Debate Procedures

Debate Format

Here's how the upcoming debates will be structured:

Physical Layout:

• Speakers will use the podium, which will be at the center-front of the classroom


• The teams currently debating will occupy a row of desks at either side of the front of the class until their turns to speak.


• All of us not in the current debate will occupy the regular class seats.

Notes

Students may use notes in any form. These will not be turned in to the instructor. Many previous students have found 3" by 5" cards to be an effective form for notes, though some few prefer outlines. Flow-charts have been used effectively by a small number of students who are responding to previous speeches (that is, everyone but the first pro speaker).

A few students have used visual aids effectively, but they have often caused more trouble than they have been worth. Since the speeches must respond to previous arguments, completely mapping out a speech before the debate tends to keep the speaker from properly responding, and grades may suffer.

The only speaker in a debate who can know before the debate exactly what he or she will say is the first pro speaker. No one else should attempt to pre-write a speech. Even first pro speakers will usually find that writing out the entire speech is usually not the best way to perform, since it's very hard to give an effective delivery when one is reading. (An outline is usually effective for the first pro speech).

Procedure in a 2 vs 2 Debate

Anyone who arrives late on the debate day runs the risk of being unable to participate in the debate, and possibly having to take a zero for the debate. We will accomodate people who arrive late only insofar as this does not handicap those who arrive on time, but that also means that we will not keep the class waiting.

• Round #1 (first speakers)




• First pro speaker makes a speech, taking up to 5 minutes. This explains what the pro-side's proposal is and why it should be implemented or accepted.


• Cross-examination -- the first con speaker asks questions of the first pro speaker. As in all cross-examinations, the questioner ONLY asks questions, making no statements. The person who answers ONLY answers, asking no questions. Cross-examinations may take up to 3 minutes.


• The first con speaker makes a speech describing why the pro platform should be rejected, answering the first pro speaker's arguments and extending the argument in whatever ways the con side finds advantageous.


• The second pro speaker cross-examines the first con speaker. Notice that the person asking questions is always the person who will speak next, and the person answering questions is always the person who has spoken.




• Round #2




• Second pro speaker speaks.


• Second con speaker cross-examines second pro speaker.


• Second con speaker speaks


• First pro speaker cross-examines second con speaker.




• Round #3




• First pro speaker speaks. Notice that by this time it's unlikely (although entirely possible!) that the debaters are dealing with entirely new main concepts.The second speech usually amounts to a rebuttal -- a response to previous arguments.


• The first con speaker cross-examines the first pro speaker.


• The first con speaker speaks.


• The second pro speaker cross-examines the first con speaker.




• Round #4




• The first pro speaker speaks.


• The second pro speaker speaks.

In the case of a 3 versus 3 debate, there will be two more rounds. Cross-examinations will continue in all rounds except the very last one. (The reasons that cross examinations are not traditional in the last round is that it's not usually advantageous to ask questions of an opponent unless one will have the opportunity to respond. Since both teams cannot have the opportunity to respond last, the most equitable procedure is to have no cross-examination for either at the end.)

It may happen that teams have a different number of debaters on debate day. If so, the members of the team with fewer members has a choice to make. They are entitled to make extra speeches and cross-examinations to make up for the teamates that are missing or non-existent, so that the team has equal time. Or they may refuse to speak extra in order to avoid the extra work or stress. They will not be penalized for either decision, but historically, extra speaking often raises a grade and almost never drops it.

Debate Grading

Debate Grading FAQ

These answer the questions that come up each semester about how debates are graded:

• Since I cannot verify how much study and preparation students do for the debate, the entire grade will depend on performance in the debate itself.


• The debate grades count the same as an essay in in terms of the cumulative grade at the end of the semester.


• Students will receive grades on the day of the debate.


• Students receive individual grades. If a team member refuses to prepare,this may be frustrating, but should not ruin one's grade. Where necessary, the difficulty of working with an inconvenient partner may be taken into account in the grading.


• One may get a good or bad grade whether one's team wins or loses.


• Each student is graded individually but according to how he or she does in advancing a team effort. Accordingly, students who make outstanding contribution to a team's poor showing may get A's, but not by abandoning the team.


• Grades will be awarded according to how logically and thoroughly each debater supports the team position. While I reserve the right to award a higher grade because a student delivers a speech very well, I will not penalize a student whose delivery falters unless that changes the logical content of the delivery. Once in a while a student freezes in front of the class, unable to speak. That student may wait even several minutes for his or her panic to pas, then proceed. As long as the speaker is eventually able to deliver the argument logically and thoroughly, the grade will not suffer.


• Hopefully this is obvious, but I will not grade anyone down on his or her accent.


• I will not grade anyone down for grammatical or usage errors unless they are sufficiently serious that the argument itself suffers.


• I make no guarantee that the use of any sort of visual aid will improve anyone's grade. In fact, my experience is that they usually do not (although I do recall several exceptions). High grades go to clear, profound argument that's relevant to the point at hand. Visual aids only improve one's case if they advance that.


• I have never had to drop any grade because a debater has been overly aggressive or disrespectful to a colleague, though I suppose this could happen. The arguments that do appear that are sort of on the borderline of this usually run like "Oh, you only believe that because you're rich (or poor or American or Republican or female or Catholic). This kind of argument tends to lower one's grade simply because it is irrelevant to the argument at hand. For instance, even if one can demonstrate that one's instructor is an arrogant, self-important pedant does not mean that said professor is incorrect about the comma splice on one's paper.

Feel free to ask about anything I've left out.