Preparation. Everyone (not just the panelists) please read the entire chapter in Taking Sides on the issue for that week (including the introduction, both articles, and the challenge questions) before class and come to discussion sections prepared to discuss the issue. The sections are your time to discuss the issues and learn from one another. Moreover, remember that your participation in discussion when not on panels counts 7.5% of your course grade.

Students who are not members of that week's panel must come to class with at least one question or comment based on the YES reading and at least one based on the NO reading. These questions or comments should be typed; I will collect them during each class, and I will not accept them late. These written questions will contribute to your partipcation grade in the course, as will your attendance in the discussion sections.

The discussions will take the following format which, due to time constraints (that is, 50 minutes per discussion), will be followed strictly. Note that, because we want to give as many people as possible a chance to participate in each discussion, they will start on time.

The professor will start the panel with a brief introduction (1 - 2 minutes). Yet, other than brief introductions and concluding comments, my job is to keep the discussion on track and make sure that everyone has a equal chance to participate. I will try as much as possible to have you rather than me talk in discussions. I honestly believe, and I hope you agree, that students can learn a lot from one another. In additioin, one of the goals of these discussion sections is for you to gain practice in speaking in groups, and presentation and defense of ideas and arguments.

Each of the two sides of the panel will present the arguments supporting their position. Each person should talk for 3 minutes (but not longer, please). The two or three Pro (yes) presenters will go first, then the two or hree Con (no) presenters. I will time the presentations and stop each of you after 3 minutes. Thus, you should prepare, practice, and time what you want to say beforehand. This preparation and practice will help you speak clearly while adhering to the time limit. Yet, it is much better to talk, in conversational style, from prepared notes (like I do in lecture), rather than to read verbatim from a script. If you talk (rather than read) it will be easier to listen to you and you will be more engaging and interesting.

The presenters on each side of the issue should get together beforehand to organize and coordinate their presentations. Before they arrive at the discussion, they should split up responsibilities (e.g., specific arguments and/or points) among them, making sure that their presentations are linked to, while not being redundant with, one another. They should also decide the order of their presentations.

Make your presentations clear, interesting, relevant, engaging, and within the time limit. Deliver your presentation to the audience, making a connection with them (e.g., talk to people, making eye-contact with them). State your argument as clearly and as interestingly as possible within the time limit. The keys are to (1) not be boring! (We have all listened to boring presentations and know what a drag they are.) (2) Be knowledgeable and accurate, and (3) be engaging -- get the audience to listen to your presentation. In other words, know what you are talking about and present your knowledge and beliefs in a well-reasoned, interesting, attention-keeping manner. It is often good to provide illustrative examples (perhaps from your own life) and/or ask (perhaps rhetorical) questions that are relevant to everyone. It also often helps to use audio-visual aids (e.g., the blackboard, transparencies, videotapes, handouts). If you plan to do so, set them up before class, so they will be ready during your presentation. -- Obviously, you will need to put some time into preparation of your presentation. If you don’t everyone will know, and it is embarrassing.

In preparing for your panel presentation, you will find it helpful to do research and reading beyond that provided in Taking Sides. When you refer to information from sources in your presentations, please tell us whose work you are refering to and the source of the information (e.g., article by Smith in the April, 1999 issue of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.) It is a good idea to bring the work you are citing to class.

After the presentations, we should have slight more than half the class time (about 30 minutes) left for discussion, comments, and questions from the class members NOT on the panel. To get the discussion going, sometimes I will ask for volunteers to ask questions and/or make comments and sometimes I will call on people. This is where your preparation before class and your written questions come in. I will try (1) give all the non-panelists a chance to participate in discussion each class and (2) give everyone an equal chance to participate throughout the semester when not on the panel.

Please state your discussion point, question, or comment clearly and concisely. Most importantly, be respectful and considerate of your classmates, but don't be afraid to disagree with and critique their positions and arguments. Don't make personal, ad hominem attacks on people. Critique the ideas presented, not the person presenting them him- or her-self.

After each question or comment is raised, I will ask others (first non-panelists, then panelists) to follow-up and/or comment on the issue raised. After I think the first issue has been discussed sufficiently, I will ask for a question or critique on the other side of the issue, and so on.

I hope that all members of the panel will be involved in, but NOT dominate, the open discussion. Thus, each panelist should try to anticipate questions, weaknesses, flaws, and problems in his/her own position and arguments that might be raised. When you get together beforehand with your team, you should help one another in this preparation.

The professor will end each class with a short summary of the session's events and highlights. (1 - 2 minutes)

Below are the criteria that I will use in grading your presentations:

1. Grasp of the issue and important related points.
2. Ability to make presentation interesting, engaging, and relevant.
3. Ability to support arguments.
4. Use of supporting materials outside of Taking Sides readings.
5. Use of constructive criticism and rationale
6. Ability to anticipate and/or counter opposing viewpoints.
7. Ability to see and challenge flaws in opposition's arguments and research as well as one's own flaws.