Debate Style Research Articles

The utility of clinical controversy debates in an ambulatory care elective

BackgroundActive learning is an essential component in pharmacy education and has become a focus of governing bodies and pharmacy education organizations. Many strategies exist by which faculty can accomplish active learning in the classroom. MethodsThis study was conducted to determine if clinical controversy debates achieve the course objective to critically evaluate clinical trials and guidelines in order to form and support an opinion regarding a current clinical controversy facing ambulatory care pharmacists today. Debates were based on cases written by instructors, and arguments were based on primary literature identified by students. Students enrolled in an Ambulatory Care Elective responded to a 9-question survey at the completion of the semester, assessing time spent on debate preparation, debate style preference, and assessment of the role of the debates in their learning and skill development. ResultsThere was a 72% response rate (n = 13) from students who completed the course. Results from the survey showed that all students who completed the survey strongly agreed or agreed that the course outcome was met and clinical controversy debates aided in achieving the outcome. Additionally, all students strongly agreed or agreed that the debates improved their ability to apply a clinical trial to a patient and make an evidence-based medicine recommendation. ConclusionThe authors conclude that this study illustrates a useful pedagogical strategy for implementing in-class debates into the pharmacy curricula while also enhancing evidence-based medicine and critical thinking skills.

Utilization of Debate as an Educational Tool to Learn Health Economics for Dental Students in Malaysia

Health economics, a special branch of science applying economic principles to the health delivery system, is a relatively young subdiscipline. The literature is scanty about teaching health economics in the medical and dental fields. Delivery methods of this topic vary from one university to another, with lectures, seminars, and independent learning reported as teaching/learning tools used for the topic. Ideally, debates should foster the development of logical reasoning and communication skills. Health economics in dentistry is taught under the community oral health module that constitutes part of an outcome-based dental curriculum in a private dental school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For this study, the students were divided into two groups: active participants (active debaters) and supporting participants (nonactive debaters). The debate style chosen for this activity was parliamentary style. Active and nonactive debaters' perceptions were evaluated before and after the activity through a structured questionnaire using a five-point rating scale addressing the topic and perceptions about debate as an educational tool. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used as a measure of internal consistency for the questionnaire items. Among a total of eighty-two third-year dental students of two successive cohorts (thirty-eight students and forty-four students), seventy-three completed the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 89 percent. Students' responses to the questionnaire were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance test. Results revealed that the students felt that their interest in debate, knowledge of the topic, and reinforcement of the previous knowledge had improved following participation in the debate. Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that debate was a useful tool in teaching health economics to dental students.

Pro-Con Debate: Etomidate or Ketamine for Rapid Sequence Intubation in Pediatric Patients

When caring for critically ill children, airway management remains a primary determinant of the eventual outcome. Airway control with endotracheal intubation is frequently necessary. Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is generally used in emergency airway management to protect the airway from passive regurgitation of gastric contents. Along with a rapid acting neuromuscular blocking agent, sedation is an essential element of RSI. A significant safety concern regarding sedatives is the risk of hypotension and cardiovascular collapse, especially in critically ill patients or those with pre-existing comorbid conditions. Ketamine and etomidate, both of which provide effective sedation with limited effects on hemodynamic function, have become increasingly popular as induction agents for RSI. However, experience and clinical investigations have raised safety concerns associated with both etomidate and ketamine. Using a pro-con debate style, the following manuscript discusses the use of ketamine versus etomidate in RSI.

The Parisian Parish Churches of the Second Empire: Social Forces and Church Construction in France, 1852-1870

This article examines some key issues in nineteenth-century church architecture. Of particular interest are the parish churches constructed in Paris during the Second Empire: a period during which the construction of churches and urban expansion reached unprecedented levels. The identity crisis associated with the church architecture of that era may well be reflected in the architectural style debate between Desiré Raoul-Rochette and E. E. Viollet-le-Duc. However, given the great sociopolitical and economic changes occuring during this period, a different analytical approach to discuss stylistic evolution of the churches is warranted. This paper attempts to broaden the discussion of the Parisian parish churches of the Second Empire in order to show that they should be recognized as architectural projects giving precision to the descriptive social forces, such as the economizing on outlays, the formulation of two idealized new types of church architecture, a mise en scene of a theatrical effect in city fabric, liturgical requirements, and the emergence of îlot parisien in the Second Empire, that exist beyond the scope of the traditional doctrinal analyses of architectural style.

