FAQ for Panel Discussions

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE COURSE OUTLINE SECTION ON THE PANEL

DISCUSSIONS WHICH HAS A LOT OF USEFUL DETAILS.

QUESTION ANSWER
What is a panel discussion? It is a type of presentation format, where panelists come together
to present on, and discuss an issue in front of an audience. The
panelists usually offer different perspectives or sides of the issue.

For CC0003, you will have a team version of this. One group of
panelists (3-4 students) will make up red team and another group
of panelists (3-4 students) will make up blue team. Each team will
be given one side/perspective of an issue that they need to
present on in front of the class.

How will it be conducted? You will be given the names of your team mates and topic as well
as which side you need to present on 2 weeks before your panel
session.

 Two teams of students (Red and Blue) will present on a topic

set in advance by the instructor.
 Each team will have 3–4 members.
 The panel will be held during class.
 The total duration of the presentations by the teams will be
about 30 minutes. 15 minutes per team.
 Every student participating in the presentation is expected to
speak for a roughly equal amount of time.
 During this presentation, each team should share the same
line of argument overall to support their side of the panel
discussion.
 Following the presentations, the class (audience) will present
their own replies to the teams. These can either be objections
or helpful elaborations. The teams will respond to the replies
accordingly. This will be moderated by the instructor. This part
of the activity will NOT be graded.

What must my team do to  Arrange to meet up with your team.

prepare?
 Choose your roles. Each team are to distribute the following
presentation roles among themselves (but each role must
have at least one member assigned):

R Present the overall argument,

R Present further supporting reasons for each
premise of the overall argument,
R Present replies to anticipated objections to
the overall argument. These are objections/
counter-arguments that you and your team
might predict that people who oppose your
views/perspectives might have.

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  If you have 4 students in your team, you might decide that
Role A, B or C will be shared by 2 people.

 Set clear expectations as a group about meetings, tasks and

deadlines.

 Decide how you will communicate as a team. Will you do

face-to-face meetings or online meetings? Will you discuss via
telegram, teams, whatsapp?

 Contribute with genuine interest and care to your group

discussions and preparations.

 Keep a record of your own contributions.

 Seek your instructor’s advice early if you need it.

 Write your panel speech and prepare your slides.

 Practice your speech.

What are the steps for
preparing our presentation
content?
 Define the motion. This means deciding what the key words of
the motion mean for the purposes of the discussion.
 Think of some reasons why your position is a strong one.
These reasons will form the basis of your arguments. 1

 You should also think about what those who have opposing
perspectives to yours might argue, or what fault they may find
with your arguments/your team’s arguments. And then you
should point these out and explain why these faults are not
valid, relevant or a cause for concern.

 Divide your arguments between the speakers according to the

designated roles.

 Prepare your slides.

 Practice your speech on your own and practice together as a

panel team.
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An argument is a well-defined point supporting your side of the panel discussion.
It is a reason or justification for why your team’s case is a strong one. An argument is not the same
thing as an example.
Arguments for a panel presentation are pretty much structured the same way as arguments in an essay.
You need a main idea or central point, evidence to support that point, and analysis to tie it all together.
You also need to explain why your argument is important or relevant, and how the argument you
presented proves your case as you originally defined or set it out.

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What are the benefits of a
panel discussion?
What do I need to do to
avoid academic dishonesty?
I’m an audience member,
what do I need to prepare?
What if I fall sick on the day
of the panel?
What is the peer review
component?
What if I don’t agree with
the peer review my
teammates gave me?
 It encouraged productive learning relationships among
students.
 It gives students the opportunity to practice working in teams
on a project, which involves real-life skills of managing
deadlines and navigating different group dynamics .
 It allows students to reflect and think critically when listening
to different viewpoints.
 It offers an opportunity for students to experience authentic
real life, panel-based activities, which are an increasingly
common and contemporary way of conducting professional
development.
Do not plagiarise – cite everything that you take from other
sources
Do not collude – working with the opposite team, sharing your
materials with other teams or other classes
You will gain class participation marks by sharing your well-
thought through, substantiated and relevant views on the
presentations or by asking the panelists questions. In order to do
this, read through the panel topic and think about your own views
on it, come up with some of your own interesting or thought-
provoking questions to share with the panelists and the class.
Please let your team and instructor know that you are unwell. If
you are able to present via zoom, you may ask your team to
“zoom” you in to give your part of the presentation. If you are too
unwell to present on your designated day, your instructor may
suggest other alternatives, so please ensure you inform your
instructor as soon as possible.
Your grade on the team panel discussion project will depend in
part on your teammates’ assessments of your teamwork and
contributions. Please check the course outline for more important
details and assessment rubrics. All members of the team must
complete the peer review in order to get the panel grades.
If you have any concern with any of the qualitative comments that
you receive from other members in your team, please
immediately consult your course instructor upon receiving the
qualitative comments. It is useful to keep a record of your
contributions in case of any disputes. Please note that the
teaching team reserves the right to adjust students’ final team
assignment marks based on additional considerations including
gathered information, certified special education needs (SEN), and
medical diagnosis.
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