JALT2025 - Tokyo

Group Debate as a Collaborative Learning Tool

Nov 2, 2025, 12:35 PM

30m

National Olympics Memorial Youth Center / 国立オリンピック記念青少年総合センター

Practice-oriented Workshop (30-minutes) Language Classroom Content Room 412

Speaker

Ms Brianna Cosenza (Nagoya University of Foreign Studies)

Description

Collaborative learning is described as two or more students working together and sharing the workload equally to achieve a learning goal (Barkley, Major, & Cross, 2014). Group debate is an excellent way to introduce collaboration. This presentation will explain the implementation of group debates in university English classes during a unit about immigration. A focus on dividing debate work into assigned roles will be presented, as well as student feedback and comments.

Summary

Collaborative learning is often described as two or more students working together and sharing the workload equally to achieve a learning goal (Barkley, Major, & Cross, 2014). Group debate is an excellent way to introduce a collaborative environment. This presentation will explain the implementation of group debates in two second-year university English classes during a unit about immigration, with the proposition that “Japan should accept more immigrants.” Student feedback and comments will also be presented.