A Student Panel Discussion to Practice Argumentation Skills

Abstract

Economics students are used to lectures of the “chalk-and-talk” variety. In this project, I develop, describe, and evaluate a pedagogical intervention that provides students with the opportunity to practice their argumentation skills. The development of these skills is not usually part of the core curriculum. For this project, a panel discussion format is used to enable students to develop arguments using empirical evidence, and generally navigate a space where there is no single right or wrong answer. The peer-learning environment allows students to develop argumentation and evaluation skills in a setting where they receive informal formative assessment.