Best Practices of Online Debate

by Alexandra Smith

The forensics world forever changed when the coronavirus pandemic forced us all to stay in our homes. As social distancing mandates went into effect by states and schools, tournaments were forced to reformat in order to remain accessible. The result? Two forms of each competitive category: virtual and in-person.

When I started debating, we weren’t allowed to use the internet in the round. Nowadays entire tournaments are hosted virtually. As the country reopens, forensics competitors surely need a reintroduction to the standard practices of in-person forensics. And while we’re at it, why not highlight the best practices of virtual debate?

While many of the tips and tricks apply most specifically to Congressional Debate, they can be cross-applied to other debate and speech categories.

Best Practices of Online Debate:

1. Technology

The barrier dividing those able and unable to attend tournaments due to high associated costs have fallen dramatically in the last few seasons. Without building fees, transportation, boarding costs, and the five-dollar pizza in the cafeteria, tournaments have lowered their registration fees and found more participants.

But competing from home only works when you can be seen and heard clearly by all those in your chamber. To achieve this, try to do a few key things:

First, be sure to check your internet connection prior to the tournament. If you can, try a test chamber. You may need to move closer to the internet router in your home, but be sure that wherever you end up is quiet and free from distractions!

Next, position yourself squarely in front of the camera. You want your full face to be in the frame, but not your whole body. A good rule of thumb is to include an inch or two above your head and below your collar bone. Also, be sure that the lighting is bright enough to show all of your features, but not so bright that they are washed out.

Finally, check to make sure you are clearly audible. If the microphone on your computer picks up too much background noise, muffles your voice, or is unreliable, consider using a pair of headphones, Bluetooth earbuds, or a standing desk microphone.

A great way to test your audio and video is to take a recording of yourself where you plan to compete. Can you hear every word clearly? See every expression? If not, something needs to change!

2. Reading Off the Screen vs. Speaking Extemporaneously

Okay, so now that your computer is set, your lighting has been perfected, and the audio is crisp... how should you present that case? Realistically you have two options.

Reading a pre-written case from your computer has definitely gained popularity, but isn’t the most sustainable option for those looking to advance in competitions. While having that case written out word for word certainly allows you to time your speech beforehand, plan jokes, and feel more prepared, reading from the screen can decrease the expression and passion within your tone. Additionally, changing a speech in the round (possibly because a point you planned to run was already presented in the cycle) is much more difficult if you are not able to speak off the cuff. If you choose to type out each case word for word and then read it, be sure to practice the speech enough times to have small chunks memorized. This allows you to look up at the camera to connect with the audience and prevents monotone delivery.

Speaking extemporaneously from an outline can be a challenge, especially for those with less experience in forensics. However, speaking from a legal pad or document that has only bullet points allows you to connect more effectively with the audience and alter your speech to fit the round. Use your hands for effective gestures, your face to convey emotion, and tone/pace changes to keep the listener engaged. But be careful! Do not make up claims or cards mid-speech without knowing that the information is true and accessible!

1. Staying Clear of Spreading
   Spreading has become more and more popular as debaters try to include an

   array of contentions and cards within their speech, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that everything you say is understood by your judges or competitors. This is especially true with online debate – if you cut out, have a muffled microphone, or are being received by a judge/competitor with any technical difficulties of their own, you may be docked points on content or speed. Instead, slow your speaking pace to something more conversational and structure your points to be efficient. If you can say your claim, warrant, data, impact, and analysis in 200 words, why use 250?

   Slimming down your points not only increases the retention of your audience but also allows you to include more tone and speed variation. Use the inflection of your voice coupled with effective rhetoric to nail home your points, don’t just overwhelm the competition with a million words per minute.

2. Presiding
   Presiding may have undergone the most dramatic change when debate was

   reformatted. As the online seasons progressed, a few best practices were established; try to keep to these as you preside online.

   Precedence and Recency sheets are commonly kept on a Google Sheet accessible to all those in the round, competitors and judges alike. With the added benefit of full transparency with the selection of speakers and questioners, this online sheet is a place for POs to show their experience and personalization of the round. Many presiding officers have a blank template with spaces to fill in names for speaking and questioning, the order of the legislation, and the final votes on completed legislation. More advanced

POs commonly have a second page with best practices and parliamentary procedures including amendment forms, tournament policies, and the docket.

