Syllabus for Fall 2011

SPCH 171: ADVANCED DEBATE

Alfred C. Snider, Instructor

4:05-7:05 PM Wednesdays

SCOPE OF THE COURSE

This course is designed for students who are interested in advanced competitive academic debate in the WUDC format. This course is designed to give these students opportunities to advance their debating skills by competing against other college debaters. Students will work on their speaking, critical reasoning, and argumentation skills. The class serves as an intense laboratory for debating skills that can then be deployed in different settings and throughout life.

ASSIGNMENTS

Each student will complete the following assignments:

1. Attend class instruction sessions and engage in exercises and curricular activities. Students will have readings and should view videotaped materials.

2. Students will give 2 short oral presentations in class. 20% of grade.

3. Compete in a debate each week or at least ten times. 60% of grade.

4. Students will complete a journal week by week during the semester. 20% of grade.

CLASS PROCEDURES

The debating will take place in our classroom or in other arranged spaces.

After training sessions and/or debates the instructor will meet with individual students or as teams to chart their progress and evaluate their performance in debate rounds.

Students will use the extensive instructional materials available at http://debate.uvm.edu/learndebate.html ; including videos at http://debate.uvm.edu/wudcvideo.htmland audio files at http://debate.uvm.edu/low.html

EVALUATION

Students will be evaluated on the basis of earned points only. There will be no extra credit work available. Each assignment has a basic point value (adding up to 100) of which students will be awarded a portion based on the quality of their work. Students should be aware of the University policies on academic honesty.

OUTSIDE OF CLASS

Students should feel free to meet with the instructor during office hours or at times that can be mutually agreed on. Feel free to ask for explanations of assignments, class material, grading, or anything else that might be of interest. The instructor's goal is to develop a friendly working relationship with each student in this class.

CONCLUSION

This is a tentative syllabus and may be revised. A schedule will be provided.