ARGUMENTATION / RHETORIC Arab Spring Communication: A Case Study of a New Trend of Neurotic Sociology and Psychological Rhetoric Abdullah Khuwaileh, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Jordan Abstract: Early in 2011, the Arab World surprised the world with the Arab Spring which resulted in revolutions which were not planned. Our study delves in the phenomenon of spontaneous revolutionary behaviours which have generated a spontaneous kind of linguistic communication staring from the vocabulary level used in public labels and ending with the strange and nervous body language used by the protestors on the one hand, and the TV interviewees on Al-Jazeera Channel on the other hand. The data used in this study were collected from different Arab mass media, social networking web sites (e.g., Facebook, twitter, You Tube, etc.) and observations collected from the language of the Arab protestors. It was found that the Arab revolutionary communication represents a new communicative era in the kind of communication amalgamated with anger, uncontrollability, daring, conciseness and sometimes physical attacks encapsulated with impolite language on Al-Jazeera. The study is concluded with a number of practical and research recommendations. Argumentation and Fallacy in Newspaper Op/Ed Coverage of the Prelude to the Invasion of Iraq Ahmed Sahlane, King Abdulaziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abstract: The present study examined how the pre-war debate of the U.S. decision to invade Iraq (in March 2003) was discursively constructed in the U.S./British mainstream newspaper opinion/ editorial (op/ed) argumentation. Drawing on theoretical insights from critical discourse analysis and argumentation theory, I problematized the fallacious discussion used in the pro-war op/eds to build up a ‘moral/legal case’ for war on Iraq based on adversarial (rather than dialogical) argumentation. The proponents of war deployed ‘instrumental rationality’ (ends-justify-means reasoning), ‘ethical necessity’ (Bush’s ‘Preemption Doctrine’) and ‘humanitarian virtue’ (the bombing of Iraq to ‘save’ Iraqis from Saddam’s pestilent tyranny) to justify the pending invasion of Iraq. Their arguments intertextually resonated with Bush administration’s ‘war on terror’ rhetoric in a way that created a form of indexical association through ‘recontextualisation’. The type of arguments marshalled by the pro-war op/ed commentators, however, uncritically bolstered the set of U.S. official ‘truth claims’ and ‘presuppositions’.

Because We Once Lived There: Maasai Culture as an Argumentative Resource in the Serengeti Allison Hahn, University of Pittsburgh, USA Abstract: The British Colonial administration authorized the eviction of Maasai nomadic herders from the Serengeti in 1951. Scholars such as Tepilit Ole Saitoti have investigated protests at the time of eviction and Dorothy Hodgson has studied the community’s post-independence re-articulation of their identity as “indigenous” to gain leverage in international deliberations. However, these works have not yet adequately investigated the way Maasai communities have used their history of eviction and cultural identity as part of a strategic maneuver to gain leverage in contemporary land deliberations. This analysis highlights violations of the pragma-dialectical freedom rule which have occurred when the Maasai community presents cultural standpoints and the Tanzanian government ignores or silences these cultural standpoints in favor of exclusively legal standpoints. I will use Oral History interviews alongside archival and social media documents to illustrate how the Maasai community has referenced these violations of the freedom rule in calls for domestic consideration of their standpoints and while simultaneously launching international, internet-based protests against the Tanzanian government. This study seeks both to contribute to scholarship regarding the freedom rule and to advance academic analysis and discussion of Maasai protests by appreciating and analyzing the role of cultural standpoints in critical discussion.

Assessing the Role of Legal Rhetoric in Russia: the Pseudo Western Language of Russian Law. Boris A. Antonov, Russian State University for the Humanities, Russian Federation Abstract: One of the largest obstacles to mutual understanding between countries involves the differences of their legal rhetoric, revealed, first of all, in utilizing different concepts aimed at persuading a foreign counter partner. This paper is an attempt to undertake a comparative analysis in considering the legal terminology (the so-called language of law and politics) of Russia, on the one hand, and the Western countries (Germany, France and the USA), on the other. For example, such moral concepts utilized in the American rhetoric as “evil”, “law of equity”, “trust”, “freedom”, etc. reveal the messianic character of the language of politics and law assigned to communicate not only within the USA but outside as well. Unlike the Russian political rhetoric, the Messianic language of the USA can be traced back to certain religious terms, whereas the former USSR since 1917 made use of the atheistic ideology aimed at molding the Soviet legal and political system. From 1990-1991 the political and legal rhetoric of the Soviet Union was being replaced by that of the so-called pseudo Western language. There appeared a number of new legal and political concepts (democracy, civil society, legal state, etc) in the new Russian Constitution and statutes, but in reality Russia has just borrowed and included them into the texts of its official documents. The reception was too swift and superficial and, as a consequence, did not result in the substantial transformations of the essence of Russian political and legal institutions. They have not become the ideological symbols for the Russian mentality as they are for the American or Western people. Moreover, most of them (e.g. legal state) need a profound reinterpretation of their contents.

Arguments from Authority in the Age of Expertise." Catherine Hundleby, University of Windsor, Canada Abstract: The potential for experts to exploit their positions of authority suggests the need for attention to the role of epistemic work as part of the social division of labour. Expertise has not become so distant from social hierarchy as we sometimes fancy, and evaluating expertise in contexts of argumentation requires political analysis. Resources to address feminist and other liberatory concerns with abuses of authority in the name of expertise are absent from contemporary accounts of problematic appeals to authority. We must look back to earlier analysis to see how expertise becomes confused with other (and less just) forms of authority, especially to John Locke’s original formulation of the ad verecundiam fallacy as a matter of the authority that comes with social dignity. Status Quo Fallacy Catherine Hundleby, University of Windsor, Canada Abstract: Can status quo bias, the implicit belief that the current social order is justified be addressed by fallacy analysis? The most advanced version of the fallacies approach (Walton 1995) depends on construing mistakes in argumentation as due to an attraction to the presumptive inference scheme, which in a full form can be good reasoning. When reasoners recognize the scheme and rely on it hastily they fall into error. The presumption of centrism, taking those with social privilege to be standard or ideal provides the basis for an inference scheme that captures part of the problem with status quo bias. Yet centric argumentation is not so discursively acceptable as the inference schemes for other fallacies, and so implicit bias may be the central attraction. While implicit status quo bias may not be remedied directly, fallacies analysis may help us to address it when it reaches the dialectical level of argumentation.

Democracy and Rhetoric in the Arab World Dany Samy Badran, Lebanese American University, Lebanon Abstract: This paper attempts to empirically test the relationship between the type of rhetoric dominant in the Arab world and the notion of democracy. It takes as a case study three sets of editorials written directly in the aftermath of the toppling of Egypt’s Mubarak on February 11, 2011: one from the politically controlled and autocratic Republic of Syria, another from the more open, cosmopolitan, and arguably more democratic Republic of Lebanon, and the third from the USA as an example of the most functional democracy of the three. By analyzing and categorizing the argumentative strategies adopted in these three sets of editorials into 1) presentation, through-argumentation, or 3) counter-argumentation, this paper seeks to uncover how possible differences in the rhetorical approaches of these editorials can reflect the level of democratic practices of societies and/or governing systems in different countries. Ultimately, the hypothesis that potential differences in rhetorical strategies correspond with the level of cultural exposure and democratic tendencies of Syria and Lebanon will be tested and scrutinized, especially in the context of current political changes taking place in the Arab world.

Motive Structures as Psychological Bases for Argument Evaluation David Cratis Williams, Florida Atlantic University, USA Abstract: Approaches to argumentation theory and the study of argumentation tend to focus on arguments as entities detached, or at least detachable, from the people who make the arguments. There is, in other words, a relative lack of consideration of the psychological bases of arguments and argument evaluation. One approach to addressing this relative lack is linking arguments and motive structures. Motive structures are linguistic or verbal patterns that emerge in discourse (texts) and that shape the ‘worldview’ (interpretive and inventional frames) of arguers. Motive structures dwell in the nexus among language, culture, and psychology; they are both products of and bases for what Kenneth Burke (1950) defines as “identification.” In A Grammar of Motives (1945), Kenneth Burke theorizes these motive structures as “pentadic ratios” among the key terms of his theory of “dramatism”: act, agent, agency, scene, and purpose. Motivational structures function as potential ‘frames of acceptance’ for messages (Sherif, Sherif, and Nebergall; see also Burke, 1937); at a psychological and personal level, messages with resonate motive structures, even if the semantic content is new or even at odds with existing attitudes or beliefs, may be viewed as within a frame of acceptance (or conversely in the frame of rejection). This is the resonance of consubstantiality (Burke, 1950). Burke says, “Only those voices from without are effective which can speak in the language of a voice within” (1950, p. 39). This paper argues that part of that “language of a voice within” is the motive structure characteristic of that person’s discursive formations. If motive structures do indeed function as psychologically grounded bases for not only the construction but also evaluation of (and identification with) arguments, then new doors are opened for understanding why individuals may accept seemingly contrary positions as “making sense,” as when after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, former Soviet Communists, trained in a worldview of Marxist dialectical materialism, found “sense” in the free market gospel of select western economists, who preached that economic reform would automatically result in profound political changes, ushering in democracy. Although Communism and Capitalism are in most respects contrary to each other, in these variants each preaches a form of economic determinism; in Burke’s terms, each views the world through a scene/act motivational frame, and on the basis of that similarity each may resonate with the other. References: Burke, Kenneth (1937). Attitudes Toward History. New York: New Republic. (two volumes) -----. (1945) A Grammar of Motives. New York: Prentice-Hall. -----. (1950). A Rhetoric of Motives. New York: Prentice-Hall. Sherif, C.W., Sherif, M., and Nebergall, R.E. (1965). Attitude and attitude change: The social judgment-involvement approach. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Hit two birds with one stone: strategic maneuvering in the after-Mubarak era. Dima Mohammed, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal Abstract: In public political discourse, participants are typically out to achieve multiple goals simultaneously (to assess the conduct of a government, to deliberate over the best course of action, to promote alternative parties or politicians … etc). Consequently, arguers end up engaging in what can analytically be viewed as several ‘simultaneous discussions’ (Mohammed, 2011), and they strategically craft their arguments so that their case in each of these discussions is supported. In this paper, I employ the concept of strategic maneuvering (van Eemeren and Houtlosser, 1999; van Eemeren, 2010) in order to examine arguers’ attempts to address several issues simultaneously. As a case in point, I analyse public political discussions in post-Mubarak’s Egypt, where in the midst of the chaos of (re-)building the country’s political system, one thing remains clear: Egyptians want to (re-)consider everything and at the same time. References: Eemeren, F.H. van. (2010). Strategic Maneuvering in Argumentative Discourse, Extending the Pragma-Dialectical Theory of Argumentation. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Eemeren, F. H. van, & Houtlosser, P. (1999). Strategic maneuvering in argumentative discourse. Discourse Studies, 1(4), 479–497. Mohammed, D. 2011. Strategic Maneuvering in Simultaneous Discussions. In Zenker, F.(ed.). Argumentation: Cognition and Community. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the Ontario Society for the Study of Argumentation (OSSA), May 18-21, 2011. Windsor,ON (CD ROM), p. 1-11. Criticism and the two faces of empathy: a “Smithian” view on cross-cultural dialogue Henrik Bohlin, Södertörn University, Sweden Abstract: Cross-cultural critical discussion requires understanding of other cultures, traditions, and perspectives. But prima facie, disagreement is a sign that one has failed to see things from the other’s perspective. Is it possible, then, to be at the same time an empathetic interpreter—one who takes the other’s perspective—and a critic? David Hume and Adam Smith represent two different and to some extent conflicting views on the nature of empathy (or “sympathy”): communication of sentiments and thoughts between people with shared perspectives (Hume) versus critical assessment of the other’s actions from one’s own perspective, even when it conflicts with the other’s (Smith). Smith’s view may seem less fruitful for a theoretical analysis of cross-cultural understanding, but I argue that it in fact gives a better account of the way in which critics-interpreters become aware of their own prejudices and adjust to other perspectives as part of the process of criticism.

