Introducing LumiTalk Debate Open: Empowering Teachers to Transform Debate Education in Hong Kong! Are you a school teacher looking to revolutionize the way your students learn and compete in the world of debate? Look no further than LumiTalk Debate Open, a groundbreaking platform designed to empower teachers and students alike with innovative tools and resources for a dynamic debating experience.

Dual-Platform Experience: LumiTalk Debate Open offers a unique dual-platform experience that combines a Learning Center and a Competition Center. Engage your students in the Learning Center to master the fundamentals of argument building, enhance their rebuttal skills, and receive expert tips for sparring and tournament success. Then, watch them shine in the Competition Center as they put their skills to the test in thrilling team debates that will challenge and inspire them to excel.

Engaging Content: Say goodbye to traditional teaching methods and hello to interactive learning modules! LumiTalk Debate Open provides engaging videos, quizzes, and practical exercises that will captivate your students and make learning fun and effective. Whether your students are beginners looking to build a strong foundation or advanced debaters aiming for the top, they'll find valuable resources to develop their skills and knowledge in a dynamic and engaging way.

Thrilling Competitions: Bring the excitement of competitive debate into your classroom! With structured event timings and formats, LumiTalk Debate Open offers sparring sessions and team debates that will push your students to their limits and foster a spirit of healthy competition. Plus, with international judges providing feedback and scoring, your students will receive valuable insights to help them grow and improve their debating skills with each round.

The landscape of debate education in Hong Kong is evolving, and LumiTalk Debate Open is at the forefront of this transformation. In a context where traditional schools often view English debate as daunting and accessible only to the top elite students proficient in English, LumiTalk Debate Open is breaking down barriers and making debating fun and engaging for all students. With a focus on providing a structured form of debate curriculum that guides students from the basics to advanced techniques, LumiTalk is revolutionizing the way debate is approached in Hong Kong.

One of the key challenges in the Hong Kong debating scene has been the lack of comprehensive guidance and structured education in the art of debating. LumiTalk Debate Open addresses this gap by offering a platform that caters to both novice debaters looking to build a strong foundation and experienced debaters seeking advanced skills and knowledge. By providing engaging content, interactive learning modules, and thrilling competitions, LumiTalk ensures that students of all levels can develop their debating skills in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Furthermore, with the rapid development of AI technology, the integration of AI into education is becoming increasingly relevant. LumiTalk Debate Open recognizes the immense potential that AI offers the debating scene and is committed to exploring the endless possibilities it presents. By leveraging AI tools for argument building, rebuttal creation, and scoring, LumiTalk aims to provide students with the highest quality education possible and keep up with the latest AI developments to enhance the debating experience.

In addition, LumiTalk Debate Open seeks to address the challenges faced by teachers and students in debate competitions in Hong Kong. From the unbalanced focus on style over substance to the lack of opportunities for impromptu rebuttal training, LumiTalk is dedicated to equipping students with the skills they need to excel in debates. By emphasizing critical thinking, effective communication, and nuanced argumentation, LumiTalk aims to foster a new generation of debaters who can engage with complex issues thoughtfully and persuasively.

Join us on this exciting journey to revolutionize debate education in Hong Kong. With LumiTalk Debate Open, the possibilities are endless, and the future of debating is brighter than ever before. Embrace the power of AI, unlock your students’ potential, and elevate their debating skills to new heights with LumiTalk Debate Open!

LTDO Debate Format -- Simplified World Schools Format

Format and Schedule:

•           Competition Structure:

◦           Organized as team debates: 3 vs. 3 format.

◦           Pilot trial includes a total cap of 8 rooms accommodating 48 students.

◦           Engagement of 12 judges from international locations for scoring and feedback.

Competition Details:

◦           Motion Preparation:

▪           Topics/motions released 2 weeks in advance.

◦           Pre-Round and Round Mechanics:

▪           15 minutes of preparation time immediately prior to each round.

▪           Each round includes:

▪           A 30‑minute debate session.

▪           Followed by a 5‑minute break.

▪           Concluding with a 10‑minute OA (Open Analysis) period.

◦           Team Dynamics:

▪           Teams remain the same across the two rounds (one round on the Affirmative side and one round on the Opposition side).

Performance and Metrics:

◦           Scoring System:

▪           Accumulate total wins and speaker scores on a monthly basis.

▪           Scrogin on a 50-100 Scale

◦           Leaderboards and Badges:

▪           Real-time public leaderboard available for all participants.

▪           Badge systems implemented for both debaters and judges to recognize performance and milestones.

◦           Registration & Participation:

▪           Debaters register individually.

▪           Entry fee required to participate.

▪           A rotational cycle is proposed: one month of active competition, followed by a one-month break for processing and awarding certificates.

Rules

◦           No draws

▪           If at the end of a 3 vs. 3 match, the total speaker scores for both sides are equal, judges will adjust ±1 point on a borderline speech.

◦           Ironperson rules

▪           If a team is missing a speaker (e.g., an emergency or no-show), they can proceed under an “Ironperson” approach:

■         A single speaker may deliver two speeches, or the 1st and 2nd speaker might cover the 3rd.

■         The event organizers decide if there’s any penalty or if it’s fully allowed.

There will be a universal 50–100 scale for individual speaker points. Judges adjudicate by considering the following:

1.        Content (40%)

•         The logic, evidence, and relevance of arguments.