Is Cognitive Science Usefully Cast as Complexity Science?

Readers of TopiCS are invited to join a debate about the utility of ideas and methods of complexity science. The topics of debate include empirical instances of qualitative change in cognitive activity and whether this empirical work demonstrates sufficiently the empirical flags of complexity. In addition, new phenomena discovered by complexity scientists, and motivated by complexity theory, call into question some basic assumptions of conventional cognitive science such as stable equilibria and homogeneous variance. The articles and commentaries that appear in this issue also illustrate a new debate style format for topiCS.

Hawks and baby chickens: cultivating the sources of indigenous science education

In this response to Hewson and Ogunniyi’s paper on indigenous knowledge (IK) and science teaching in South Africa, I seek to broaden the debate by setting the enterprise of integrating IK into science education in its cultural and socio-political context. I begin by exploring the multiple meanings of indigenous knowledge in Africa, next consider the sources available for accurately apprehending those different varieties of IK and then raise three issues of procedure that the Hewson and Ogunniyi approach seems largely to overlook: the varying meanings and styles of argumentation in African culture; the relevance of more participatory and discovery-based modes of inquiry to their topic; and the critical importance of grasping the socio-political terrain on which IK must operate. I conclude that, while their initiative opens valuable new paths of inquiry and practice, the proposed methodology would benefit from more solid grounding in discovery learning, African styles of debate and a clear mapping of stakes and stakeholders.

Argumentation and indigenous knowledge: socio-historical influences in contextualizing an argumentation model in South African schools

This forum considers argumentation as a means of science teaching in South African schools, through the integration of indigenous knowledge (IK). It addresses issues raised in Mariana G. Hewson and Meshach B. Ogunniyi’s paper entitled: Argumentation-teaching as a method to introduce indigenous knowledge into science classrooms: opportunities and challenges. As well as Peter Easton’s: Hawks and baby chickens: cultivating the sources of indigenous science education; and, Femi S. Otulaja, Ann Cameron and Audrey Msimanga’s: Rethinking argumentation-teaching strategies and indigenous knowledge in South African science classrooms. The first topic addressed is that implementation of argumentation in the science classroom becomes a complex endeavor when the tensions between students’ IK, the educational infrastructure (allowance for teacher professional development, etc.) and local belief systems are made explicit. Secondly, western styles of debate become mitigating factors because they do not always adequately translate to South African culture. For example, in many instances it is more culturally acceptable in South Africa to build consensus than to be confrontational. Thirdly, the tension between what is “authentic science” and what is not becomes an influencing factor when a tension is created between IK and western science. Finally, I argue that the thrust of argumentation is to set students up as “scientist-students” who will be considered through a deficit model by judging their habitus and cultural capital. Explicitly, a “scientist-student” is a student who has “learned,” modeled and thoroughly assimilated the habits of western scientists, evidently—and who will be judged by and held accountable for their demonstration of explicit related behaviors in the science classroom. I propose that science teaching, to include argumentation, should consist of “listening carefully” (radical listening) to students and valuing their language, culture, and learning as a model for “science for all”.

Cricopharyngeal Dysphagia: An Evidence‐Based Approach to Diagnosis and Management

