Photo: Jackie Massey of the University of Oklahoma talks to a small group of students on Wednesday.

 

Posted by: Alfred C. Snider

 

One prize-winning teacher remarked that students learn best when they are taught three ways: lecture to present the material, have an active learning session where they use the material, then a chance for students to relay the material in their own words. I say that because that largely describes the educational method at the National High School Policy Debate Workshop here at the World Debate Institute.

 

Today covered the issue of topicality. Groups are tracked at different experience levels, but they all went through the same pattern. This morning there was an intensive small group session to convey the components, strategies and techniques of “topicality” arguments (claiming that the affirmative is not supporting the topic, and should therefore lose). After this session there was an active learning session, again in a small group, which involved building and testing of sample arguments to be used against the same affirmative case supplied to the students, which proposes a return of the draft for military service.

 

After  lunch students were given an hour to prepare for a series of mini-debates using only topicality arguments. There were tewo mini-debates staged, and after the first one the two teams switched sides and did it again.

 

After dinner all students will meet again in their small group from the morning to ask questions and process the experience of the two mini-debates. Then, they have yet another mini-debate before the day is over.

 

The result should be a very thorough examination of one major type of argument. Students will learn new information and techniques, have an opportunity to use them multiple times, and then process their experience and ask further questions before repeating the process again.

 

Tomorrow, counterplans!