Teaching Debate/Discussion Skills

Teachers often assume that students know how to work together. But this may not always be the case. Some of the important skills and behaviour students need to participate fully in an effective Creative Controversy exercise include:

from Wideman, Clarke, & Eadie, Together We Learn. Scarborough: Prentice Hall, 1990

Both kinds of skills are necessary. In order for groups to do the task, they need to attend to those things that will help people get along while working together. Working with others is intense. Teacher impatience with what seems to be off-task behaviour can result in premature intervention preventing group members from solving their own problems.

Here are some suggestions for preparing students for serious debate and discussion of the Great Canadian Questions:

• Educators can use a direct instruction approach in which group norms or behaviours are defined, modelled, and practised. Teachers may want to take the time at the beginning of the year/semester for teambuilding and class building activities in order to build a climate for learning.
• Other teachers use an experiential approach stressing student self-reflection.
• In any case, behaviours should not be taught in isolation, but fitted with the content and tasks required in your lessons. After any learning experience, students should have opportunities to reflect on their learning by considering "What went well?" " How can we improve?"