Let’s Debate: Enhancing Communication and Critical Thinking skills through Structured Debate
Do you want to increase classroom engagement while effectively developing your students' skills? Wondering about how to improve your knowledge of formal and informal debate techniques? Perhaps you would like to organise a debate competition or course at your school? This is the course you are looking for!
Description
Debating alone can develop a wide range of skills, from argumentation and rebuttal to critical thinking and empathy. However, it is not always easy to determine how to use the debate method effectively in a classroom (or even with adults). This interactive course aims to help by sharing teachers' experiences, reviewing the literature, and presenting best practices—plus plenty of debating!
During the first section of the course, participants will learn or further develop effective debate, judging, and feedback methods. They will then explore various informal argumentation techniques and debating games applicable to almost any subject. Finally, different debate formats will be introduced and tested. Additionally, topics such as organizing debate tournaments and clubs, using debate-related phone applications, and reviewing findings from academic research on debate methods will be covered.
This training is ideal for complete beginners and intermediate debate trainers.
Learning objectives
By the end of the course, students will
- confidently apply basic argumentation models (Toulmin, SEXI),
- demonstrate refutation skills, and
- identify logical fallacies (for beginner debaters).
Intermediate debaters will learn to use advanced tools such as weighing and framing. Participants will provide constructive feedback, judge debates fairly, and select appropriate formal or informal discussion methods for various classroom settings based on topic, age, and time constraints.
The course also covers debate-related applications like Debate Keeper and Motion Generator. Additionally, participants will expand their knowledge of debate formats (World Schools, Karl Popper, BP), informal techniques (e.g., argumentation drills, table tennis), best practices for organizing debate events and training, and insights from scientific research on the benefits of debating.
The exact content and focus may vary depending on the preferences and prior knowledge of the participants.
Methodology & assessment
Materials, digital tools & other learning resources
Mobile phone with internet connection (recommended), paper or notebook (laptop is acceptable but paper is better), pen or pencil
Certification details
The Learning Agreement sample includes all course details (skills, objectives, outcomes, timetable). Upon completion, participants receive a certificate of attendance, and their Learning Agreement Complement or Europass Mobility Certificate will be signed. The course meets European Commission Quality Standards, e.g., "a day of physical course activities includes at least five hours of learning activities" and "the course setup provides opportunities to meet peers from other countries."
Pricing, packages and other information
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Price:430Euro
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Course package content:
Describe which costs are included in the course package, such as accommodation, meals, transport. Please indicate clearly which activities or services cannot be provided or cost extra
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Additional information:Description of the services and activities included in the course package (such as accommodation, meals, transport) or available at extra cost.
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Cancellation & changes:
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Additional information:The options and conditions for change and cancellation, and the policy in case of unforeseen circumstances (force majeure).
Дополнителни информации
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Јазик:English
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Target audience ISCED:Lower secondary education (ISCED 2)Upper secondary education (ISCED 3)Other
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Target audience type:TeacherHead Teacher / Principal
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Learning time:25 hours or more
Past sessions
Provider
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