Many instructors and textbooks encourage the use of debate and critical thinking in the classroom by creating artificial public space in which students then act out engagements. The tools gained from such activities do encourage better thinking and speaking, but they do not adequately prepare students for "real" situations when they must…

The two articles in this publication focus on ways of teaching argumentation and debate in the college setting. The first article examines the place of the argumentation and debate course in the speech communication curriculum and suggests cognitive and behavioral objectives and assignments for use in such a course. The second article discusses…