Introduction - WUDC

Students are given a narrow and select topic to discuss which usually attempts to bring a tangible improvement to society. Students must propose advantages supporting the topic as well as advocate for harms inflicted in implementing the proposed motion.

 Students are given a ranking of 1-4 (1 being the highest) depending on how well they argue the topic. Students typically argue through 6 'rounds' or topics over the course of a day and switch sides or positions with each successive round.

The topic for each individual round is usually given 15 minutes before the start of the debate, allowing students an opportunity to jot down some basic ideas and compose a structure for their argumentation.

Students successively provide 7 minute arguments supporting or opposing the topic at hand. Speeches typically begin with 3-4 minutes deconstructing all preceding arguments before advancing to forward one's own arguments.

Speeches are evaluated on structure, organization, persuasiveness, composure, comprehensibility, and informativeness.

Although each student's arguments are evaluated on their own, they must form a mutual compatibility with other speakers siding with their position on the topic. The higher a student is able to incorporate cooperativeness and teamwork into their argumentation, the more successful his/her performance.

At the same time, students must ensure their own argumentation remains unique and distinct advanced by others on his/her team. Arguments which can be attributed to other speakers typically receive little creddit.

Besides defending the merits of one's own positions, debaters are further to engage in depth with arguments advanced by opposition speakers.

Usually this means providing counterclaims or evidence to delegitimize arguments of the other side. Common approaches include citing counterexamples where the opposition's argument is untrue or fallacious. Another approach includes providing evidence that the argument in fact should be better interpreted as more helpful to yourside than theirs.

Strong arguments and refutations are those that incorporate reasonable common sense and easily accessible points of information. General knowledge is always rewarded while overwhelmingly technical or jorgony language interferes with general comprehension of the debate.

A lack of disagreement on specific points you have raised indicates either a lack of comprehension from opposing students or a failure to advance an argument sufficiently deep enough to rebut.

At the close of the debate, speakers are assigned an individual score between 70-80 corresponding to the overall quality of his/her performance.

At the close of a competition, these scores are tallied and summed up for all speakers and rewards are given on the basis of score accumulation and of team performance.

Understanding The Worlds Universities Debate Format (Simon Quinn, 2005)