Rwandz Private Technical Institute

Department: English

Academic Debate

Name: Rozhgar Motalib Rasheed

Instructor: Mokhles S. Ibrahim

Academic Year: 2019-2020

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 :Submitted In

2020/6/8

Abstract or Summary

We can express academic debate as a game which students play partly because it is fun and
partly to empower them to effectively participate in their civic organizations, governments
and social movements later in life. Ideally, the relationship between academic debate and the
real world will be such that playing the game significantly improves a student’s life-time
convincing skills in social contexts. And in practice this is often true, but just as often this
relationship is weak or completely absent.
Academic Debate class will provide participants with a guide to the fundamentals of
argumentation, logical formulation, and clear speech – skills that are an essential part of high
school and eventually college and life success. Students in this course will be challenged to
process a range of complex ideas through reading and discussion, to organize their thoughts
using brainstorming and framing tools, and to finally present their ideas in a variety of
formats This paper is a first approximation, systematic analysis of the relationships between
academic debate and the skills needed for real world persuasive success across a variety of
debating formats. We as students of Rwandz Private Technical Institute, study Academic
debate at the first year as a main subject of curriculum and get great benefit from it because it
provides practice in developing sound and logical arguments and gives
students an opportunity to practice speaking in front of an audience and
thinking it also allows Students participating in debate show initiative and
leadership.

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Academic debate course is
added to first-year curriculum in
all Universities in Kurdistan as
part
of the curricula development
process to prepare the students
to university life. This course
helps
students develop abilities and
skills in academic
communication and debate.
The topics of this
course train the students to
seek information, produce

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knowledge, raise and answer
academic
questions. It also trains them to
accept other’s points of view,
direct academic arguments,
analyze
the scientific texts logically
and critically as well as to
view the community
problems
academically to offer
appropriate suggestions to
solve such problem, i.e. they
are guided to

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conduct a critical analysis of
what they read. They are also
provided with opportunities to
practice
and develop their skills by
writing their reflections on
the material studied and on
their own
learning. All of the above can
be considered as the core of
critical thinking

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 List of Contents

Summary --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

List of Contents --------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

Main body ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5

Discussion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6-7

Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

References --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

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Introduction

Academic Debate is a valuable activity for students of all skill levels.  Debate
teaches useful skills for other academic pursuits and life more generally.   Most
obviously, debaters build confidence speaking in public and expressing their ideas
eloquently.  That comfort speaking in front of others is useful in so many areas of
life, from interviews to school presentations to discussions in college seminars.
But the benefits of debating are not limited to the skills built while students are
speaking—the preparation for competition teaches critical thinking and research
skills, as well. 
Students who participate in academic debate are learning to interact in a democratic society.
Debate allows students to develop a tolerance of new or alternative ideas, to value competition
and gain a broader knowledge of a topic. It may introduce the student to concepts previously
unexplored, offering the opportunity to view the world from different perspectives and gaining
an understanding of the notion of "agreeing to disagree." The flow of reasoned argument around
the issues facing society allows academic debate to play a role in critical decision-making. When
used to good effect, academic debate can empower individuals to help shape the world through
language.

In the debating arena, students are able to express their opinions in a safe environment. This
prepares them to participate in wider society and in the democratic process. It can also train them
for future leadership roles. Academic debate develops a number of skills such as reasoning,
articulation and critical thinking. It encourages broad social skills and augments personal
development by increasing self-confidence.

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Students engaged in academic debate are generally found to have greater research and
questioning skills over their peers.. By debating prominent social issues, students gain a more
well-rounded education than those who do not participate. They are also thought to have greater
ability to remain focused under pressure and work through challenging issues.

Main body

Academic debate is simply defined as a debate conducted under the auspices of an

educational institution aimed at providing educational opportunities for its students. The
purpose of an academic debate is to allow evenly matched opponents to present
balanced arguments and evidence about critical issues.

Some of the benefits students gained from their debate experience include awareness
and knowledge of social issues, development of critical thinking and communication
ability, appreciation of change, and respect for academic research. The philosophy of
colleges and Institutes debate, for example, is “ to learn not to win” because the most
important thing is to be able to present both sides of the issue and make a critical
decision on matters concerning public interest.

The debate in an academic environment such as our Institute provides students

opportunities to apply their knowledge of debate principles, develop proper attitudes and
skills, and experience almost real-life debates. More importantly, debating is to keep
political and public issues alive in the hearts and minds of the academic community.

Debating rules vary from one competition to another, and there are several
debates formats as: Lincoln-Douglas, parliamentary, student congress, model United Nations,
and policy debate are all different formats in which students compete. Debates can involve
single-member teams or teams that include several students.

In a standard debate, two teams are presented with a resolution or topic, and

each team has a set period of time to prepare an argument.

