Online debates as effective as in-person discussion for critical thinking development
Picture by Mohammad Shahhosseini on Unsplash
A study recently published in the Online Learning Journal suggests that the overall effectiveness of debates as an educational tool is essentially unaltered by moving the classroom debates to an online platform. The study, published in September, was authored by Dr. Cheng-Chia “Brian” Chen, a graduate professor of public health, and Dr. Karen Swan, a graduate professor of educational leadership. Conducted at the University of Illinois in Springfield, the study draws from a sample of 52 students, split into two groups, enrolled in health-related online courses with a special focus on debate.
The results found no outstanding differences between debate efficiency and experience in online courses versus on-ground courses.