Presidential Communication in Modern Age: Rhetorical Model of Presidency. Irina B. Antonova, Russian State University for the Humanities, Russian Federation Abstract: In an era of presidential “going public”, a new presidency has been born, a rhetorical one. It gives rise to a rhetorical model of the presidency that attempts to explain the rhetorical characteristics of both – the institution of presidency and the president.

The purpose of my paper is to outline the main attributes of the rhetorical model, thus trying to answer several more specific points (being at the same time points for a more general public discussion): 1. A rhetorical model of presidency is a people’s model, i.e. it does not view the presidency as a political

system operating within other systems (a political model), it does not view the presidency as a functionary of certain “backstage forces”, such as political parties (a journalists’ model), but as a string (вереница) of public conversations.

2. A rhetorical model of presidency is a strategic model. It holds (1) that president articulates his policy in such a way that it persuades the Congress and the people to adopt that policy; (2) that presidential messages “do” as well as “say”, i.e. the making of a speech (regardless of what is said) by a president constitutes a powerful social action. In this sense rhetoric may now be the primary means of performing the act of presidential leadership..; (3) that rhetoric is the means of politics as well as the method of informing how politics is being organized. This presents the main topic to research “politics in rhetoric” and “rhetoric in politics”. The research results in stating “crisis in politics” due to the crisis of political rhetoric. There is, however, an opposite point of view, according to which politics does not stimulate the development of political rhetoric, as political concepts are abstract, or borrowed, or narrowed to commonly used cliché and thus unable to reflect the complexity of political reality.

3. The rhetorical model of presidency is also a creative model. It judges the president not by his ability to use what exists (eg. nuclear weapons) but by his ability to give rise to concepts that never before existed (eg. John Kennedy’s space program, Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty, Gorbachev’s perestroika, etc). from such a perspective, the presidency is a vast thesaurus, and the president is first and foremost a user of human symbols, being not merely an executive but also a carrier of meanings and his every action being a means by which citizens interpret life in their country.

4. And finally, the rhetorical model of presidency is a corporate model in that it treats a presidential message as the product of a “persuasive factory”: an ever expanding group of political advisors do their best to help the president assess each drafted word for its future effect. A president is an emanation of his staff, party and the electorate. So, his speech is a socio psychological composition of circumstances, of supporters and detractors, of diverse motivations, and a group of speechwriters.

Socio-Religious Change and the A21 Campaign: A Study in Visual Rhetoric Dr. Joy E. A. Qualls, Dr. Mark B. Kelton, Erin-Rae Donaldson, Ian Richardson, Brena Swanson, Christine Temple, Evangel University, USA Abstract This poster session research will argue that visual rhetoric is an effective approach to creating awareness and combating the trafficking of persons globally. The use of visual rhetoric as the primary means of messaging in this campaign is a unique approach to the challenge of human trafficking rooted in religious activism where no religious imagery or language is present. The study will examine the A21 Campaign and a series of images that are placed around the world in transportation stations such as train and bus stations as well as airports in major cities throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. In order to understand the multi-cultural, socio-religious approach to this campaign, a generative theoretical analysis grounded in Burke's theory of identification will be used. It will be the contention of this analysis that the use of visual rhetoric more effectively addresses the challenges of language differences, religious bias and intolerance, as well as the fear and intimidation used in the trafficking of persons around the world. Given the intercultural, religiously diverse field of communication, it will be argued that engagement on the socio-religious approach of the A21 campaign may be a standard for discourse which addresses the challenging issue of trafficking of persons.

On Conservative and Ideal Justice. Juha Räikkä, University of Turk, Finland Abstract: In The Methods of Ethics (1st edition, 1874) Henry Sidgwick asks whether political reforms that have a morally desirable goal could justifiably be rejected simply on the grounds that realizing them would spoil the life plans of those who believe that the future would be like the past. The “paradox of conservative justice” is that “ideal justice” demands us to make reforms but “conservative justice” requires respecting people’s reasonable expectations, although making reforms seems to imply that those expectations will not be respected. I will clarify the nature of Sidgwick’s paradox and explicate how the demands of conservative justice work. I will argue that the assumption that it is a common feature of political reforms that they disappoint people’s reasonable expectations is empirically suspicious. Therefore the argument for conservative justice – the requirement that reforms should not be realized – may not be as convincing as it may seem to be. Timely Argumentation and Cultural Difference. Kenneth R. Chase, Wheaton College, USA Abstract: If argumentation is to be a practice integral to ethical co-existence, then we must carefully describe how this practice navigates significant cultural, political, and religious difference. Since argumentation seeks agreement to specific claims, some contemporary rhetorical theorists deny the value of argumentation in conditions of significant difference, believing that argumentation elides plurality in the pursuit of the common and, hence, is merely another regretable instrument of homogeneity counterproductive to the pursuit of a better world. The question becomes, then, how do we celebrate argumentation and debate in conditions of cultural, political, and religious pluralities? I will develop a two-part ethical-philosophical analysis that answers this question. First, I summarize this critique of argumentation by referencing Emmanuel Levinas’s philosophical ethics and the role of “alterity” within contemporary rhetorical theory. Second, I respond to this critique by reconceiving argumentation as a practice conducive to plurality. By retrieving the concept of kairos from the ancient rhetorician Isocrates, I claim that argumentation is a practice of embracing plurality through singular moments of peaceful co-existence. Hence, the timely moment of argumentation is not an occasion devoted to securing an interlocutor’s adherence to a claim, but an opportunity to collaboratively explore difference. I conclude the presentation with practical advice for public debates, interfaith dialogues, and communication pedagogy. The Debate of ICT as an Enabler of Development and Empowerment Khalid S. Rabaya'h, Arab American University, Palestine Abstract: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) "revolution" has been hailed as an enabling power for developing countries to turn into more socio-economic prosperous. This is marked by United Nation and the World Bank funding of ICT-based initiatives to assist these countries leap-frog stages of their economic development.

However, this role claimed for ICT has become a controversial issue after several years of experience and trial of large number of pilot projects in several domains and different countries in the world. In this paper we claim that much of the rhetoric in regards to the role ICT in development is an exaggeration and has little to do with socio-economic improvement. The roles proclaimed for ICT as being effective in eradication of poverty, enhancing education and health services, and in providing transparency and democracy, are lacking concrete evidences as revealed by real-life experience. The paper will rely on the revision of large number of ICT-centered initiatives, especially in the developing countries, in several domains such as application of ICT in education and economic development. The paper will also track the continuous trend towards disappointment in the speeches of the International organizations officials in regards to the use of ICT in development. The paper is built on the argument that ICT cannot activate inactive organizations, thereof, developing countries has first to solve sever problems like illiteracy and inefficiency of educational institutions, government incompetence and corruption, and a lack of economic opportunities if they are to realize the potential of ICT for development.

Comparative Analysis on John Rawls and Chaim Perelman. Khamaiel Al Tamimi, York University, Canada Abstract: This paper will situate the importance of Chaim Perelman’s rhetorical model of argumentation in the realm of political philosophy. To do this, I will look at the overlaps between Perelman and John Rawls. Rawls’ theory of justice, particularly his notions of the original position and the veil of ignorance are similar to Perelman’s argumentation principles, such as the universal audience and Perelman’s emphasis on adherence as the starting point of arguments. Both Perelman and Rawls argue that adherence is the starting point of discussion, philosophical or political. The veil of ignorance is strikingly similar to Perelman’s universal audience in its removal and rejection of particular situations and its focus on the universalizable, the general and what is applicable to everyone. This paper will show that the central ideas of John Rawls’ conception of justice are analogous in many ways to Perelman’s rhetorical model of argumentation. A Feminist Critique of the Universal Audience. Khamaiel Al Tamimi, York University, Canada Abstract: My paper will argue that the conception of the universal audience introduced by Chaim Perelman in his book The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation, depends on a patriarchal type of rationality. Perelman conceives the universal audience as rational, competent, and capable of recognizing and adhering to valid and universalizable argument, which depends on a particular type of rationality that excludes women. The limits of the universal audience become apparent in light of feminist critique of the maleness of reason provided by Genevieve Lloyd’s book The Man of Reason. Reason has been developed with male ideals that exclude women, that devalue femaleness and ways of knowing associated with women. Our concepts of competence, rationality and reason are encoded with gender bias and female exclusion. Since our conception of reason reflects male dominance, then the same can be said about the universal audience as it relies on a western conception of male reason..