Program Description: For the past decade, the management of a cricopharyngeal dysphagia including a Zenker’s Diverticulum has predominantly been endoscopic. Recent literature has suggested that long-term outcomes may not be as successful with the endoscopic technique as once believed. The purpose of this miniseminar is to thoroughly review the literature on this topic and present the most up to date, evidence-based court room style debate on this topic. This 90-min miniseminar will review: 1) the normal anatomy of the cricopharyngeus and the upper esophagus. 2) Methods of assessing this area, ie, radiographic, endoscopic, manometry, pH probe. 3) Medical management and its role in this disease process. 4) Surgical techniques: Open techniques: Diverticulectomy with stapled or hand-sewn closure, diverticuloplasty, +/- cricopharyngeal myotomy. Closed (endoscopic) technique: diverticulotomy utilizing stapled, laser, bovie. 5) What is the appropriate management of the patient with a When to botox? When to dilate? What are the long-term results of this management? This miniseminar will be interactive. At numerous times during the discussion questions will be asked of the audience to keep them involved and entertained. The open vs closed surgical debate will be a court-room style debate with the Moderator acting as the judge or arbitrator. Each presenter will have 8 mins to define their side of the argument and to present the data. Four minutes will be allowed for cross examination or rebuttal, 2 mins for the closing argument if needed. The audience will give the verdict at the end. A series of questions will be asked of the jury (audience) at the end. Events/Schedule: Normal anatomy of the cricopharyngeus and its assessment: 10 min (Robert Stachler, MD). Medical and surgical management of cricopharyngeal dysfunction: 20 min (Milan Amin, MD). Introduction of the debate of surgical management: 7 mins (Milan Amin, MD). Presiding Arbitrator: Robert J. Stachler, MD. Courtroom: 30 mins total. Pro-open diverticulectomy: Al Meroti, MD; Pro-endoscopic diverticulectomy: Phil Song, MD, Ramon Franco, MD. Questions and Answers (Case presentation if time allows): 20 mins. Miniseminar Evaluation for the Audience: This should be an interactive presentation with questions for the audience to answer and an opportunity for the audience to give a verdict on which technique seems to have the best evidence. This is not a question of right or wrong. It is a question of best evidence. The jury will be prompted on this very point. Decisions are rendered based on the best evidence only. Educational Objectives: 1) Appreciate the newest techniques available to manage cricopharyngeal dysphagia. 2) Evaluate and treat cricopharyngeal dysphagia. 3) Become facile with the medical management currently available to treat CP dysphagia.

Adjustment and Integration: The Scottish Representation in the British House of Commons, 1707–14*

The small minority of Scots who entered the house of commons in 1707 were slow to make their mark. Besides lack of numbers, they suffered several significant disadvantages. The Westminster scene was strange, and the style and tone of debate more vigorous and informal. Moreover, the aristocracy had dominated the unicameral Scottish parliament, and commoners found it difficult to emancipate themselves from noble tutelage. Most importantly, Scottish politics did not yet reflect the two‐party system dominant in England. Thus in the first sessions the Scots were unable to make headway in the essential business of parliament, legislation. Scotland suffered in comparison with the English provinces, and even the Irish, who were able to muster a more effective lobby. Soon, however, a new generation of debaters appeared, able to use their wit to discomfit English antagonists, and a new class of ‘men of business’ who grasped the rules of the legislative game. The fortuitous deaths of leading magnates and the polarisation of sectarian antagonisms in Scotland permitted the coalescence of the Scottish representation into two broad factions allied with the English parties. It was with English tory support that bills were passed to benefit the sectional concerns of Scottish episcopalians, accompanied by other measures of a more general nature. The combined attempt by Scottish peers and MPs in 1713 to secure the repeal of the union does not point to a lasting breakdown in Anglo‐Scottish relations, since it was also a manifestation of political opportunism by English whigs and discontented tories, and their Scottish allies. But the dawn of a party system in Scotland was dispelled by the death of Queen Anne and the ensuing jacobite rebellion. The complicity of tories in the Fifteen resulted in the destruction of the party in Scotland, and the construction of a whig hegemony.

The Politics of Place: citing and re-siting the Palazzo Littorio, Mussolini's New Fascist Party Headquarters in Rome

In 1934 and in 1937, two rounds of a major architectural competition were held for the Palazzo Littorio, the new Fascist Party Headquarters in Rome to be built in the heart of the ancient city and measuring its architectural worth against the Colosseum itself. Once the second round was announced, foreign and domestic policy shifted towards a more repressive climate and Italy had become an Empire. The processes behind the competitions represent the relationship between architecture and consent, the establishment and development of a ‘Fascist’ style, the Monumentalism versus Rationalism debate and increasing Party influence over artistic expression.

Lost geographers: power games and the circulation of ideas within Francophone political geographies

This paper takes a reflexive look at the production of scientific discourses by exploring the context and practice of political geography within the Francophone world. This article builds on the idea that the fundamental difference between Anglo and Francophone geographies relates to how theoretical writings and texts circulate, rather than to fundamental differences of content or topic. It examines how certain texts, ideas and thinkers have circulated, suggesting in particular that it is timely to reconsider Claude Raffestin's contributions on power, territory and territoriality. It argues that his critical theoretical framework, inspired by a number of authors including Michel Foucault, Henri Lefebvre and Luis Prieto, has been overlooked by Francophone and Anglo geographers for a number of institutional, conceptual and personal factors. By focusing on institutional structure, the nature of the academy and styles of debate in the Francophone world, and in confronting Claude Raffestin to both John Allen and Yves Lacoste's geographies of power, this paper questions the divide between these two academic traditions.

