit in making the
  requirements stricter for graduate students. I
  recommend that you support it, too. After all, we
  are in a budget crisis and we do not want our
  salaries affected."
• Red Herring

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Practice contd

• Exercise 2
• It is claimed by some people that severe illness
  is caused by depression and anger. After all,
  people who are severely ill are very often
  depressed and angry. Thus, it follows that the
  cause of severe illness actually is the
  depression and anger. So, a good and cheerful
  attitude is key to staying healthy
• Confusing cause and effect

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More practice

• Exercise 3
• Bill "I believe that abortion is morally wrong."
  Dave "Of course you would say that, you're a
  priest." Bill "What about the arguments I gave
  to support my position?" Dave "Those don't
  count. Like I said, you're a priest, so you have
  to say that abortion is wrong. Further, you are
  just a lackey to the Pope, so I can't believe
  what you say."
• Ad hominem

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Another one

• Exercise 4
• "That was a singularly brilliant idea. I have
  never seen such a clear and eloquent defense of
  Plato's position. If you do not mind, I'll base
  my paper on it. Provided that you allow me a
  little extra time past the deadline to work on
  it."
• Appeal to flattery

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One for the road ?

• Exercise 5
• After leaving a store, Jill notices that she has
  underpaid by 10. She decides not to return the
  money to the store because she feels that if she
  had overpaid, they would not have returned the
  money.
• Two wrongs dont make a right

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Presentation skills the drama!

• Good speech articulation and voice
• volume, speed, diction, modulation
• Good body language
• posture, gestures, facial expression, eye
  contact, mannerisms
• Engaging the audience
• enthusiasm/animation
• eye contact
• Interest
• energy

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Presentation practice

• You are debating the topic
• Marijuana should be legalised
• Here are some debate statements on the topic
• The main reason that marijuana is a problem is
  because the forbidden is sweet. Make it legal
  and I guarantee many will lose interest.
• Marijuana, like tobacco, is a choice to forbid
  it is to deny peoples right to choose!
• As it is, the psychiatric hospital is filling up
  with victims of illegal marijuana smoking. Can
  you imagine what the statistics will be like if
  it became legal?

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The formal debate structure

• The topic
• - usually an affirmative statement
• The teams
• - the affirmative side (defends the topic)
• - the negative side (opposes the topic)
• - 3 speakers each
• The form of the presentation
• - argument

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Structure contd

• managed by a chairperson
• occurs within a timeframe
• - limited speaking time for presenters

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Order of presentation role of each member of
the debate team

• First speaker affirmative introduces team, and
  approach to topic defend
• First speaker negative introduces team roles
  defend rebut
• Second speaker affirmative defend rebut
• Second speaker negative defend rebut
• Third speaker affirmative rebut defend
• Third speaker negative rebut defend
• First speaker negative summing up
• First speaker affirmative summing up

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The role of the judges

• to evaluate and assess how well each team and
  each member has demonstrated the capacity to
• construct (content and structure of your
  position) and
• present (delivering your content)
• a well-reasoned and convincing argument
• work as a team
• - weaken the defence of the opposition

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The role of the Chairperson

• Know the order and flow of the debate process and
  conduct it accordingly
• Invite the speakers to speak in their turn
• Keep the time limit
• Discipline might be necessary sometimes!