Majlis Culture & Potential Challenges in Self-Modernization. Nancy Small, Texas A&M at Qatar, Qatar Abstract: Socio-cultural context plays a key role in deliberative activity by creating participatory boundaries and rhetorically determining argumentation standards. Rejecting the “West vs. Islam” binary, Qatari leadership seeks to design its own new socio-cultural context through “self-modernization” (Eickelman & Salvatore, 2002), conserving local tradition while internationalizing economically and socially. This paper begins by comparing and contrasting contemporary Qatari nationals and Habermas’s (1974) bourgeoisie. It then offers an outsider’s view of the local majlis, or traditional Arab meeting place, as a primary site of public deliberation. Majlis culture may help explain Qatar’s longer road towards establishing a parliament, mandated by the 2003 constitution but not yet created. Asen (1999) argues that an inclusive public sphere requires plurality, thin norms, meta-level critical reflection, and multiple perspectives. The traditional norms of the majlis may face challenges addressing Asen’s criteria. As Qatari civic leaders continue to strive for a self-directed and locally defined public sphere, they may need to reconsider the role or structure of the local majlis in the deliberative socio-cultural context. Sample Key References Asen, R. (1999) Toward a normative conception of difference in public deliberation. Argumentation and advocacy, 35(3), 115-129. Eickelman, D. F., & Salvatore, A. (2002). The public sphere and Muslim identities. European Journal of Sociology, 43(1), 92–115. Habermas, J. (1974). The public sphere: An encyclopedia article (1964). (S. Lennox & F. Lennox, Trans.) New German Critique. 3, 49-55. Emotions in Advertising: From Neuromarketing to Neurorhetorics Raul Urbina, University of Burgos, Spain Ancient Rhetoric (Aristotle, Cicero and Quintilian) accurately defined the persuasive mechanisms hidden under discourse creation and the importance of argumentation through emotions. Besides argumentation based on “logical” elements (docere, probare), other strategies existed; one, to favorable show the speaker towards the audience through the ethos(conciliare, delectare) and, the other, to cause a change of attitude in the audience through the pathos (movere). Contemporary research on neuroscience makes possible to scientifically study these strategies based on emotional argumentation. Neuromarketing in Advertising facilitates how to empirically confirm Ancient Rhetoric’s brilliant intuitions about the different ways of effectively approaching consumers. This sets the foundations of a contemporary rhetoric approach that, based on ancient inspiration, would be completed by scientific research on persuasion and brain function.

A Mere Rhetoric that Matters: Revisiting the Rhetoric of Inquiry in the ‘Science Middle Dot Technology’ Debate in Japan Satoru Aonuma, Tsuda College, Japan Abstract: In 2010, the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) issued a public statement calling for a peculiar “rhetorical” change. The statement strongly recommended that the term “kagakugijyutu,” the conventional Japanese equivalent for the English expression “science and technology,” be replaced with the less conventional “kagaku•gijyutu” where a “middle dot” is inserted between the two words, i.e., kagaku (science) and gijyutu (technology). Issuing this statement, the intent of the SCJ was substantive and normative. Lamenting the status quo where pure scientific research has become subservient and even subordinate to business-oriented technology and engineering, the statement was part of the SCJ’s attempt to check and correct the excessive “outcome-driven biases” in the country’s science and technology policy. On the other hand, in the eyes of critics, the SCJ’s call was hardly substantive. For them, such a “minor” linguistic change had nothing to do with what the practitioners of science and technology normally do; it was a matter of mere rhetoric which should deserve little, if not no, serious attention. The purpose of this paper is to offer a critical reading of this SCJ-recommended rhetoric of middle dot insertion as well as of its reception. Drawing upon the literature of the “Rhetoric of Inquiry,” an academic project initiated in the 1980s United States to study the rhetorical nature of scholarly discourse, the paper seeks to explore if and how the role of rhetoric can help realize the better relationship between science and technology locally and globally in the aftermath (or midst?) of the world’s worst nuclear power plant accident that took place in March 2011. Barriers to Environmental Advocacy: Identifying Main Themes of Resistance to Environmental Rhetoric Steven Woods, Western Washington University, USA Abstract: The need for effective environmental advocacy is a growing communication and societal concern. While the case for protection of the planet is frequently advanced, there is still vast resistance to a large scale greening of lifestyle. Four themes create difficulty in public arguments surrounding the environment: 1. The Rhetoric of “No”; 2. The Conflict between Economic Value and Intrinsic Value; 3. Difficulties in the use of “Science” in Public Argument; 4. The inability for Humans to understand or relate to Geologic or Deep Time scales. These four themes will be illustrated by looking at the issue of Global Climate Change and the patterns of advocacy and resistance that occur as it is discussed in the public sphere. Slowly Becoming Human: The Arguments and Ethics Surrounding Human-Animal Hybrid Embryos Taylor Hahn, University of Pittsburgh, USA Abstract: In 2011 the Daily Mail revealed that over the past three years U.K. geneticists had created over 150 human-animal hybrid embryos. The creation of these embryos validated the theory that human and animal tissues could be intertwined; creating cells viable for genetic and pharmaceutical testing. Three years prior, the U.K. had declared a national moratorium on hybrid research due to ethical and religious concerns. The creation of these embryos under a veil of secrecy proved that public deliberation cannot be deferred; science continues unabated when the voice of the polis grows quiet. Taking on the notion

of differential ethics between animals and humans, this paper analyzes the arguments traditionally made in favor of animal subjugation. Juxtaposing the works of Giorgio Agamben and Lisa Kemmerer with a rhetorical analysis of the debate surrounding hybrid embryos, this paper argues that this technology irreconcilably blurs distinctions between human and animal.

DEBATE

The Professionalization of Debate Coaching Aaron Timmons, Greenhill School, USA Abstract: While the benefits of academic debate are well recognized, the sustainability of a debate program is based on obtaining the commitment of a professional debate coach. Recruitment, training, and the retention of professional coaches remain the keys to maintaining a program. The use of college students, and recent graduates, allows students to participate and learn basic skills, but programs will not sustain academic goals, competitive success or have an institutional memory, without professional coaching.

The professionalization of debate coaching in the United States has developed a culture of academic support for debate in the field of communication studies, which in turn fosters coach education and retention. Associations for coach-educators and professional growth opportunities further promote professionalization. Efforts to continue and expand this focus must be ongoing, and need to include reaching out to diverse populations of educators in order to fulfill the ultimate goals of academic debate. Debate and Fallacies on Movies Adelino Cattani, University of Padua, Italy Abstract: A movie, along with its dialogical dimension, can be a practical resource for introducing and explaining debate processes and modalities. Two classical and two recent films are perfect examples for analyzing argumentative dialogues in the framework of a vivid (dramatic or brilliant) debate. Twelve Angry Men by Sidney Lumet (1957) and its remake 12 by Nikita Michalkov (2007) show how to capture the single addressee’s attention, one by one, and illustrate the so-called “framing” of persuasion. Inherit the wind by Stanley Kramer (1960) demonstrates how to address a difficult situation by bringing together divergent interests through successful arguments. Thank you for smoking by Jason Reitman (2005) is an instance of how to argue and persuade others by means of humor and how to respond to formal and informal fallacies. The Great Debaters by Denzel Washington (2007) provides an effective illustration of how to argue passionately using rhetorical means to sway even the toughest audience. Thus, some films are helpful introductions to the logic of controversy and offer a witty exercise on debate

Debate for Understanding Prof. Arlán A. Narváez R., Universidad Central de Venezuela, Venezuela Abstract: During the last past 14 years Venezuela has experienced a political polarization, largely propitiated by the people in power, which has created a general atmosphere of confrontation, in many cases of violence. The problem with that is that it has created a deep division in the communities, particularly those of the poorest, that represents an obstacle for achieving the union they require to face and solve their common problems. This happens in shanty towns, in labor unions, and in any other expression of the daily life. The other perverse derivation of such extreme political polarization is that the confrontations that arise between the community leaders, when a common problem has to be solved, tend to be centered on the groups antagonism rather that in the analysis of the problem itself for the purpose of the solution. This paper describes two successful pilot experiences with leaders from communities or labor unions, who participated in training workshops with the name of “Debate for understanding”, developed specifically to provide them with debate and argumentation techniques, as well as motivation in order to privilege the needs and interest of their communities and, with that in mind, to conciliate with their political opponents.

These experiences were conducted by university faculty members with the assistance of senior students, all of them judges or debaters, almost all of them with IDAS experience, from different Debate Clubs related to our organization, AUDAS. Further Experiences in Debate as a Tool for Social Progress Prof. Arlán A. Narváez R., Universidad Central de Venezuela, Venezuela Abstract: For more than 25 years, aggravated during the last ones, the education in Public Sector Schools has many deficiencies and can be characterized as one of very poor quality; these and other problems related to the rough social conditions in many of the areas where they are located, particularly when they are in barrios (shanty towns) or low income neighborhoods, conspire together against both school attendance and the possibilities of a future better life or social progress. Students from those schools find very little motivations for studying and learning, most of them fall in a sort of resignation that they will have no better opportunity in life and that they have to accept their fate as poor. In this framework we have started a program for teaching and coaching Debate teams in Low Income Areas Public Sector Schools (LIAPSS), as part of our project to sow and develop Debate in Venezuela. LIAPSS is a social venture, totally free of charge for the participating students and also for the Schools. After three years of the program we have gathered successful and even very inspiring results, particularly with those students who were able to succeed in getting admission and scholarships to University studies. The paper will also describe the experience of Victor, a true hero who saved the life of his little brother at the expense of losing part of his skull for having been hit by a truck and also diminishing his oral coordination; participating in our debate program, LIAPSS, together with his will power, according to his doctor, helped him recover and to further develop his mental and verbal abilities. He is now about to begin studies in our University. The instructors of this program are university students, all of them debaters related to our organization, AUDAS, who participate under the coordination of the author of this paper. Another important outcome

of this program is the effect that it has in these students, getting them to live and understand better the life conditions of the poor, what might result in future professionals more committed with working for the improvement of such conditions.

The results hitherto are very promising. Winning debates – Ensuring an Incentive to win in WUDC Competition Braden Holstege, Claremont Colleges, USA Abstract: Game theory is used to demonstrate that if teams in preliminary rounds attempt to maximize the probability of reaching elimination rounds in tournaments that use a power matching system, there are conditions under which attempting to place first in each round is not a dominant strategy. Analysis of real world data from the 2010 World Universities Debate Championship suggests that these conditions are likely to arise during actual competition. Modifications to WUDC rules are suggested to reduce the perverse incentive for teams to lose on purpose.

