When having a classroom debate, students can run short of inspiration. Could the answer be social media?
There is nothing better than having students debate a topic in the classroom. It is a great way for the teacher to analyze comprehension and it can create a great feeling of confidence amongst the students. However, when presented with a topic for debate, students can run short of inspiration. This is where social media comes in.
Students are not shy when expressing their views generally, whether you like it or not. However, when it comes to class debates the response can be underwhelming. This could be due to many factors such as peer pressure, shyness, or something as simple as a lack of confidence in their knowledge of the topic. However, no matter how much knowledge someone may possess on a topic, having debating starting points is an entirely different category of information.
A good way of circumventing a lack of debating ideas or confidence is to allow the students to have a look at their social media for opinions on the topic. A teacher can take for granted that there will be opinions on every topic, no matter how obscure, on these platforms.
As an example, let’s say that a teacher is near the end of a section about Pedestrianization, and they want to check spoken comprehension and general understanding of the topic. The teacher could ask the students to consult their smartphones, or in technologically equipped schools, their laptops, tablets or PCs, and have a search through their social media to see what netzines are saying. The teacher could even suggest different hashtags to use. For example: #roads #carfreezones #walkingtowork, etc.
Of course, while social media is moderated, students should be warned of the possibility of coming across inappropriate content. Also, students do have to be over the age of 13 to use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and Threads, so this is not one for younger audiences.
An ideal scenario would have the whole class using the same platform, thus making it easier to compare notes. The teacher would also be able to get involved and note any unusual or complex ideas. The students would then be able to consider the opinions they discovered, possibly adapting them, and using the information from the section they just completed to engage in a lively debate on Pedestrianization.
An underwhelming response to a debate topic isn’t always due to a lack of knowledge about the topic. Sometimes the knowledge gap comes in the form of a starting point, or familiarity with different opinions on the issue at hand, and social media can fill that gap.
Note: This is an opinion/personal experience article.
Read more articles on our Zealousness blog Social-emotional and mental health – iN Education Inc. (ineducationonline.org)
About the Author:
Dr. John Jennings is an educational theorist from Galway, he has a PhD in TESOL with research in Social-Media and Education. He has researched the perceptions that students have of Social-Media in Education and how it affects their interaction with the academic world. He is also an avid virtual runner.
Dr Jennings, John. Linktree (2024) https://linktr.ee/dr.johnjennings
