This assignment uses Kialo’s clear Pro and Con structure to facilitate structured debate online. This can facilitate higher-quality student engagement in online classes and free up class time in traditional face-to-face classrooms by allowing students to engage in meaningful discussions outside class. Additional adaptations of this assignment use Kialo’s built-in tools for collaboration, revision and voting to encourage the sort of high quality debate and self-reflection crucial to developing critical reasoning skills.

This assignment is designed to take two days for students to complete, and involves about one hour of work for each participating student. It is adapted from an assignment pitched at college students, but it can easily be adapted to different age groups - for example, middle school students might participate in discussions during a scheduled library period, rather than as a homework task.

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