As the PO no longer sits facing the chamber and behind the speaker (as if common in in-person debate), audio cues as time elapses are unnecessary and distracting. Instead of using gavel taps to indicate that time has elapsed, presiding officers instead held up 2:00, 2:30, and 2:55 cards for all on the call to see. Hand signals, typically a ten-second/ten-finger countdown, were used to indicate the completion of the grace period. While tournament rules usually specify that grace extends just ten seconds past a speech (and does not exist for questioning blocks), online POs typically add another second or two as common courtesy in case there is a lagging connection between the speaker and the chamber.

In-Person Standard Practices:

1. Being An Effective Speaker
   Now that the members of the chamber have returned to the floor to

   debate (and can no longer be muted), a review of the most effective practices can only be to your benefit.

   First, stand and walk confidently. A confident posture and clear speaking only go to reinforce your credibility and ethos. When being recognized by the presiding officer to take the floor for a speech, bring your placard to the front of the room (as well as your legal pad/speech). Place the placard on the presiding officer’s desk behind you. If the tournament allows you to remove your mask for the speech, now is the time to do so.

   Clearly state your name (Representative/Senator ____) and side of the debate. Then state something along the lines of “I will begin when my PO, parliamentarian, and judges are ready.” This courtesy ensures that you will not begin without their attention, and gives their brains a moment to rest before you wow them with your speech.

   As you come to each contention of your speech, it is effective to walk to your points. This means that you should physically walk 3-5 steps during the transition from one point to the next in order to show that you are - literally - moving on. Not only is this an effective organization method, but it helps the judges and competitors separate your points on the flow. If they look up and see that you have moved while flowing your point, they know that you have moved on to the next contention of the speech.

2. Answering Questioning Periods
   When taking questions on the floor, squarely face the person asking you

   the question. If possible, take one or two steps in their direction. Allow them to ask the full question, then respond efficiently.

   If the session is using traditional questioning (also called popcorn questions), try to keep your answer relatively short. If the questioner brings new information into the round, remind them not to preface. This can be done by

calling a point of order, or by stating “prefacing” before deferring to the presiding officer.

If the session is using direct questioning blocks, allow the questioner to ramble and fill up time. The longer and less efficient their question is, the less time they have to trap you or break a point.

3. Presiding

Now that chambers and competitors gather once again in person, presiding must adapt. Tournaments have largely returned to the default seating arrangement (a desk with the parliamentarian and the presiding officer behind the floor, facing both the members of the chamber and the judges). This means that visual cue cards can no longer be used. Instead, be sure to bring a gavel to provide audio cues that the speaker or questioner’s time has elapsed.

During speeches, tap your gavel once at 2:00, twice at 2:30, and three times at 2:55. When the speaker has reached three minutes, stand. When the speaker reaches 3:05, begin to gavel them down until they are inaudible at 3:10. At this point, cut them off. If a tournament has different rules for the extension of grace, follow the same procedure (gaveling them down in the last five seconds).

For traditional questioning, call the last names of the questioners that you wish to recognize one at a time. If a question or answer is getting too long (usually over 12 seconds), gently tap the back of your gavel on the desk to remind the speaker to conclude.

For direct questioning, clearly state the last name of the questioner with the next block of time. Tap the gavel’s head once at twenty seconds, then point the back of the gavel to the next questioner you wish to recognize (the person with the highest precedence and recency). When thirty seconds have elapsed, tap the gavel twice and clearly call on the next questioner – this should be the same person you previously pointed the end of the gavel toward.

Whenever you address the chamber – whether it is for recognition of a speaker, communication during a recess, or walking through a complicated procedure – stand. If you are speaking, you should be standing. If you need to cut off a speaker or questioner for offensive language, a content trigger, or prefacing within a question, stand to address them as well.

As forensic tournaments return to their in-person formats, be sure to use these best practices to communicate effectively and score well within your rounds. But be aware, now that online debate is established and has run smoothly, it isn’t likely to go away. Accessibility to forensic opportunities can always be found on the National Online Forensics website, so keep an eye out for upcoming tournaments and additional tips to help you perform!