The Discursive Negotiation of Identities through Narrative in Political Debates: Illocutionary and Hierarchical Aspects Burger Marcel, University of Lausanne, Switzerland Abstract: This presentation focuses on the hierarchical and illocutionary structures of discursive negotiation involving identities. More precisely, it should help understanding how structures such as narratives and argumentation contribute to construct, consolidate or modify the identities of the participants of a specific genre: political debates (which are aimed at convincing an audience by the means of confronting identities).

One will propose a close consideration of the strategies used step by step by the participants of a French broadcast political debate engaging the previous leader of the French right wing party: Jean-Marie Le Pen and a spokesperson from the left political wing (socialist party) which is in a majority. After defining political debates as a genre, one will analyze an argumentative phase where Self-positive identities contrast with Other-negative identities. Burning their Bridges: The Ethics of Disparaging Consistent Arguments Eric Barnes, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, USA Abstract: I identify a questionable strategy in Worlds-style debate, criticize it and then propose a remedy. Front-half debaters rightly try to clearly articulate all the best arguments for their side, leaving their back-half team with little to extend on. Good motions make this difficult to do well in the time available, so back-half teams usually have something good to extend on, promoting good debate. In contrast, some front-half debaters explicitly reject certain arguments that could support their side, even when these are consistent with their arguments, thereby effectively preventing the back-half from making those arguments because doing so could be seen as knifing. This practice is unfair and reduces the educational value of the debate. We must teach judges to:

1) distinguish this from acceptable practices that sound similar; 2) not consider it a knife when back-half

teams make arguments that were unfairly rejected; 3) aggressively discourage debaters from using this strategy. Moral Sentiments as an Obstacle to Rational Argumentation? Jana Plichtová, Comenius University, Slovakia Abstract: The paper compares discussions in 12 groups of university students (6 Slovak and 6 British) equal in sex and age applying pragma-dialectical approach to the analysis of argumentation. Participants discussed the same problem - how to control spread of HIV/AIDS and do respect medical confidentiality (MC). They were instructed to deal with problem not as private individual but as the advisers to Ministry of Health. Systematic comparison revealed the striking differences between two national categories of participants. While British discussions imply the intensive exchange of arguments, Slovak ones mostly cover the exchange of moral judgments about HIV infected and emotions elicited by the threat of HIV. British discussants were more coordinated and cooperative than Slovak ones; they paid more attention to the analysis of problem and to building of shared understanding of it. Each proposal was tested in British groups against desirable goals: to enlarge public knowledge about avoiding risk of HIV, to preserve trust to medical profession and to enhance individual responsibility. Arguments pro and con were grounded in the universalism of individual rights and their essential value for society. Contrary to British discussions in Slovak ones individual and particular interests (e. g. own safety) are considered to be sufficient justification for depriving HIV positives of their rights. Most of proposals in Slovak group solve the problem how to separate or label HIV positives with aim to protect healthy part of population and avoid accusation of violation of MC and human rights of HIV positives. Although a temptation to break MC and individual rights of HIV infected appeared both in Slovak and British groups, only in British ones discussants collaboratively and through argumentative exchange came to the conclusion that such proposals would have counterproductive effect either in controlling spread of HIV or in protection of public health. In Slovak groups even those participants who opposed to discriminative proposals were not able to provide arguments to justify their view and convince the others.

It is concluded that critical argumentative thinking is necessary but not sufficiently strong instrument how to solve societal problems through discussion if negative emotions and moral judgments against particular group are not calm down by universal values. Rational and impartial discussion requires internalization of societal values transcending (but involving) individual and particular interests. Re-Imaging the Forensics Activity as a Translation Station for Student-Driven Research Taylor Hahn, University of Pittsburgh, USA Abstract: Over the course of a policy debate season, college student-debaters research argumentative positions from the intricacies of American foreign policy to the broad assumptions upon which these policies rest. New strategies and positions emerge, and debaters adapt their strategies to this emergence. However, this continual adaptive process is situated around a competitive telos focusing on what can best be done to gain a competitive edge.

This paper argues that this adaptive process should be situated around a cooperative telos and towards the development of complete scholarship. Instead of leaving this research in debate limbo, students should collaborate on how the various argumentative positions can be translated into scholarship. By rendering tournament research into scholarly prose appropriate for presentation at an academic conference, this paper strives to illustrate one way of re-imaging the forensics activity as a translation station for student driven research that is converted into policy relevant scholarship.

Model for Debate Outreach – Public Debate Program John Meany, Jake Meany and Jing Zhou, Claremont McKenna College, USA Abstract The Public Debate Program (PDP) is one of the largest and fastest-growing debate outreach networks in the world. More than 80,000 teachers and students participate each year in class and competitive educational debate programming. The PDP is designed to accelerate standards-based learning to develop sophisticated, professional public speaking, critical thinking, research, argumentation, and refutation skills. The format includes opportunities for community debate and discussion, encouraging participation in informed public decision-making. Working with secondary schools and universities, government offices, and non-governmental educational and other organizations, the PDP establishes low-cost, sustainable, monitored, and evaluated debate programming. This roundtable discussion will introduce the Public Debate Program model, identify challenges to student debate participation and achievement, investigate program development in diverse settings – East Africa, China, and the United States – and examine opportunities for expansion and collaboration. The formal discussion will be relatively brief to allow substantial time for audience questions and comments. Re-Debated in Japan: Historical Development(s) of Japanese Parliamentary Debate Manner Jonathan Borock, Kyushu University, Japan Abstract: Formal western debate has been imported into Japan, but it seems not to have been accepted and used in the same way as in the exporter countries. Literature on how many imports get “remade” in Japan inform us that this is a common trend. How Japanese baseball was imported, with rulebooks, but how the game was still played differently offers a case in point. I tried to prove that manner in Parliamentary Debate followed this trend, and had both expected, and unexpected results.

To try to track the development of Parliamentary Debate Manner, I interviewed debaters who had seen the arrival of Parliamentary Debate, and used what old historical sources I could gather. Doing so, I found that I can make an educated guess as to what Parliamentary Debate had been like when it had first arrived. More interviews, and latter my own ethnographic notes and debate notes informed me of how parliamentary debate was received. Debate then got “re-made” in Japan, and took on a form that many Japanese people can more easily access. Some offered theories as to why. The process of diffusion and institutionalization of this re-made in Japan debate is covered by my research. But then other international forces started to intervene and Japanese debate continued to get re-made. I noted these new re-re-making agents, and their vehicles.

Re-Debated in Japan: Development(s) of Japanese Parliamentary Debate Strategies Jonathan Borock, Kyushu University, Japan Abstract: Formal western debate has been imported into Japan, but it seems not to have been accepted and used in the same way as in the exporter countries. Literature on how many imports, including sports, get “remade” in Japan inform us that this is a common trend. Furthermore, my past research demonstrated how Parliamentary Debate manner followed this trend. I will try to prove that Japanese university debaters’ strategies also follows this trend. To try to track the development of Parliamentary Debate strategies, I will interview debaters who had seen Parliamentary Debate develop over the years, and use what old historical sources I could gather, including old debate videos. Ethnographic observation and newer debate videos and notes will show how things develop. In doing so, I hope to find out if debate strategies have developed in Japan into a unique “re-made, Japanisized” way, and if it is still changing and how.

Comparison of Communication Styles between U.S. College Debaters and Qatari College Debaters Dr. Joy E. A. Qualls, Dr. Mark B. Kelton, Erin-Rae Donaldson, Ian Richardson, Brena Swanson, Christine Temple, Evangel University, USA Abstract:

The following poster session will look at communication styles among college debaters from two cultures: American and Qatari. The study will be driven by three questions: (1) What is the most common communication style (as measured by the Communication Style Inventory) found among U.S. college debaters? (2) What is the most common communication style (as measured by the CSI) found among Qatari college debaters? (3) What (if any) is the correlation between the two groups with regards to communication style? A traits theory approach to communication will be assumed in the study. The discussion of communication style will be based on the research of Keirsey (1984, 1995, 1998), Marston (1979), Norton (1978, 1983), Pearman (2011), Russo (1995, 2003), and Ward (2012). Styles will include: Direct, Spirited, Considerate, and Systematic. It will be hypothesized that the Direct communication style will be the most common style among the debaters and that no statistically significant difference will exist between the communication styles of the two cultural groups. An Uncommon Opportunity: Access to the Common Core State Standards through Debate Activities Julie Antilla, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA Abstract: This qualitative study argues that the Migrant Education Program’s Debate Tournament aligns with the U.S. Common Core State Standards, giving migratory students exposure to the English language arts skills they need for college and career success. Using ethnographic data from two tournament years, a qualitative content analysis is made between activities in the Migrant Education tournament and standards in each English language arts strand. Transcribed discourse and field notes supply evidence of the tournament activities aligning with the standards. Participation in the tournament provides access to the Common Core State Standards- a model that should be presented to a wider audience. This is the

first study of the Migrant Education Program’s Debate Tournaments that considers its impact on student’s standards-based educational experiences.

A Proposition for Forensic Activities as Cultural Capital: Literate Practices in Migrant Education Debate Tournaments Julie Antilla, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA Abstract: Migratory students in the United States often do not participate in after-school activities such as forensic leagues because their frequent moves excludes them from joining extracurricular organizations. Given this situation, the California Migrant Education Program initiated an annual debate tournament to provide rigorous and enriching activities for migrant students. In this paper, I argue from a critical perspective that the Migrant Education Program’s tournaments serve as a form of social justice for an at-risk population. I present qualitative research data on the event known as the Annual Migrant Education Debate Tournament, focusing on how students take up literate practices and develop cultural capital through participation in debate. A two-year ethnographic study of migrant participants, coaches, and administrators documented through field notes, semi-structured interviews, and video records was analyzed using discourse and video analysis. Findings illuminate the value of providing culturally appropriated academic empowerment to students from invisible populations. Debating to Enhance Conflict Management Skills Manuele De Conti, University of Padua, Italy Abstract: Competitive debating has long been recognised as a useful educational tool. Many empirical studies highlight the importance of debating on the acquisition of knowledge and the development of communication and critical thinking skills. However, whether debating effectively fosters conflict management skills remains controversial. Only a few studies focus directly on conflict management skills and the psychology literature indicates debating causes polarisation and conflict escalation. Therefore, a quasi-experiment was conducted through administration of ROCI-II questionnaires to more than 100 high school students. The purpose was to determine whether debating encourages a wider repertoire of communication strategies. The managerial grid and the dual concern theoretical frameworks will help highlight the relationship between communication strategies and conflict management. Furthermore, the literature on debating and on communication strategies during conflict will help in the correct interpretation of research outcomes.

