Panel Discussion: Bridge Linking Discussion and Debate

By: David Kluge

A good discussion increases the dimensions of everyone who takes part. (Randolph Bourne)

What is the neurolinguistic basis for the use of discussion in the classroom? John Medina wrote in Brain Rules (2014, pp. 257-258) about a hypothetical situation in a medical school where the clinician professor brings in a patient to a classroom and lectures the students, identifying the disease and points to symptoms A, B, C, and D. A student asks “What about symptoms E, F, and G?” The professor says, “We don’t know about symptoms E, F, and G.” Then he adds, “Well, let’s find out!” Medina concludes that these are “the opening words of most of the great research ideas in human medicine. That’s true exploratory magic.” This story elaborates his 12th Brain Rule: We are powerful and natural explorers. As Randolph Bourne stated, “A good discussion increases the dimensions of everyone who takes part.” This also includes neurolinguistic dimensions.

From discussion to debate

In the November 2024 Debate issue of the Think Tanks, I stated four characteristics that distinguish debate from discussion:

Debate has . . .

1. A set number of speakers
2. A set order in which the speakers speak
3. Set tasks assigned to each speaker
4. Set time limits for each time a speaker speaks

I prefaced the list (emphasis added) with the words “a formal debate usually has characteristics that a discussion typically does not have . . .” The reason for the addition of the hedging words “usually” and “typically” was that I had this particular discussion activity I am writing about in mind. It is an activity that serves as a bridge between discussion and debate, because it does not have a set number of speakers but it does have a set order in which the speakers speak, set tasks assigned to each speaker, and set limits for the time most speakers speak. Why is this so? Because this panel discussion activity was intentionally created to provide scaffolding in order to prepare students for the next activity, which was debate.

Origins of the panel discussion activity

In Kumai and Kluge (2024) we describe a large-scale democratic debate. However, a few years before we started that project, I taught a discussion class that included policy debate. To help students to get used to debate, I developed this panel discussion project to help them gain and practice the linguistic, discourse, and persuasive skills they would need for the debate, but in a gentler, less formal setting.

The stages of the activity are as follows:

1. Introducing the activity
2. Learning the language for the activity
3. Learning the procedure for the activity
4. Practicing the activity
5. Doing the activity
6. Moving on to the next activity

In each class meeting the teacher can work on several stages at the same time to provide variety and to ensure that the activity can be completed in the time the teacher/syllabus allots to the activity.

1. Introducing the activity

The first step is to distribute the handout (see Appendix). Then explain the activity using the description at the top of the handout:

The purpose of a panel discussion is to discuss two sides of a question: pro (for) and con (against). There is a moderator (the discussion leader), a person or two on the pro side and a person or two on the con side.

The number of people on each side can be equal or not, which makes the activity relatively more flexible for use in all classes.

The second step is to create the questions to be discussed. Of course, the teacher can create the questions, but student interest in the activity would be increased if the students came up with the questions themselves. Here are some of the criteria for a good question:

1. The question has to have two sides. “Is war good?” would not be a good topic for a discussion, but “Is there a good reason to go to war?” could possibly make for an interesting discussion.
2. There should be enough articles on the Internet related to the question so it is relatively easy to collect reliable information. (Depending on the class, you might want to teach some basic rules for media literacy so students can judge which sites are reliable sources.)

How many questions you discuss in the activity is up to you. One question for the class is fine, but having each group discuss a different question is much more interesting for the audience.

The third step to this stage is to create the discussion groups. The absolute minimum number for a discussion group is three: one moderator, one pro-side speaker, and one con-side speaker. The teacher can ask the class to divide into groups and come up with a question to discuss or the class can come up with questions, write them on the board, and then students could choose which question they want to discuss.

The fourth step in this stage is to assign the students to find good articles on the Internet about their question. Ask them to bring one article each week of the discussion unit. I asked students to share their article via email so that in a short period of time they can build a fairly large library of materials. I had students add me to the email so I could keep track of who did this homework.

