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Re: student debates on pseudoscience



Ben Crowell wrote:

I'm teaching a conceptual physics course at a
community college, and would like to have my students
debate each other on issues related to pseudoscience.
Can anyone give me any tips on what might work? I can
easily imagine that if I don't set it up correctly,
the results could be bad. For instance, I could ask
one student to present the "pro" side on astrology,
and another to take the "anti." The "anti" student
doesn't prepare, does a lousy job, and the class then
votes that astrology is a real science.


Perhaps require a short paper from the debaters on their topic. My daughter was just required to hand in two papers before a debate - one pro and one con -
the idea was that she would be prepared not only for her side of the argument but would also not be blind sided by arguments from the other side.

Bob at PC