Writing and Presenting Research (review)

Reviewed by Justus J. Randolph Angela Thody. Writing and Presenting Research. London: Sage Publications, 2006. Pp. xvi, 264. Paper: ISBN-13 978-1-4129-0293-9, UK£19.99. Writing and Presenting Research is unconventional as far as academic writing books go – it puts more emphasis on alternative styles of writing and presenting research than on conventional styles. In fact, it might have been more appropriately titled Alternative Ways of Writing and Presenting Research. As a stand-alone course book for students who are planning to write a conventional thesis or dissertation, there are probably better alternatives than Writing and Presenting Research. However, for those brave few planning to write their thesis or dissertation in an alternative style, Angela Thody's book will prove a good source of motivation and information. Writing and Presenting Research serves many purposes. It is a step-by-step guide for writing and presenting research. It spurs debate about the use of conventional and alternative styles. And it provides readers with plenty of wisdom about the writing process. The book is meant primarily for researchers in the social and health sciences, the arts, and the humanities, but is also relevant for researchers in the natural and applied sciences and in law. According to Thody, 'it covers research written as theses and dissertations, chapters, books, reports, and articles in academic, professional or general media such as newspapers. It reviews the options for presenting research orally as lectures, keynotes, conference papers and even TV games shows' (3). It is not entirely clear, however, for what level of writer the book is intended. The author mixes advice for beginning writers, such as when it is appropriate to make a hard copy of one's text, with advice for professional writers, such as 'visit bookshops to see if they stock your book. If not, ask for it' (33). [End Page 174] As in most academic writing books, the book's sections parallel the steps in the writing process. In the first section, 'Preparation,' Thody discusses the debates about conventional and alternative writing styles, how to choose between styles, and how to adapt one's writing to a specific audience. This section ends with a discussion of the art and craft of writing, including tone, style, and the writing process. The second section, 'Selection and Reduction,' is devoted to the reduction of data and the writing of narrative-type literature reviews. The third, 'Production,' deals with the presentation of quantitative, qualitative, and narrative data. It also discusses the writing of beginnings, endings, and citations. The fourth section, 'Publication,' handles strategies for getting published, how to be an entertaining presenter, and how to not infringe copyright. The final section consists of an epilogue and appendices. Throughout the book, Thody's method of operation is to compare and contrast conventional and alternative styles of writing. The text is dotted with poems, lists, imperatives in oversized fonts, and reflections, all quilted together with dry, conventional prose passages that serve as functional counterpoint to the alternative styles. The result is an entertaining, but somewhat schizophrenic, introduction to the variety of styles for reporting research. A good example of Thody's use of contrast can be found in the section that presents the arguments of the style debate in both poetic and textbook formats. First, she presents the arguments in a poem called Conference Debate, reproduced below: Conference Debate It's like listening to poetry, He said. I go to a conference to hear the poetry of the paper; The paper is like poetry read by the real, actual writer, Word for word, Like all papers, He said. I learn later from reading the paper; But not at the conference. There you only go to hear researchers as poets. [End Page 175] You hear them interpreting their own poetry or words, Their nuances, their cadences, their enthusiasm. They do not need to explain them to YOU. It is enough to be close to academic celebrities, he said. It should be teaching, She...

Derridada

Acknowledging that deconstruction had failed to catch on as a research method among management scholars, Weitzner argues for reconsidering Derrida's potential contributions to management scholarship—this time as an ethicist, whose core idea is that the hallmark of an ethical decision is that it is not amenable to rational decision processes. Illustrating the Derridean style of academic debate, he responds to criticisms of Derrida's ethical position as amoral by noting Derrida's declaration that such critics were not serious and by declaring that “in fact” their critique is incorrect. His demonstration of the value of Derrida's views consists of the contention that they are not inconsistent with some existing perspectives. This article argues that the Derridean view errs in portraying ethical decisions as necessarily noninstrumental and nonrational and contrasts it with Weber's view that noninstrumental action may nevertheless be rational. The very divergent practical implications of these opposing perspectives are examined.