Falacies Selection Criteria for Effective Debate Training Manuele De Conti, University of Padua, Italy Abstract: Fallacies often occur in competitive debate literature: as reasonable arguments are the main means of persuasion in competitive debate, fallacies should ideally not be committed and should be sought out in the opposing team’s speeches. Debate literature should thus explain the rationale for selecting relevant fallacies, because fallacies are numberless. However, such criteria are rarely explained. Thus, our research has three purposes: to demonstrate that debate literature often lacks such rationale, to highlights criteria for selecting fallacies relevant to competitive debate, and to identify common fallacies in such context.

We will show the current lack of criteria in literature by reviewing debate literature on fallacies. Relevant criteria will be suggested by considering the relationship among biases, types of motions, debate rules, and argument types. The most common fallacies will be determined starting from criteria established. Consequently, a more effective training could follow.

The Deficit Model in the Debate on Genetic Engineering in Agriculture and the Role of the Social Scientist. Marko Ahteensuu, PCRC/ University of Turku, Finland Abstract: The term “deficit model” was coined by social scientists in the 1980s to highlight assumptions underlying much of science communication. According to the model, the general public’s negative attitudes towards modern science and technology are based on ignorance. The proposed remedy: scientists should communicate the facts to non-scientists. In the subsequent academic literature the deficit model was criticized on empirical and theoretical grounds. The old ‘‘paradigm’’ of the Public Understanding of Science (PUS) has been replaced with a new one, namely that of the Public Engagement with Science and Technology (PEST). Yet a discrepancy between theory and practice can be observed. The deficit frame has proved persistent. Despite being repeatedly discredited and supposedly abandoned (at least by social scientists), it seems to remain a common mindset among many scientists and decision-makers. It has reappeared in more subtle forms. Brian Wynne (2006), for example, speaks about continual reinvention of public deficit explanations. This arguably colours science communication and policies, and it may account for some failures to establish genuine two-way public engagement mechanisms. My paper provides a concise overview of the academic debate on the deficit model and then discusses four assumptions of the deficit model type of thinking in the context of genetic engineering in agriculture. I will finish with considering the role of the social scientist. What can and should be done about the above-mentioned discrepancy between theory and practice? Are we as social scientists introducing a second order deficit model? This would amount to viewing social scientists/STS scholars as “sufficient”, and other scientists and decision-makers as “deficient” in their deficit model type of thinking. Debate in the Context of School Reform Proposals Michael Jablonski, Georgia State University, USA Abstract Urban debate, according to multiple studies, has demonstrated an ability to engender changes in schools in which it is introduced. No scholar has fixed debate within the larger context of school reform proposals in the literature. This paper begins that process by examining one factor - violence in schools - in a comparative analysis of literature placing debate in the context of reform. The paper presents original research from ongoing studies of two urban debate programs in the United States. The effort is important to policy makers who often must choose programs to implement without a framework for comparison. The paper will compare published urban debate metrics with data from other policies while suggesting a methodology for future comparisons. Intercultural Diffusion by Utilizing Debate to Build a Conscious Generation Mohamed Manoufali, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, United Arab Emirates Abstract: New generations face a problem of being emerged in the global community with preserving their local identity, especially that globalization imposes integration and diffusion into a higher prospective. For the

sake of argument, since we are living in the same globe and sharing the same challenges such as Religious Extremism, Education and Unemployment that accompanied with Corruption. We could actually think of solutions that are applicable to other countries and importing the practicalities of solving those problems to the local community. However, how could we pour those solutions into an argumentative debate that can be confined with the local community?. The aim of this workshop is to culture participants with reasonable and logical debate methodologies in order to reflect their own legitimate convictions by sharing their knowledge-based theories about debate and how to respect the other parties by convincing them about their view point and identity. The analysis aims at unifying the segments of the community by empowering different ages and cultures so that the workshop can activate the process of building the debate direction based on tolerance between different segments. Interactive workshop will help the participants to be engaged in creating a debate paradigm of the theme. How do Scholars Argue? Values in Academic Debates Monika Bogdanowska, University of Silesia, Poland Abstract: The model of academic communication, formed over the centuries, is a direct consequence of taking scepticism and criticism as principal values in science. An ideal academic utterance would be full of the signs of noble self-restraint and the rhetoric of modesty. However, an analysis of academic debates proves that academic communication is not free from impoliteness and aggressive expressions. In this paper, I will present how scholars’ professional ethos influences their behaviour and in what way it is reflected in discourse. Which values forms academic styles of arguing? And what requirements cognitive personality should meet in order to remain the model worked out in academic tradition?

Empowering Achievement: Using Debate to Build Student Experience in Western Academic Settings Stefan Bauschard, National Forensic League, USA Abstract: The demand for training and participation in academic debate throughout Asia is growing rapidly. Recently, we have seen both the creation of the National Forensic League of Korea and the adoption of a debate course and curriculum by many of the leading schools in China as part of a program launched by an academic management company in China. As part of the China program, 120 students attended a debate workshop hosted by the Harvard Debate Council. More than 360 are expected to attend in July 2013. Many of the students from both Korea and China who are participating in debate are doing so in order to provide opportunities to develop English speaking skills and to gain experience with “Western educational methods” and to have opportunities to directly compete against US students in order to boost their admissions opportunities at US universities. This paper discusses the magnitude of the demand for debating opportunities by these students and offers considerations and suggestions for accommodating their needs in a way that can provide for their academic and social empowerment in the development of debate curriculum, membership in debate organizations, the hosting of debate camps, and the students integration into US-based debate competitions. Many of the suggestions and ideas are drawn directly from first-person interviews with

the participants and from the author’s observations from working with the students and the groups in China and Korea. An Ethical Framework for Contemporary Debate Tena Thau, Pomona College, USA Abstract: This paper examines the ethical foundation of successful debaters and arguments. The author examined videos of the final rounds of the World Universities Debating Championship to determine ethical foundations of argumentation. The overwhelming majority of relevant arguments assumed a consequentialist ethical framework. In addition, debaters routinely introduced consequentialist, cost-benefit comparisons between their arguments and the arguments of their opponents. On the few occasions that non-consequentialist principles were invoked, they were generally only considered instrumentally – as a means of achieving utilitarian ends – rather than as intrinsic values or inviolable moral rules. The paper considers the moral dangers of consequentialist-oriented debating.

THE PEDAGOGY OF EMPOWERMENT / CRITICAL THINKING

The Co-existence of English and Arabic in an Arabic-Speaking Environment: A Case Study of the Internationality of English Abdullah Khuwaileh, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Jordan Abstract: Although English was considered as a colonial language in the Arab World, it has spread widely even after the independence of the old British colonies. After the second World War, the number of English speaking people in the Arab World has started to increase remarkably not only in Arab countries colonized earlier by Britain (e.g., Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, etc.), but also in other Arab countries which were colonized by France (e.g., Syria, Lebanon, etc.). The phenomenon of the fast spread of English has motivated us to investigate the extent to which English is invading not only higher education institutions, but also other social settings like streets and internet coffees. To serve the purpose of this study, we conducted a field work to collect data from Academic and non-academic users of English. Our study showed that English has been chosen for prestigious, educational, technological, business and career purposes. Reasons behind these circumstances were explained and justified by a number of interviewees. Our study was concluded with a number of practical and research recommendations. Advocating for the Environment: Serbian Environmnental Summer School Alfred C. Snider, University of Vermont Abstract: The reform of educational processes and systems is crucial for the creation of new development ethics (United Nations, 1972). The goal of environmental education is to produce a population aware of the environment and concerned about problems relating to this concept. Environmental education is based on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivations and commitments of individuals and collectives willing to work towards solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones. Environmental Education fosters skills and habits that students can utilize throughout their lives to understand and act on environmental issues. This paper analyzes the impact of organizing special educational events in higher educational institutions, as a tool for raising environmental awareness among students and potential “trickle-down” effect on the environmental awareness of their peers. Paper considers case study of a weeklong an environmental summer school organized at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences for the students of University of Belgrade. The aim of the school was to empower students with critical thinking, persuasion abilities and debate skills and their potential use for advocating and arguing for the issues of environmental interest on daily basis but for influencing policy makers as well.

Think Critically about Critical Thinking Practice: Lack of Use of Written Assignments in Secondary Pre-service Teacher Education Programs in Saudi Arabia. Alhasan Allamnakhrah, The University of New South Wales, Australia. Abstract : Although critical thinking has been the subject of much debate in education internationally, there is a dearth of such studies in Saudi context. Based on a qualitative case study , this paper will address the gap in the literature by providing an analysis of assignments set by lecturers in the secondary pre-service teacher education programs at King Abdul-Aziz university (KAU) to determine whether the questions, feedback and students responses correspond to critical thinking criteria established by Paul and Elder (1999). The findings demonstrated that the assignments set in secondary pre-service teacher education programs at KAU are based on rote learning method and point to the need for the reforms currently underway based on critical thinking. Debate, Civic Engagement and Post-Training Social Networking Allan Louden, Ronald von Burg and Brownwen Gainsford, Wake Forest University, USA

Abstract: This work builds off a presentation for the 3rd International Conference entitled: “Debate as Agency: Preparing Students for Civic Engagement.” The Slovenia presentation examined the use of debate as the means to accessing other civic enterprises; as establishing ownership of rationale/reason for community involvement. It drew upon five years of directing the Ben Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Institute, a State Dept. month long State Department summer program hosted by Wake Forest University. Participants are students selected by US embassies from forty+ countries and US students, each summer. The philosophy that informs the institute is that Debate Training quickly grounds understanding of application arenas, and does so in a way that enhances individual ownership. Entry into applied civic engagement is based on activity, leading to individual empowerment. The model of debate as precursor to civic activity is to value both to knowing about and knowing as personal responsibility. This work extends on the institute philosophy, which has evolved from prescription to self-directed initiative via argumentative framing, by examining actual post-institute activity. We measured post-institute social networking of program alumni across ten Facebook groups for the five years. The type of activity and quantity of post-institute civic engagement was assessed and informally correlated to the assumptions of training debate as a precursor of civic engagement events.

