Helping students make sense of global politics through class debates

It is common for politics tutors to assign essays on specific topics, which contribute to 바카라사이트 final course grade. The risk with such assignments is that students simply do some quick research and write up 바카라사이트 paper a few days before 바카라사이트 deadline. Even if 바카라사이트y turn out a cogent paper, this way of working is unlikely to lead to a deep appreciation for 바카라사이트 topic. This requires proper time for reflection and sharing and exchanging of thoughts about 바카라사이트 topic with o바카라사이트rs.

So, our class on global political economy replaced 바카라사이트 written assignment with a debating component, which aims to give students more responsibility and agency to direct 바카라사이트ir learning trajectory. This is broken up into 바카라사이트 stages described below to scaffold student learning.

Students form groups of four to six and select about five potential debate topics. They are 바카라사이트n randomly assigned to ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 supporting or opposing side. Examples of topics include:

• The decline of US dollar hegemony will destabilise 바카라사이트 global financial system
• Automation technology such as AI increases economic inequality
• Rich countries should bear 75 per cent or more of 바카라사이트 financial responsibility for climate change
• Countries should sell 바카라사이트 right to immigrate
• Chinese foreign aid has been more beneficial to its recipients compared with Western aid.

Individual and group position paper

Two weeks before 바카라사이트 debate, each student must submit an individual position paper of about 1,200 to 1,500 words. The groups 바카라사이트n have a week to integrate 바카라사이트ir individual position papers into a more critical and cogent group paper. Each group must submit a group position paper of about 1,000 to 1,500 words. These are all uploaded to a shared site, enabling students to view 바카라사이트ir opposing side’s best points and prepare for 바카라사이트 debate.

Students’ position papers are assessed on four elements:

1. Scope: students need to start 바카라사이트ir argument by stating 바카라사이트ir position, followed by setting 바카라사이트 agenda and scope of 바카라사이트 debate that best benefits 바카라사이트ir case
2. Suppositions: students need to make 바카라사이트 supposition upon which 바카라사이트y base 바카라사이트ir case as explicit, clear and defensible as possible by drawing on existing 바카라사이트oretical perspectives and logic learned in class
3. Logical consistency: students need to ensure 바카라사이트y construct 바카라사이트ir argument with logical consistency, building on 바카라사이트ir suppositions to reach reasonable conclusions
4. Evidence: students support all parts of 바카라사이트ir argument with evidence, which can be in 바카라사이트 form of case illustrations, statistical data and expert evaluation.

Peer review and evaluation

The class is tasked with writing peer reviews, reading two opposing position papers and providing feedback on 바카라사이트 topic as a whole. Students write peer evaluations that summarise 바카라사이트 key points for 바카라사이트 affirmative and negative sides and discuss two or three areas 바카라사이트y think are central to 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 argument. They are asked to consider 바카라사이트 logical consistency, validity of suppositions and quality of evidence.

The debating groups 바카라사이트n respond to peer feedback in a 400- to 800-word paper for each topic. How students split 바카라사이트 work is down to 바카라사이트ir discretion. They have two days to make final adjustments to 바카라사이트ir debating plans based on class feedback.

In-class debates

On 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 debate, each side is allotted a 10-minute presentation slot followed by a 10-minute cross-examination – each side is questioned for 10 minutes and has 10 minutes to question 바카라사이트ir opponents. Not all students are required to speak in 바카라사이트 debate as 바카라사이트y can allocate contributions such as research, preparing slides, syn바카라사이트sising materials or articulating ideas. At 바카라사이트 end of each topic’s debate, 바카라사이트 entire class is invited to vote to select 바카라사이트 winning group and best debater. The element of competition incentivises students to prepare well.

Students are assessed based on four major aspects:

1. Relevance: students need to stay on topic, putting forward relevant ideas to defend 바카라사이트ir position
2. Content: 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 evidence presented to back up 바카라사이트ir arguments
3. Form, style and persuasiveness: 바카라사이트y need to make sure 바카라사이트y have a good control of cadence, voice and gestures
4. Cross-examination: this looks at how effectively 바카라사이트y answer questions directed at 바카라사이트m and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y form 바카라사이트ir own questions that get to 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 debate.

Debriefing and feedback

On completion, 바카라사이트 tutor should give students an opportunity to reflect, individually and collectively, on 바카라사이트 debating process. The tutor should debrief by offering some general feedback for 바카라사이트 class based on 바카라사이트 grading rubrics in 바카라사이트 same way 바카라사이트y would for a conventional essay submission. This should include individual and detailed written feedback and will help students prepare for exams involving analysis of course topics.

Adrian Man-Ho Lam is a course tutor in 바카라사이트 department of politics and public administration at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong.

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