Using debate to build critical thinking and communication skills
Course details
Debate is one of the oldest forms of teaching and learning. Its European roots lie in the educational and intellectual traditions of ancient Greece and Rome, and debate has been practiced in many other cultures as well.
When implemented with sound pedagogical understanding, debate comprehensively develops skills in thinking, argumentation, communication, and inquiry-based learning. Critical thinking and effective communication can be considered core competencies of an active citizen, and their practice should be emphasised at all educational levels.
Debating is a theoretically well-founded, practical and enjoyable educational approach when executed with careful pedagogical planning. The course provides participants with the basic competencies and resources for effective debate education.
The course is offered by the European School Education Platform. Visit our website for more information.
Duration and workload
Start and end date: open-ended, you can take this course (or any section) at your own pace
Duration: self-paced
Workload: 8-10 hours
This course is based on a version that ran from Monday, 27 January 2025, to Wednesday, 12 February 2025. The original course provided participants with opportunities to interact during a specific active timeframe of 2.5 weeks, exchange ideas and engage in a peer assessment. However, we recognise that not everyone was able to attend during the scheduled timeline.
To make the course accessible to a wider audience, we’ve developed this self-paced format. This version allows you to explore the content and complete the activities at your own pace, whenever it suits you best.
What the self-study format means:
- Flexible schedule: You decide when and how to engage with the course materials. There are no deadlines, live sessions, or required meeting times.
- Independent learning: While the original course included discussions and peer reviews taking place in certain days and weeks, this format empowers you to work independently, using the same materials and guidance provided during the initial version. Please note that discussions in the forums and contributions on Padlets will not be moderated, allowing for a fully self-directed learning experience.
- Self-assessment: To replicate some of the reflective benefits of peer feedback, you will be encouraged to evaluate your own work using the provided assessment criteria.
Course competences
This course includes content & activities that develop the following competences according to the digital competence framework of the European Commission's Selfie for Teachers tool.
- Professional engagement – Professional learning (through digital technologies) at B2 level
- Professional engagement – Professional collaboration at B1 level
- Professional engagement- Reflective practice s at B1 level
- Digital resources – Searching and selecting at B1 level
Target audience
Teachers from all school levels and subjects, as well as other school staff (librarians, school leaders, coordinators for teacher training and school programmes etc.) who are interested in exploring the topic of using debate in the classroom.
Learning objectives
- Extend and transform their understanding of the uses of debate in learning and teaching by articulating specific ways debate can enhance teaching and learning practices.
- Learn about debate as a pedagogical approach and practice and explore its ancient and modern history by explaining the pedagogical principles that underpin its use in education.
- Identify and evaluate potential benefits and possible disadvantages of using debate as a learning activity, supporting claims with examples of evidence.
- Analyse how debating supports the development of critical thinking, argumentation and communication skills by discussing specific examples of case studies.
- Design one pedagogically sound educational experience based on debating, including clear learning objectives, activities, and justification for its educational value.
Offered by
This content is offered by the European Commission. The European Commission is the European Union's politically independent executive arm. It is alone responsible for drawing up proposals for new European legislation, and it implements the decisions of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
Schedule
- How this self-paced course works
- Module 1: Rethinking classroom debates: from history and educational ideals to learning argumentation
- Module 2: The pedagogy of debating and argumentation: approaches and resources in teaching
- Module 3: Final activity — designing a learning experience using debate
- Certificate of completion: self-paced course