Our initial results suggest that the ownership of ideas cultivated by debate is reflected in the “can do” application to civic programs the students engage in their home countries (in the immediate year following their participation). The greater the ownership as cultivated by argument and debate, the greater the civic involvement following the institute. The results also indicate how social media links up scores of countries participants, resulting in consortiums of allied students, and the sharing of opportunities. Functional Literacy and Debate Andreja Šut, Sredische ob Dravi Middle School, Sloveni Abstract: The results of international studies, in which Slovenia is also included, show that the state of reading literacy of our children is alarming. It is essential to teach children to extract the essence from the mass of information surrounding them at every step. In the text they read they should identify the key terms,

establish logical connections between them and independently form a meaningful, structured text. Furthermore, they should be able to present the text and effectively convince themselves and the audience of the importance of the message. Thus, they will be equipped to meet personal and social goals in their life. Experts look for and explore different methods how to achieve the desired result. In this respect, debate seems well suited, almost ideal. In the debate, the children firstly educate themselves of an interesting and socially important subject. Throughout the process they read a lot of literature, look for information in multiple sources, and consider what information is relevant to the statement, both for the “affirmative” and “negative” side. Furthermore, they make a selection of the best information and deliver it in an argument format in which they substantiate their claim in a structured manner. During the debate they hear the opponent’s arguments and present evidence to negate them. Since the opponent negates their arguments as well, they are forced to rethink the shortcomings thereof and substantiate them further. Thus, processes at the highest taxonomic levels according to the Bloom taxonomy take place: analysis, comparison and evaluation. The children learn about a subject always from two different angles and develop critical thinking. Hence, passive students who only follow the subject matter and uncritically memorize the mass of information become active and thinking individuals who will recognize the problems at the local and global level much quicker, critically assess them, present them on the basis of arguments and convince the audience thereof.

Methods of debate are appropriate for many learning materials delivered in all school subjects. However, it is necessary to educate both teachers and students. Engaging and Encouraging Critical Reflection in the Classroom and Beyond Andrew Jared Critchfield, Communication & Culture Consulting, USA Abstract : How can professors encourage their students to engage in critical reflection in the classroom and beyond? In future careers, students will likely be asked to personally evaluate their work products and attitudes on an annual—or more frequent—basis. To adequately prepare students for these workplace requirements and situations, critical reflection must be encouraged and taught in the classroom. How can students be empowered to engage in critical reflection? I require my students to keep track of their participation and attendance in the class and what they contribute to the culture of the course throughout the semester. Does the student enhance the learning environment and encourage his or her peers, or detract from the educational experience? Is the student’s attendance record stellar but participation is poor? Does asking questions during a lecture add to the understanding of course materials for others or just waste time and provide tangents to traverse? At the end of the semester, I require students to submit a short statement detailing their individual contributions to the class and suggest a participation grade they deserve, based on their contribution. This paper and my presentation will explain the assignment I give at the beginning of the course, how I remind students to engage in critical reflection throughout the semester and reinforce their understanding of critical engagement, and then how their statement of participation and contribution is evaluated. This research incorporates content analyses of student participation statements and how the assignment encourages critical reflection across a semester of their coursework and beyond.

Critical Thinking for an Emergent, Relevant, and Productive ‘Knowledge-Building’ Approach to Research Inquiry and Academic Writing Dr.Cameron Richards, University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia Abstract:

In the new global knowledge society, educational policies in countries around the world have generally embraced the notion that universities as well as schools should encourage generic skill outcomes – particularly ‘thinking’. Indeed different modes of thinking inform related processes of problem-solving, innovation, and critical rigor or discipline as well as the related competences and generic skills associated with Schon’s concept of a ‘professional reflective practitioner’. Although academics are also professional thinkers of sorts, reflective thinking by itself is clearly not sufficient to either increase research and scholarship outputs, nor to serve as a basis for the most effective innovations or applied problem-solving. In terms of the kinds of exemplary ‘missing links’ which often obstruct or frustrate the linked processes of academic inquiry and writing, this paper will investigate the challenge of more effectively translating or transforming relevant as well as critically rigorous thinking into productive research designs and outcomes. It will also outline techniques and strategies of how an ‘emergent’ approach to research inquiry and academic writing involves related modes of critical thinking, language use and knowledge-building. It will do so in terms of re-visiting of Hannah Arendt’s suggestion that Socrates’ elenchus method remains the most effective way to teach and also practice thinking. Debate Across the Curriculum at Wiley College Chris Medina, Wiley College, USA Abstract:

"Wiley College has developed a plan to implement Debate Across the Curriculum (DAC) through its newly developed program, “Communicate Through Debate.” Through high student engagement via debate education, Wiley College is focused on increasing student abilities and test scores in critical thinking, with anticipated ancillary benefits of increasing student grades and test scores in reading and writing. Over the course of five years, Wiley College will teach basic argumentation as a foundation in the “freshman experience” classes, will reinforce this through activities and assignments in mandatory classes in every department, and will culminate with an intra-collegiate public forum debate tournament. This DAC program is the first of its kind for a Historically Black College or University and continues Wiley College’s illustrious history and tradition of debate. Wiley’s historic debate legacy was beautifully illuminated in the 2007 movie, the Great Debaters, which dramatized the College’s 1930s decade-long undefeated record and participation the first interracial collegiate debates."

Do Young Arab Emiratis Know How to Argue? A Pilot Study Chrysi Rapanta, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates

Abstract: Arab Emiratis consist a very interesting population from an argumentation point of view as they: a) score very high on the Power Distance (PD) cultural dimension; b) they are expected to follow the Eastern way of reasoning, and c) they tend to use repetition rather than valid arguments. The present article aims at investigating how PD influences on Arab Emirati argumentation skills. Moreover, other emergent aspects of their argumentation, including repetition, are the focus of this exploratory pilot study. Ninety-five under-graduate University students were tested for their ability to complete an argumentation map with valid, sufficient, and relevant arguments, objections, and rebuttals. To further test the PD influence, an independent variable of teacher modeling intervention was applied to approx. half of the students. Results confirm the existence of PD, repetition, and eastern-thought related fallacies in the participants´ argumentation, thus opening the way for cross-cultural studies in this field. A Teaching Methodology that Supports the Development of Critical Thinking in the Classroom Drita Kadri, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kosovo Abstract: Adoption and non-adoption of personal ideas is a natural and healthy process.To be self-critical faith can strengthen the sense of self. Teach children critical thinking means to teach them: 1. Make decisions that are based on facts and evidence, 2. You challenge the thoughts and personal decisions, 3. Be open to others' challenges, 4. To go mind the possibility that you're wrong. Bloom and his associates the term "critical thinking" is synonymous with the term "assessment". Bloomin has allocated six different levels of thinking: knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. During the teaching can be organized learning strategy according to these categories. On this case I will share three sets of teaching strategies that facilitate the development of critical thinking in the construction of new meanings: 1. Learning strategies through discussion 2. Learning strategies through writing and reading and 3. Learning strategies in cooperation Critical Thinking in the Arab-Muslim Context Edward Moad, Qatar University, Qatar

Abstract: An issue relevant to critical thinking in a global context is the extent to which methods by which we approach critical thinking pedagogically may inadvertently serve as mere vehicles of cultural colonialism, thereby obstructing the very aim of critical thinking. I will argue that we should reject the explicit or implicit identification of critical thinking as ‘westernized’ thinking, and thereby avoid both traps, of implementing a sort of intellectual colonialism in the guise of ‘critical thinking’ on the one hand, and on other, of stunting students’ educational development by rejecting or neglecting critical thinking altogether. I will present a model of critical thinking, based on my own research and experience teaching critical thinking, logic, and philosophy courses in a variety of cultural contexts. And I will

introduce some methods I am developing in the process of practicing critical thinking skills with students in Qatar.

The Importance of Teaching Critical Thinking in Developing Countries Eria Ntogoga Kamugisha, Kyambobo University, Uganda Abstract: Critical thinking is a life skill as important for human beings as creativity and communication skills. The critical sense is inborn in man, but as Francis Bacon puts it, natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study and, therefore, can and ought to be taught and developed. The critical sense will not thrive in any individual or society where it is not encouraged and fostered. Permit me at the start of this paper to paraphrase an incident from a novel by an East African writer in which a teacher and a pupil are involved. The two characters are Teacher Muniu and Kihika, his pupil. The scene is in an East African country before independence. Teacher Muniu who also doubles as the Headmaster of Mahiga School, is conducting a lesson in a Sunday school one Sunday morning. He alludes to the Bible and cites authority to roundly on condemn circumcision of women, calling it “a heathen of custom”. Kihika protests, pointing out that the Bible does not talk about circumcising women. Indeed when Muniu cross checks his source, I Corinthians, 7 Verse 18 he realizes that he has indeed made a mistake and that Kihika is right. The matter comes to a head when Teacher Muniu, after discussing with elders, we are told, decides to “whip the boy ten times on his naked buttocks in front of whole assembly”. And after the beating Kihika would have “to say thank you to the teacher and also recant his words of last Sunday”. Interestingly, the pupil does not accept this punishment; when he is called upon to come forward for the beating he jumps up and escapes through the nearest window “to freedom”, never to return again to school. Eventually Kihika joins the Mau Mau, a political movement fighting for independence. Teacher Muniu ends up being brutally killed at the hands of the Mau Mau, obviously having been instigated or led by Kihika, his former pupil. Kihika, too, is betrayed by one of his friends and country man and is hanged by the British colonial government. What becomes clear in the incident highlighted above is that the cause of conflict between teacher Muniu and his pupil, Kihika, is that while the latter is by nature a critical thinker the former does not understand and tolerate critical thinking. Like most ignorant, prejudiced and irrational teachers he thinks his opinions or views are infallible and unchallengeable. And he is more concerned with self- respect and ego than creating a conducive environment in which his pupils would express and share their own views and experiences. His method of teaching is, of course, too tactless and pedantic. And in a bid to restore his self- respect, he tries to punish the pupil with dire consequences. It is important to note that though the incident outlined above is fictitious and is supposed to have happened nearly sixty years ago, the situation and problems it highlights are real enough and still prevalent, more especially in certain African countries. For instance, in my country, it is not uncommon to find teachers at various levels of education behaving in the same manner like Teacher Muniu! And in almost all institutions of learning, from primary, high school, college and university, critical thinking is seen as a discipline problem that should not go unpunished. In developing countries teachers who are ill trained or not trained at all still find their way into classrooms and teach. As Alexander Pope puts it, since “A little learning is a dangerous thing;” they end up not only teaching the wrong things but also using inappropriate or ineffective methods. This results in very high school drop-out rates or school leavers and graduates that lack the required knowledge and skills for work and life. But even the trained, qualified teachers may sometimes share in these inadequacies themselves. By the very fact that developing nations are still struggling to develop, meaning that they have not yet attained the necessary infrastructure and the desirable political, socio-economic and moral goals and

