You want to engage your audience and let them exchange opinions, arguments and facts? Check out this collection of formats and choose which one suits your event best! At the bottom of the page you can find additional information, in case you want to organise one of these.
In panel discussion a few speakers are sitting at the front of the room, talking or discussing with each other. Usually they first introduce themselves (or get introduced by the moderator) and give an initial statement. In a second round, the moderator asks a few questions, giving one or multiple speakers the chance to reply. At the end, the audience can ask questions. However, this can also be adapted of course!
Especially to inform about a certain topic it can be interesting to have experts giving their opinion. However, it may also be boring for participants. Try slido to make it more interactive!
A fishbowl discussion is good to generate interaction between participants and let them discuss a specific question. For this, there should be two circle of chairs, where the inner one has less chairs than the outer one. Only the people in the inner circle are allowed to speak, the outside listens. If a person from the outer circle wants to speak, she/he has to get up and ask one person from the inner circle to exchange places. Good discussion questions are open questions (Why?, How? What if?…) which could also bring a concrete outcome like a list of ideas or recommendations that can be put into practise.
Your audience can be very active in this format, especially if the group is not too big. For bigger groups you might use online tools like slido (check out our detailed description below). For it to work properly, enough people from the audience have to be willing to participate actively. If you want the speakers to give expert’s input, a panel discussion or a speech at the beginning may be a better format. However, if you just want to discuss an issue with your audience and come up with possible solutions, this is perfect!
“Oxford-Style” debating is a competitive debate format featuring a sharply framed motion that is proposed by one side (pro) and opposed by another (con). Oxford Style debates follow a formal structure, defining the order of speakers, the time for the speech and what kind of questions can be asked by the audience. The winner is deduced by the votes of the audience: they vote before and after the debate on the motion. A winner is declared either by the majority of the audience or by which team has swayed more audience members.
Speakers can be students brave enough to speak in front of an audience, or invited speakers who are experts on the topic. The speakers need to be willing to prepare the topic beforehand. However, this style requires less preparation and also judging work than the British Parliamentary debate.
Through the debate, in depths arguments for the discussed proposal will be presented, so the audience can get a broad view on the topic. Also the speakers in the debate can learn a lot: from critical thinking to argumentation skills. There is involvement of the audience who can ask questions to the speakers.
A Parliamentary debate is conducted under rules derived from British parliamentary procedure. A concrete proposal is discussed (“should xxx be established?”). The debate consists of four teams with two speakers each, called factions, with two teams on either side of the case. There are certain criteria to fulfill for the team. In the end there is a winning team.
Throughout the debate in depths arguments for discussed proposal will be presented, so the audience can get a broad view on the topic. Also the participants in the debate can learn a lot: from critical thinking to argumentation skills.
This style of debate requires many motivated participants who prepare themselves for the topic. Speakers can be students brave enough to speak in front of an audience, or invited speakers who are experts on the topic. Also, if you want to do it in competitive format, judges are needed. So, it is more effort to prepare and carry it out than other formats. Also it is a very strict format which not everyone may like.
"In June, over 8000 young people travelled to Straßburg to participate in the European Youth Event 2018. Y Vote was there too! We held a fishbowl discussion about the interaction with young Europeans and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)."Read more
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It would be great if you would let us know you downloaded the file, so we can follow-up on the results of the local actions!
It would be great if you would let us know you downloaded the file, so we can follow-up on the results of the local actions!
It would be great if you would let us know you downloaded the file, so we can follow-up on the results of the local actions!
It would be great if you would let us know you downloaded the file, so we can follow-up on the results of the local actions!