The new issue of the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education includes an interesting article by Ruth Kennedy from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania exploring the use of different debate formats in the classroom. Here’s the abstract:
“Students learn in diverse ways; therefore, instructors must utilize a wide variety of instructional strategies. Students benefit when instructors use instructional strategies that promote active engagement. In-class debates cultivate the active engagement of students, yet participation in debates is often limited to students involved in debate teams. The benefits of using in-class debates as an instructional strategy also include mastery of the content and the development of critical thinking skills, empathy, and oral communication skills. Debate as an instructional strategy, however, has its opponents. Some believe debates reinforce a bias toward dualism, foster a confrontational environment that does not suit certain students, or merely reinforce a student’s existing beliefs. A variety of debate formats are described which address these criticisms including meeting-house, four-corner, fishbowl, think-pair-share, and role-play debates. Finally, issues related to the assessment of in-class debates are addressed such as whether the students are assessed individually or as a team, what aspects of the debate are assessed, and whether the instructor and/or students will do the assessment.” You can get the full article here as a pdf.
The U.S. Professors of the Year Award Program was created in 1981 by the Carnegie Foundation to increase awareness of the importance of undergraduate instruction at all types of higher education institutions. The program recognizes faculty members for their achievement as undergraduate professors. This short podcast from Inside Higher Ed interviews the 2007 winners to learn some of the things they do to make their teaching a success.