values, it is imperative to help these make the correct decisions and take to necessary steps in the right direction towards attaining those development goals. Education, teachers and educationists play a significant role in the development of any society and country. It is against this background that I recommend that pedagogues, teachers and teacher-trainers be properly instructed in critical thinking so that this skill be, in turn, passed on to their pupils, students and the entire society. All this entails that teachers in the developing countries develop the knowledge, values, skills and appropriate teaching methods to perform and efficiently. This also implies that critical thinking needs be integrated in the content of the primary, high school, and college curricula. Given the fact that developing countries need not re-invent the wheel, they should learn and borrow from those countries and educational institutions that are already offering relevant courses in on Argumentation, Rhetoric, debate, and pedagogy of empowerment, and critical thinking as full courses or units in their curricula. But since the teaching – learning process does not take place in a vacuum, developing countries have to fulfill other obligations for critical thinking to thrive, for instance, teachers need to be paid a living wage to check the rather too high attrition and turn- over rate and attract more willing trainees into the teaching profession. Governments and people especially in developing countries should or ought to be compelled to respect and observe human rights including the rights of children such as the right to education, the right for freedom of expression, even in the classroom. Teachers should not make schools and classes unbearable occasions of torture. Teachers and all other stake holders must do everything possible to create a conducive learning environment to make the teaching – learning process more delightful and effective. And the pupils, students and trainees, who are the direct beneficiaries of this process, must be encouraged and supported to think critically and express and share their feelings, thoughts, views or opinions without fear or inhibition. All this calls for the teaching and promotion of critical thinking at all levels of education, hence the relevance of teaching critical thinking in Developing Countries. And, I believe, that once critical thinking has been integrated into our studies, into our thoughts and ways of doing things, and into our lives and the lives of the younger generations who are also our future leaders, the quality of lives shall change, thinking and speaking a better world. Teaching English through Debate in Classroom Contexts Gina Iberri-Shea, United States Air Force Academy, USA Abstract: Communication demands placed on L2 students have led to an increasing awareness of the need to integrate meaningful language use across the curriculum. In response to this need, content-based instruction (CBI) is finding its way into increasing numbers of higher education settings. CBI is flexible and can be translated in a variety of ways depending on the educational context. The six-Ts approach to content-based instruction (Stoller & Grabe, 1997) provides a framework for developing CBI in different instructional settings. The six-Ts include themes, texts, topics, threads, transitions, and tasks. Tasks represent a fundamental component of content-based curricula. They are used to meet content, language, and strategy learning objectives daily. Public speaking and debate tasks, in particular, can play an important role in content-based instruction because they easily integrate these objectives. Public speaking and debate activities require students to master content and gain conceptual knowledge, while using language in meaningful ways. These tasks require critical thinking, emphasize research skills, promote autonomous and collaborative learning, and help prepare students for mainstream academic work. The advantages to using these communication activities in CBI are many, one being that they adapt easily to a number of content areas.

In this presentation, the speaker will highlight the advantages of integrating public speaking, critical thinking, and debate activities into content-based instruction at the university level. Methods associated with public speaking and debate will be demonstrated through the theme of human rights. Suggestions for other content areas will be provided. Swedish High School Students Learning Democracy through a Youth Parliament Kerstin Hudner Siden, Stockholm University, Sweden Abstract:

The Youth Parliament of Stockholm is a democracy project which gives students in senior high-school an opportunity to participate in a parliamentary debate in the City Hall. Different schools work together in mixed committees preparing a proposal for a solution to a problem for the residents of Stockholm. In the parliament the committees argue for their solutions and afterwards a vote is held on which proposals should be adopted. In my paper I will present some preliminary findings from my on-going Phd study concerning civic education and what learning opportunities the Youth Parliament will have. My empirical data is based on interviews, video and audio recording and committee texts and the analysis is built on a design theoretical perspective. Classroom Pedagogy for Citizen Advocates : Utilizing Debate and Critical Thinking Tools to encourage Active Civic Engagement Korry Harvey, Western Washington University, USA Abstract: The competitive aspects of debate offer rewards in and of themselves for some participants. As educators, we see potentially far greater rewards in the outcomes of debate training. The method of debate inherently engages critical thinking skills and requires the understanding and utilization of argumentative theory. This naturally translates into what may be expected of an idealized participant citizen in a society. By practicing advocacy skills involving knowledge of the parts of an arguments as well as how arguments are strategically deployed, those learning to debate are preparing themselves to not only consume arguments in the public sphere, but to be able to effectively advance them as well. The ability to put these skills into practice through active learning and the debate process creates a unique opportunity to train and empower citizen advocates. Debate as a Pedagogical Method for Argumentation: A Case Study Leslie Seawright, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Qatar

Abstract: This paper examines the use of casual and structured debates in a freshman composition class to teach academic writing and argumentation. The fundamental elements of freshman composition easily transition to those of debate: Summarize a position, critique that position, synthesize different positions, and finally, support a position using effective rhetoric and audience awareness. Teaching these skills in previous composition classes has required several papers that slowly build these writing and argumentation skills. These papers have often been written and taught without context and without a real purpose or audience. In order to tackle this challenge, I introduced debate into my composition pedagogy. Students summarized sources, found fallacies, synthesized different points of

view, built their own arguments with the concrete purpose of presenting this information in a class debate. During the course of the semester, I held several small debates in class to prepare students for the end-of-term debate against another composition class in front of the Texas A&M University at Qatar debate team and other guests. The students were more focused and disciplined in learning the skills of argumentation than I have seen in previous classes without the debate element. As a teaching tool and pedagogy, I find debate to be instrumental in teaching freshman composition and rhetoric. Students study argumentation, write papers using the skills they acquire, and then have a chance to exhibit and compete with those new skills in a purposeful event. Critical Thinking in University Courses Lynnette Crane, RIT Dubai, United Arab Emirates Abstract: In the 21st century, much emphasis is placed on “teaching critical thinking” in university curriculums. Yet little progress has been made in this regard. Why? There are three main reasons for this lack of progress: 1) a lack of understanding by instructors and professors of the basic concepts of critical thinking and mechanisms of reasoning; 2) the primary goal and expectation of today’s university students for higher education to provide the means for career acquisition; and 3) the opposite poles from which certain teaching methodologies and the nature of critical thinking emerge. Instructors would like to teach critical thinking, but many do not understand that this requires devising assignments that require reasoning rather than assignments that simply meet course objectives. More inherently, frequently those who teach do not understand the basic components of reasoning, even to the extent that they sometimes mix the approaches of subjectivity and objectivity. The students’ perspective, on the other hand, is not to reason, to ask broader questions, but to attain as expediently as possible a product – the university degree – which will provide the first step to their monetary futures. Additionally, to some degree, our technological age of contemporary communication styles has produced the expectation that the education venue will mirror yet another entertainment venue. Lastly, teaching methods, which include the design of course assignments and assessment devices, frequently present a schism between formal education with its regimented procedures and standardized assessment tools versus the freer, questing-asking, relevant, analytical realm of critical thinking. To conclude the paper presentation, a broader perspective - suggestions for improving or solving the above scenarios - will be explored.

Pluralistic Critical Thinking through Topical Pedagogy Maria Wolrath-Soderberg, Södertörn University, Sweden Abstract: In the academic seminar, the teacher has to deal with many different theories, scientific paradigms and discursive practices. It can however be difficult to take these perspectives under serious consideration without jumping randomly between viewpoints and losing the critical edge. The present workshop deals with the question: How can academic teachers facilitate the inclusion of different perspectives challenging each other in the classroom while avoiding anything-goes relativism? A central notion in the workshop is topos. The rhetorical topos theory proceeds from the assumption that issues can be fruitfully addressed through themes, arguments and reasoning methods previously shown to work for similar issues. The merits of the various topoi could then be debated, thus allowing diverse perspectives to be tried out and scrutinized. Topos theory was developed as a cognitive toolkit for thinking and reasoning about contingent and multifaceted matters. Therefore it seems reasonable to presume that it might contribute to the pedagogy of higher education dealing with problematic knowledge in a dynamic world. In this workshop we will start with an experiment intended to illustrate the notion of topos. Then I will present an idea on how this concept can be used to understand learning and for designing teaching. Thereafter we will discuss whether and how these perspectives could be implemented by the participants in various teaching situations. Fearless Speech: Towards a Critical Public Address Pedagogy Matthew May, North Carolina State University, USA Abstract: Classical training in the art of rhetoric involved exercises in which students memorized and performed model speeches of the past. Students learned in practice what could not be conveyed by other means: an embodied sense of phronesis and rhetorical judgment. Due in part to the modern pedagogical focus on argument studies as a subset of writing instruction, the importance of memory and delivery has fallen by the wayside, leading some to pronounce them the “lost canons” of rhetorical pedagogy. In this essay, I discuss the importance of the oral performance of historical speeches “of the people” as part of a critical pedagogy oriented toward “thinking and speaking a better world.” I show that the oral performance of selections from Howard Zinn’s Voices of a People’s History, for example, can convey an embodied sense of parrhesia, speaking truth to power, as discussed by Michel Foucault. Literature and Grammar Learning with Debate Metka Resek, Primary School Žirovnica, Slovenia Abstract: I will present the use of debate techniques in Slovene lessons with 14 and 15 year olds in our school. Debating has turned out to be very effective learning technique for literature and grammar. I will present you some practical examples of class debating, the way we adjusted Karl Popper format for the school lesson, how I managed to include all the class in the debate, what skills pupils are developing in debate and which educational goals are being reached with this method. I will present to you some problems and positive effects of debating in class.

