Teachmeet, January 2016 Debates and peer-peer feedback to increase student engagement Dr. Claire V.S. Pike

Structured debates as a teaching tool A form of ‘flipped’ teaching Particularly appropriate for discussion of topics without clear ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ answers Cogent verbal argument is an important transferable/employment-related skill Enhances student engagement and peer-peer support/critique Suitable for small-medium classes (c students), in this format

Debate Case Study MSc Biotechnology students Two structured debates: Students were briefed two weeks before the debate session by /VLE/notice in class Debate 1: “Should human embryonic stem cells be used in Biotechnology?” Debate 2: “Are current pathways of drug development and deployment ethically acceptable?”

Team YES: Proposer – Student 1 Seconder – Student 2 Response to questions from the floor – Student 3, Student 4 Conclusion – Student 5 Team NO: Proposer – Student 6 Seconder – Student 7 Response to questions from the floor – Student 8, Student 9 Conclusion – Student 10 Team structure and student briefing

1.Proposer YES 2.Proposer NO 3.Seconder YES 4.Seconder NO 5.Response to questions from the floor YES 6.Response to questions from the floor NO 7.Conclusion YES 8.Conclusion NO Debate running-order

Role of the lecturer Chair the discussion: Order comments and questions Encourage participation from all students Diffuse tension! Ask questions: Challenge assertions Delve into evidence base for arguments made Introduce new facts for interpretation where needed Keep score: Marks /10 for each team member Marks for team interaction and cohesion Winning team / best individual performance

Observations Lively and animated class Level of preparation varied between individuals and teams Students tended to focus on lay-person concerns; needed encouragement to engage in specialist (scientific) bases of arguments Verbal communication was practiced and enhanced; students gained confidence Positive and supportive team dynamics

Self-reflection and peer-peer feedback Students were asked to reflect on their own performance: What went well? How would you approach a future debate? Students were asked to offer feedback to one another on: Content Presentation Candid and respectful discussions ensued

Student Feedback “A big thank you for holding the debate session last Tuesday… it gave me and all of us a real boost for future goals. Hope you will introduce more activities like this.” “I liked that there were lots of interactive activities.” “It is more involving as everyone is the class is made to contribute to the class.” “…We are asked to make…debates on top of the official assessments, which makes us feel more stressed…” - Further signpost the role of formative activities and independent learning activities.

Conclusion Formal debates are a useful teaching tool to enhance student engagement, particularly for nuanced and multi-faceted topics.