2. Learning the language for the activity

In the handout (see Appendix), there is a short and easy 3-step way to effectively make a point:

1. Make a statement about your point.
2. Give supporting information (numbers, expert opinion, quotation, etc.).
3. Relate the information to your point.

Examples of how to do each step are given on the handout.

3. Learning the procedure for the activity

The handout in the Appendix contains a script for the Panel Discussion. Students should go through the procedure in class so they know the basic structure of the activity.

4. Practicing the activity

At least one class meeting before the actual panel discussion, each group should practice the activity. They should arrange their desks in an inverted V formation like this:

Then the group should go through the script once and record the panel discussion using a smartphone, watch the video and note what should be changed, and do it at least one more time, again recording it and watching the second video to see if they improved.

5. Doing the activity

In the final class meeting of the unit, each group will perform. At the front of the room the desks should be arranged like the inverted V formation so that it is easy to see each participant. Each performance should be video recorded (using a group member’s smartphone operated by someone in the audience). It is good to allow a short period of time for oral feedback from the audience. I have asked that each person should give feedback once during the performances and this was time-efficient and students appreciated the feedback.

6. Moving on to the next activity

The next activity is debate, as described in the Kumai and Kluge article in the November issue of Think Tank. For the debate, I had the students stay in the same team they were on in the panel discussion and they debated the same topic. Now they have knowledge of the topic, experience in making a point, and the language they need to make a point. They have acquired the experience through working cooperatively in a small group and have become familiar enough with the topic to be able to more easily do this in a more individual style in a formal debate.

Conclusion

This Panel Discussion activity allowed students to learn the procedure and language not only to discuss a question on a particular topic, but then to proceed to deliberate on the topic in a more formal debate where they must stand up by themselves and take responsibility for making one or two speeches. In addition, students should be taught that much of what they have learned in the Panel Discussion/Debate units apply to writing academic papers in all of their classes.

Appendix Panel Discussion Project Handout

Panel Discussion Project

Panel Discussion Script

Here is how the panel discussion goes:

Moderator: Good morning, ladies (and gentlemen). Welcome to our discussion. Our panelists are ………………………. on the pro side and ………………………. on the con side. My name is ………………………. and I am the moderator. Our topic for today is ……………………… Let’s start with the pro position.
Pro: [say position]
Moderator: What do you think of that ………………………. [con person] ……………………….?
Con: [say response]
Moderator: Do you have any response to that ………………….. [pro person] ………………….?
Pro: [say response]
Moderator: Next is the con position.
Moderator: What do you think of that ………………………. [pro person] ……………………….?
Pro: [say response]
Moderator: Do you have any response to that …………………. [con person] ………………….?
Con: [say response]
Moderator: Now I’d like to have a few minutes of free discussion.
Pro & Con: [exchange points]
Moderator: Now can I ask for closing remarks from the Pro side?
Pro: [make closing remark]
Moderator: Now can I ask for closing remarks from the Con side?
Con: [make closing remark]
Moderator: Thank you all for listening.

Language to Effectively Make a Point

How to Effectively Make a Point

1. Make a statement about your point.

Language to Use

Point:

Women make good soldiers.

2. Give supporting information (numbers, expert opinion, quotation, etc.).

According to source, title, year, page:

According to Time magazine, “Women in War,” March 12, 2015, female soldiers treat the prisoners of war and natives of the country better than male soldiers.

3. Relate the information to your point.

This shows that point.

This shows that women soldiers do not break the Geneva Conventions as often as men and make more moral soldiers.

References

Kluge, D. (2024). Debate basics. MindBrainEd Think Tanks: Teaching Debate in the Language Classroom, 10(11), pp. 16-20.
Kumai, W., & Kluge, D. (2024). Democratic debate: A large-scale college debate project. MindBrainEd Think Tanks: Teaching Debate in the Language Classroom, 10(11), pp. 36-41.
Medina, J. (2014). Brain matters. Pear Press.

David Kluge (Chukyo University, Adjunct Professor) has been involved in discussion as a teacher in Japanese universities for over 34 years. His goal is to give students the ability to express themselves.