British Parliamentary Debate and the Twenty-First-Century Student

Abstract

British Parliamentary Debate (BP) has grown in popularity in recent years and may be an appropriate debate for contemporary college students or Millennials. We argue that BP debate offers Millennials two distinct advantages: (a) BP is an accessible format, amenable to the demands of busy students; and (b) BP confers global argumentation skills required to be competitive in a globalized society.

Keywords:

• British Parliamentary Debate
• Forensics
• Millennials
• Worlds Style Debate

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Calvin Horne, Stephen Llano, and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions in the revision process.

Notes

Inability to link outcomes to form is not, of course, unique to forensics. The drive for standardized testing in elementary and secondary education has emerged from a desire to link specific pedagogical practices to arbitrarily chosen assessment measures. The ongoing debate over the benefits and weaknesses of technology in the college classrooms is another instance.

Like any other practice that crosses the Atlantic, US BP differs from its global counterpart; the most prominent of which is the professionalized coach. Indeed, as Baird (1923) noted many years ago, the British debating societies are student run. While some of the more prestigious US BP squads are still run by students (Yale comes to mind), a majority of the programs are now directed by a member of the faculty.

Thank you to Rob Ruiz who has been tracking the team numbers at the USU.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Justin Eckstein

Justin Eckstein is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication & Theatre at Pacific Lutheran University.

Michael Bartanen

Michael Bartanen is a Professor in the Department of Communication & Theatre at Pacific Lutheran University.