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 Students typically don't know their debate subjects ahead of time. However,
participants are encouraged to read about current events and controversial issues
to prepare for debates. This can give teams special strengths in certain topic
areas. The goal is to come up with a good argument in a short amount of time.

At a debate, one team argues in favor (pro) and the other argues in opposition
(con). In some debate formats, each team member speaks, and in others, the
team selects one member to speak for the entire team.

A judge or a panel of judges assigns points based on the strength of the

arguments and the professionalism of the teams. One team is usually declared the
winner, and that team advances to a new round. A school team can compete in
local, regional, and national competitions.

Discussion

1-Why do we need to have plan and prepare ourselves before presentations

and seminars?

The prepared speech is planned and organised before a presentation. You will need to
prepare an outline and notes to prompt you. If you use the prompts well, the delivery will
appear spontaneous and relaxed. Before making any type of prepared speech, it is important to
consider the purpose of your presentation and the audience (more about that later in this
book). As you prepare your speech, put important ideas, phrases, quotations and statistics in
note form. It is not essential to write down every word of the speech unless you are really
nervous. To sound natural, try to add some extra comments when you present your speech. Try
not to read the speech word for word – you may lose your place, and reading is boring for your
audience. If you can speak without reading, you can maintain eye contact with your audience
and you can keep an eye on their response to your presentation.

Ten Steps to Preparing an Effective Oral Presentation

1. Determine the purpose of your presentation and identify your own objectives.
2. Know your audience and what it knows.
3. Define your topic.

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4. Arrange your material in a way that makes sense for your objectives.
5. Compose your presentation.
6. Create visual aids.
7. Practice your presentation (don’t forget to time it!)
8. Make necessary adjustments.
9. Analyze the room where you’ll be giving your presentation (set-up, sight lines,
equipment, etc.).
10. Practice again.

2-Why do we need to put our experiences in CV?

A well-written work experience section is a crucial element on your CV because it shows

that you have the necessary qualifications to be an asset to your potential employer. It also
provides substantial information in a limited space.
The work experience section of your CV should contain information about your professional
history including previous titles, employers, and dates of tenure, responsibilities, skills learned
and accomplishments. Depending on your background, you can include full-time positions,
part-time jobs, temporary roles, internships and even volunteer work if you do not have
extensive paid work experience.
Many employers regard the description of work experience as the most important part of
a resume. To get a quick idea of your employment history, your prospective employer
will most likely read the work experience section first. As such, this section could be key
in moving you forward in the hiring process.

The work experience section in your CV shows the hiring manager whether you have
the necessary experience and skills to succeed in the role you are applying for. This
section also includes information about your achievements, which can distinguish you
from other applicants and make you more likely to get an interview.

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 3-What are the main purposes of academic posters?

Posters are used widely within the academic community by scholars representing disciplines
from across Medicine and Science, the Arts, Languages and Humanities. Most often they are
used to present research findings at conferences and conventions.
 Often, the purpose of an academic poster is to grab the attention of your chosen audience
and to inspire interest in your area of research. It should convey a strong central message.
 It is not like an academic essay in this respect as it aims to relate your research project in a
brief and concise manner using bold text and colorful graphics to attract attention.

Conclusion

Obviously nowadays Academic debate becomes an important topic of discussion. It is

important because it develops skills and knowledge. It helps the students  to become a
confident and bold person. And it will help the students to develop a political identity or own
identity like a debater. It also helps the students to develop a sense of ownership of the world
and a sense of empowerment, as they will know specific global and domestic issues, and the
ways in which the government can solve our generation’s problems. It will help them to
boost their confidence and will make them bold enough to speak in any situation without any
hesitation.

Debating aims at arriving at a conclusive notion about a certain issue, that is to say, in
support of or against what the subject matter stands to propose, so as to relate to
development, intellectual logic and the theory of progress.

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 During this academic year at our institute we have learned that some of the advantages of using
debate across the curriculum are:
*Improving students’ ability to form arguments and to use reasoning and evidence
*Allowing students to explore subject matter in depth and from different perspectives
*Providing the ability to structure thoughts
*Providing an engaging, active, pupil-centered activity which students enjoy
*Hitting literacy and citizenship targets across the curriculum
And as I mentioned above there are the five types of Debates;

 Team Policy Debate / National Debate Tournament. Team policy debates feature two
teams of two debaters each. ...
 Cross-Examination Debate Association. Cross-Examination Debate Association, or
CEDA, debates are a newer type of two-on-two collegiate debate. ...
 Lincoln-Douglas Debate. ...
 Spontaneous Argumentation. ...
 Parliamentary Debate.

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References

 Academic Debate and Critical Thinking: by Robert Greenstreet

 Giving academic presentations, Michigan Publishing, Ann Arbour
 https://principedia.princeton.edu/strategies/ten-steps-to-preparing-an-effective-oral-
presentation/

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