Business and research forms of debate: argumentation and dissent as barriers to the commercialisation of innovations in hybrid industry-research organisations

Commercialisation activities combining the discoveries of one occupational group, such as scientists, with the commercial skills of managers involve interactions across occupational cultures. This article considers how dissent can be interpreted as a sign of dysfunction or cause for concern. The context of the study is Australian hybrid industry-research organisations composed of academic, government and industry personnel. Semi-structured interviews of a total of 20 scientists, engineers and managers focused on their experiences and perceptions of occupational culture, including styles of debate, and the potential of assumptions and norms to facilitate or obstruct commercialisation. Distinctive patterns of argumentation were identified as typical of commercial and research occupations. In addition, the interviewees confirmed that occupational forms of argumentation could influence the outcomes of commercialisation.

The future of institutional repositories: The experts (and audience) debate

Abstract“Every university in the world can and should have its own open‐access, OAI‐compliant repository…” Suber 2006Panel goals: Panel members, each of whom brings different expert knowledge about institutional repositories (IR), will take turns answering a set of provocative questions about the future of IR and challenges inherent in ongoing management of IR. Panelists will also be given an opportunity to respond to each others' comments and audience members will also contribute questions to the discussion. The debate style format will give audience members a rich understanding of the challenges related to IRThe IR experts on this panel will debate the future of IR in academic institutions globally. Specific questions the moderator will pose to the panelists may include the following: How will IRs come to vary across in 10 years in terms of presence or absence, but also in terms of the types of materials collected? (e.g., preprints versus local digital collections)? What will the relationship between university libraries and disciplinary IRs be in 10 years? What will be the relationship between IR and scholarly societies, especially those which publish journals? Under what circumstances will consortial or outsourced efforts become popular? Under what circumstances should we expect increases in deposit activity among researchers and faculty? Under what circumstances will IRs change the status of developing nation scholars and the typical flows of scholarly communications? How would our investments in IR be assessed? From an economic/financial perspective? From a status perspective? From the promotion and tenure perspective? From an open access perspective? How will IR be funded in the long term? Questions from the audience will be welcomed.

The State on Display: The 1924 Tailteann Art Competition

The Irish Free State that was brought into existence in 1922 was not the state that had been dreamt of by the insurgents of 1916, nor the state imagined by those that had fought in the Anglo-Irish War. The new state was partitioned, and many of those who remained true to the idea of the republic sought to challenge the Treaty settlement through force of arms in a bitter and bloody civil war. Even after the truce of 1923, the Cumann na nGaedheal government was continually challenged by its anti-Treaty opponents both outside, and after 1927, from inside, the Dáil. The decade of Cumann na nGaedheal government from 1922 is a remarkable period. Faced by an intransigent opposition which, at times, remained committed to violence, the government had to set about the task of rebuilding the state and much of its infrastructure, while also seeking to make the wider world aware of the existence of a newly independent Ireland. Given the challenges that the government faced, it achieved much, and it is a testimony to the success of its state-building activities that power was, in due course, peacefully transferred to Fianna Fáil after its victory in the 1932 election. A specific state-sponsored spectacle was undertaken by the government in the 1920s—the games and competitions of Aonach Tailteann, and in particular, its art competition of 1924.1 The art competitions shed new light on our understanding of the Irish Free State in the years immediately after independence. Such cultural schemes, events, spectacles and symbols as the Aonach Tailteann and its art competition were attempts by the government to create a feeling of consensus in the Irish population and to encourage an identification with the new state. The Cumann [End Page 50] na nGaedheal government used a variety of functions, the art competitions among them, to deflect public criticism of the poor state of the Irish economy, the problems associated with the Treaty settlement, and the slow pace of rebuilding the infrastructure after years of conflict. The government developed and supported a range of broadly defined cultural schemes, events, spectacles, and symbols to impart enthusiasm for the newly independent Ireland, no matter how imperfectly it had been formed. The competitions shed light on the state of Irish art in the wake of the period of revolution, and they demonstrate which forms of artistic representation were being favored in the context of state building. More generally, the staging of an art competition within Aonach Tailteann represents an attempt by the state to present an image of itself for domestic and international consumption that embraced positive aspects of the Irish tradition for creativity, rather than the negative and destructive imagery of war and death. The staging of the art competitions is also instructive in showing how far the artists of the Free State had progressed in the creation of an Irish national style—a question that had dominated artistic debate in Ireland in the years prior to the First World War. The national style debate was important in the context of a broader understanding of an Irish culture that had been promoted during the cultural revival, aspects of which would be employed by the state in the 1920s in an attempt to create a clear identity for the new state that was Irish, rather than British. The Aonach Tailteann art competition demonstrates not only how the government used public events to assist the project of nation building, but also how the meanings attached to such events by the press and other observers provided art with an ideological purpose around the question of a national style. The Cumann na nGaedheal government committed itself, and a proportion of its scarce fiscal resources, to the staging of a whole series of initiatives that attempted to encapsulate and symbolize the creation of the nation. These events were projected to a domestic and international audience. At home, the aim was to...