Qatari School Teachers’ Views about Critical Pedagogy: Possibilities and Challenges Maha Cherif, Qatar University, Qatar Abstract: Critical theory, the foundation of critical pedagogy, began with the assumption that social relations are infused with injustices and it is the responsibility of intellectuals to recognize and address power relations. Dewey wrote, “skepticism is the mark and even the pose of the educated mind” (Hickman, & Alexander 1998, p. 28). Critical thinking skills are not innate but are taught and nurtured in schools and universities through teaching practices that impart a critical and transformative perspective. Teachers and what they believe about critical pedagogy shapes students understanding and dispositions about critical thinking. This study, surveyed 100 teachers in Qatari schools on their views concerning critical pedagogy at elementary, secondary, and high school levels. Adopting the Principles of Critical Pedagogy Scale developed by Yilmaz (2009) teachers’ views on critical pedagogy were examined. A selected number of the survey participants were also interviewed. Data analysis utilized descriptive and inferential statistics. Interview data were analyzed using constant comparative methods. The results indicated a general agreement and approval of critical pedagogy and its principles. However, the results indicate challenges and difficulties at implementation of critical pedagogy in Qatari educational system, which can be attributed to the traditional, top-down educational management. In the final part of the paper, the author considers the possibilities for a Foucauldian ‘counter‐practice’ or resistance that will be relevant to the current risky and tenuous positions of teachers. Specifically, research based strategies and tactics will be presented to promote conceptualizing a set of resistance practices for teachers who are vulnerable because of their position within the institutional context. Collaborative Online Learning Michael Hoffmann, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Abstract: There is overwhelming evidence that engaging students in problem-based learning (PBL), that is, in projects in which they try to solve problems more or less autonomously in small groups, contributes substantially to learning outcomes, and that students enjoy it. However, research has also shown that collaboration in these settings works best when it is supported and guided by an experienced facilitator. This makes PBL learning very resource intensive. As a solution to this problem I will present the newly developed computer supported argument visualization software AGORA-net that guides and structures collaboration step-by-step without the need of facilitators. The presentation will also provide preliminary data comparing the effects of an AGORA-net learning approach with regard to critical and ethical thinking in two ethics classes with two control classes. AGORA-net is an interactive, completely web-based, and freely available learning tool that allows synchronous and asynchronous online collaboration. It can also be used for global classroom projects and for public deliberation. Using Debate to Improve Writing Michelle Fennell, Clapton Girls' Academy, UK Abstract: The aim of using debating within humanities lessons is to improve students’ essay writing and oral participation in lessons. Recent studies have shown that many students struggle to produce good written work because they find it difficult to have a voice in expressing their opinions on a variety of issues. This is often the case in history essays when students often find it an arduous task to put forward good arguments with enough analysis that explains their points in a way that gives effective critical

analysis which can be linked back to the given thesis. It is widely recognized that properly formulated debate programs which is incorporated in Humanities’ lessons, allows students opportunities to develop skills in research, analysis, argumentation, evaluation and confidence, and therefore they are much more likely to produce work at a higher standard. Studies have made a powerful case for the use of debate across the curriculum as it has been proven that debate training improves communication competence and critical thinking. Recent results in students are able to debate performed better in their classroom assessment and/or exam. Therefore the results in using debating to support written and oral participation work humanities subjects is very positive and thus gives us every reason to expect that these benefits will only increase as debating is implemented across the curriculum. It is widely believed that properly formulated, debate programs incorporate the best aspects of communication across the curriculum and critical thinking across the curriculum. Given the recent inception of the drive to develop students’ literacy and communication skills within lessons, teachers’ ability to get students to become more active learners has been a struggle in many state comprehensive schools. Debate training improves communication competence and critical thinking, and the existing debate programmes at within schools gives us every reason to expect that these benefits will only increase as debate skills is implemented across all subject areas. Developing Intercultural Competence Critical Thinking Mohamed Eddefaa, Merrimack School District, USA Abstract: In modern societies, Individuals need more than knowledge to build a social identity where “THE OTHER” is not only tolerated, but embraced. Social identity is therefore a determinant piece of reports and interactions. When individuals (even from same country) are differentiated by their identities, language becomes a barrier; cultural disparities generate misconceptions, stereotypes and misjudgments. Difficulties of communication create isolated communities. Society becomes a fertile ground to discrimination, segregation and racism to end with, fundamentalism, radicalism and sometimes terrorism. The development of ”intercultural competencies” becomes then one of the imperatives for any modern educational system. Through abilities like debating, researching, analyzing, presenting ideas or arguments and narratives… learners develop the intercultural dimension where cultures and languages are the content. Critical thinking, communication and comparison skills are the tools. Awareness, civility and tolerance are the ultimate goal. This workshop aims to provide participants with the theoretical context and the cultural pedagogy used for ten years of teaching culture and language at a public school in New Hampshire. Participants will follow, through a Power Point presentation and a QA, steps of curriculum creation, methods of implementation, difficulties, challenges and results of this experience. Using Debate in Teaching American Literature Rachmat Nurcahyo, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia Abstract: This article focuses on the development of a course centering on debating approach as a means of exploring nineteenth and early twentieth century American literature. Considering the close link between literature-based-humanity issues and current political movements of American government, the figure of the debaters acting in pro and con sides is a primary tool used to help students better comprehend the central tension of American democracy – the struggle for balance between the rights

of the individual and the demands of the community. This tension plays out most clearly in literature in depicting labor strikes, vigilantism, and racial conflicts. The literary depiction of American society can be fruitful materials for debate. The aim of this article is to encourage students to engage with this literature in a more meaningful way, particularly given the relevance of the material within the current political environment. Students are challenged to reconsider the position of parliamentary members in proposing or defending literature-based-contemporary issues. This course is meant to help students critically understand the historical contexts of the literature read during the course and enable them to see how depictions of the people are closely linked to the contemporary problems the American government and parliament want to solve. Learning Photography in Visual Research Communication Rose Linda Zainal, Multimedia University, Malaysia

Abstract: This study investigates how design understanding in visual communication helps student in producing better photograph in their assignment. The learning practice in design element and the usage of digital photography has help improve student ability in seeing, learning and critical thinking in constructing aesthetic value images. Observation method used in the study indicates those students are able to compose and enhance their visual perception and improve visual communication through out the learning process in various stages for preparing their major department. Learning visual such as photography need critical thinking and ability to argue and defend ideas and concept to challenge visual impact in their works and project.

Building a Critical Thinking Curriculum out of Conflicting Theories Russell McPhee, Bond University, Australia Abstract: The existence of multiple theories and definitions of Critical Thinking (CT) poses a challenge for CT curriculum designers. Should designers choose what they consider the best theory, and construct weekly activities, assessment and goals around this single idea? Or should they instead take a blended approach, picking and choosing the best aspects among the competing theories? Of these options, the former invites criticism for ignoring alternatives (and perhaps even dogmatism), whereas the latter risks pedagogical contradiction. This paper proposes that a possible solution to creating a theoretically-grounded CT curriculum in the presence of conflicting theories may be to integrate both similarities and differences: when faced with uncertainty, agreement between competing theories affords us confidence in curricular inclusions, while disagreement reminds us of boundaries. In particular, I will argue that both the parallels and divisions found between the theories of McPeck, Paul and Siegel provide valuable insights into CT curriculum design. Key References: McPeck, J. (1981) Critical Thinking and Education (New York, St. Martin’s Press). Paul, R. W. (1982) Teaching Critical Thinking in the ‘Strong’ Sense: A focus on self-deception, world views, and a dialectical mode of analysis, Informal Logic Newsletter, 4:2, pp. 2–7.

Siegel, H. (1988) Educating Reason (New York, Routledge).

Novel Approaches to CT and Oral Communication Evaluation – New Tech’s Project-Based Learning Scott Panek, Pomona College, USA Abstract: This paper analyzes United States New Tech high schools’ methods of evaluating “Critical Thinking” and “Oral Communication” performance. These soft criteria rely less on memorization of data derived from hierarchal society, the norm at most U.S. schools. I argue, in theory and through testimony, that the standard model accounts for the empirically measured sentiments of alienation among minority groups in many high schools. However, New Tech’s “Project Based Learning” allows for a more personal education that may cause the success, in terms of high school and college graduation rates, of all ethnic groups within the network. Upon analyzing rubrics and interviewing administrators and teachers, I suggest that these methods can be employed to diminish ethnic disparities at other secondary schools. Place-Based Pedagogy: Reframing the Public/Private Sphere Divide in Public Speaking Courses Taylor Hahn, University of Pittsburgh, USA Abstract In the spring of 2012 the University of Pittsburgh was bombarded with 145 bomb threats, forcing evacuation of dormitories and classrooms. As access to classrooms became increasingly unpredictable, professors experimented with new meeting locations; from online spaces to public parks. For professors teaching about the division between public and private sphere deliberation, this was an exciting moment of intersection. This paper examines this moment of pedagogical exploration and examination. Specific emphasis will be given to the role of place in framing public speaking and debate pedagogy. Using class sessions held at public memorials of industrialists, explorers, and soldiers; I examine the pedagogical innovations prompted by increased emphasis on the physical location of a course and intersection of academic and public spheres. It is my argument that adopting a dynamic classroom model enhances student learning while simultaneously blurring lines between the academy and the public sphere. Redefining Civic Engagement and Empowerment Discourse: The Lagos Public Advocacy Model Victoria Orelope-Adefulire, University of Lagos & Tunde Opeibi, Lagos State Government, Nigeria Abstract: This study examines the relationships between empowerment discourse and good governance with a focus on Lagos public policy advocacy and empowerment initiatives. The data set was drawn from the transcripts of some public enlightenment and awareness programmes organized by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State, Nigeria under the leadership of the Deputy Governor. The theoretical framework that underpins the study draws inspiration and insights from Halliday’s Systemic Functional Theory and the Speech Act Theory. The paper finds that improved advocacy initiatives have helped to empower citizens and promote participatory democracy in Lagos. Women and other citizens have been empowered through some of these strategies. It is anticipated that this study will contribute to civic engagement strategies and enhance democratic cultures in emerging democracies through a more robust public advocacy discourse.

Comparing Problem Solving Teaching Methods – through Electronic Learning Environments – with Traditional Teaching Methods Zargham Yousefi, Azad Islamic University Nourabad Mamasani, Iran Abstract: This paper compares problem solving teaching method through electronic learning environment, with traditional teaching method among guidance school students in Shiraz. The research method was quasi experimental. The sample was 120 students, which were male and female students of guidance school in academic year 2010-2011, through random cluster sampling divided in 2 groups, case group and control group. The case group were taught by problem solving teaching method in electronic environment and the control group were taught by traditional teaching method. A teacher-made test used to conduct this study. Descriptive statistics and t-test were used to analyze datum. Results revealed that: There was significant difference between students who were taught by the first method and those who were taught by the second. There was no significant difference between male and female who were taught by the second method through electronic learning. There was significant difference between male and female who were taught by the first method through electronic learning.