Sony Online Entertainment: EverQuest® or EverCrack? Oxford Style Debate Presented at Tenth Annual International Conference Promoting Business Ethics

Part C of this three part series is the presentation from the Oxford style debate held at the Tenth Annual International Conference Promoting Business Ethics between Laura Hartman, J.D., and Dr. Moses Pava on topics related to the EverQuest® v. EverCrack case (Part B). In a traditional Oxford style debate, two debaters take opposing viewpoints and the third debater argues the neutral position. At the Conference, the modified format featured the two debaters presenting diametrically opposing views – corporate responsibility versus personal responsibility. This modified format was also used during the Ethics Awareness Week (Part A), with University professors presenting the debate before the student body. Ms. Hartman’s position focused on the personal responsibility by Mr Woolley while Dr. Pava opined that Sony Online Entertainment had corporate responsibility toward Mr. Woolley and all other individuals similarly situated.

Against Preemption: How Federalism Can Improve the National Legislative Process

How easily should courts infer that federal statutes preempt state law? An ongoing debate exists on the question in Congress and among scholars and judges. One side calls for judges to protect federalism by adopting a rule of statutory construction that would bar preemption absent a of preemptive intent. Opponents argue against such a clear statement rule by arguing that state control over preemptable topics is often presumptively inefficient, because common-law juries lack expertise and because states are prone to imposing external costs on their neighbors. This article sidesteps these debates over preemption and instead argues that, quite apart from whether state law is itself efficient, an anti-preemption rule of statutory construction has benefits for the national law-making process. Because of the size and heterogeneity of the population that it governs, Congress has institutional tendencies to avoid politically sensitive issues, deferring them to bureaucratic resolution, and instead concentrating on constituency service. Non-federal politicians can disrupt this tendency to ignore or suppress political controversy, by enacting state laws that regulate business interests, thus provoking those interests to seek federal legislation that will preempt the state legislation. In effect, state politicians place issues on Congress' agenda by enacting state legislation. Because business groups tend to have more consistent incentives to seek preemption than anti-preemption interests have to oppose preemption, controversial regulatory issues are more likely to end up on Congress' agenda if business groups bear the burden of seeking preemption. Moreover, the interests opposing preemption tend to use publicity rather than internal congressional procedures to promote their ends. Therefore, by adopting an anti-preemption rule of construction, the courts would tend to promote a more highly visible, vigorous style of public debate in Congress.

Reply to Marc Gurgand

Marc Gurgand's remarks on our article, Why Go off the RMI Welfare Program?, must be taken seriously. First, his critique is both precise and courteous, an example of a style of scientific debate we would very much like to see more of in our intellectual universe. Second, we consider certain components of the critique justified, though others seem to us weaker. Third, debate that seeks to establish links between disciplines that ignore each other most of the time even though they study the same objects and at times use the same kinds of material is greatly welcome.

Using co-teaching as a means of facilitating interprofessional collaboration in health and social care

In this paper we report the findings of a collaborative enquiry on our experience as tutors co-teaching interprofessional collaboration to a multidisciplinary group of undergraduates. We have different professional/academic backgrounds and the student group included health and social work professionals alongside a number of non-professionals. Our data included our perceptions of the co-teaching experience collected by means of our reflective diaries and reflective conversations during planning and after teaching sessions. We also collected data on student perceptions elicited by means of student evaluations and a student focus group discussion. The data illuminate the process of using co-teaching to role model shared learning and collaborative working within the classroom and highlight the importance of carefully planning co-teaching interaction, including the use of humour, tension, different knowledge bases and styles of debate. The deliberate use of the interactions made possible by co-teaching enabled us to create an active learning environment that facilitated the teaching of collaboration. Drawing on our experience, we discuss the considerable potential of using co-teaching to role model collaborative working for multidisciplinary student groups.