•         Includes the depth of analysis, clarity of points, and direct engagement with the motion’s core issues (clash).

2.        Style (30%)

•         The persuasive presentation (tone, pacing, emphasis, and audience engagement).

•         Clarity and coherence in speech flow, effective signposting, and rhetorical flair if appropriate.

3.        Strategy (30%)

•         Role fulfillment: e.g., how well a 1st speaker sets up definitions or how a 3rd speaker crystallizes the debate.

•          Time usage: prioritizing major clashes, addressing important opponent points, avoiding irrelevancies.

•          Responsiveness: good rebuttals, sensible focus on the most critical arguments.

For further explanation, please see below:

Scope of content

The content of a debate speech should cover the (1) arguments and (2) rebuttals and clashes. Judges will evaluate the persuasiveness of what is being presented through its logic, evidence and relevance to the motion. Points should be clear with logical consistency.

What counts as good content?

Higher marks will be given to students who have an in-depth analysis of their assertion by arguing why and how their outcome is likely, and why it is important to be considered in this world or in this debate.  A more in-depth argument, such as discussing the impacts of climate change by analyzing scientific observations, economic implications, and policy options, contrasts with a less in-depth argument that might simply state, "climate change is bad," without further explanation or support.

Relevant examples and evidence should also be further explained rather than being merely stated. Strong rebuttals should effectively counter the opposition's points. Remember to note whether the debaters are directly addressing the main points of contention in the debate.

What is a good style?

A good style of a debater would include the following:

1. Body language, facial expressions and hand gestures without being stiff
2. A consistent and normal pace of speech
3. Volume and tonal variations for emphasis
4. Emotive vocabulary that are not too technical and not too lay
5. Eye contact maintained with audience engagement
6. Being loud (without shouting)
7. Clarity and coherence in speech flow with pauses and signposting for clear transitions
8. Rhetorical devices that enhance the persuasiveness of the arguments

Accents

A speakers’ accent or vocal pitch and tone will not be taken into account.

What is a good strategy?

A good strategy in debating would consist of the following:

1. Arguments aligning with the motion
2. Prioritising stronger and more impactful arguments
3. Being consistent throughout the debate
4. Good time allocation for rebuttals and arguments, particularly for the main issues
5. Staying within the time limit for the whole speech
6. Being able to identify and deal with the main clashes of the debate
7. Each speaker being able to fulfill their roles

Roles of the speakers:

Second Speaker

The second speaker of the team can either make a new and independent argument or make an extension to the first speaker’s arguments. If they decide to make a new argument, they should dedicate enough time to the argument to properly and fully analyse it.

On the other hand, when giving extensions, they should introduce new materials which could be:

1. New examples;
2. Advanced stakeholder analysis;
3. Additional logical links;
4. New impacts;
1. The importance of the argument
2. How minority groups will be impacted
5. New mechanism (reasoning);
6. New weighing; or
1. Size of group impacted
2. Extent of impact
3. Long term versus short term harms
7. New framing of the argument
1. By highlighting or downplaying certain aspects of the argument

Third Speaker

Third speakers should not introduce independent and entirely new concepts or arguments in the debate that didn’t exist earlier.

For third speakers, new material can only be introduced while responding to the opposition in the form of:

1. Some additional lines of analysis;
2. New examples;
3. New logic;
4. New lines of rebuttal or
5. New ways of balancing and weighing arguments.

Late responses

A late response to an argument could also be characterised as bad strategy. For example, if the first speaker of affirmative brings up some substantive analysis but only the 3rd speaker of opposition brings it up while the 1st and 2nd speaker of the opposition do not, then the engagement would be too late and result in poor prioritisation.

LTDO is an exciting competition for debate enthusiasts, yet its new features can seem daunting to students at first. Here is everything you need to do to ensure your students’ stellar performance at the tournament.

Equipment

●      All speakers should have a functional webcam and microphone, be able to use Zoom or GoogleMeet and have a stable internet

Skills

1. Effective Use of Preparation Time: Teach students how to brainstorm arguments, craft rebuttals, and allocate tasks within the 15-minute preparation window.
2. Fluent Speech Delivery: Emphasize clear and confident speech delivery without relying on a script.
3. Organizational Skills: Guide students in structuring their arguments cohesively and transitioning between points.
4. Quick Thinking and Response: Train students to respond to Points of Information (POIs) on the spot with composure.
5. Understanding the Debate Format: Familiarize students with the motion types, technical terms, and winning strategies such as the burden of proof

By focusing on these key strategies, you can equip your students with the skills and confidence needed to excel in the LTDO debate competition. Join the LTDO learning package for additional resources to further enhance students’ readiness. Prepare your students for success and empower them to shine on the debate stage.

How do I enroll my students in the LTDO competition?

(further info needed)

Why should I choose the LTDO competition for my students?

Current primary- and secondary-school level debate competitions in Hong Kong tend to focus on style over substance, and lack opportunities for impromptu rebuttal training. A more pressing issue is that judges are often subjective and biased when adjudicating. Some of them are teachers who have no experience in debate and generate unfair results. LumiTalk competitions ensure that judges are professional and experienced in the debate field. In addition, together with the LumiTalk learning package, it is much easier for students to equip themselves with the skills they need to excel in competitions.With clear guidelines and effective learning tools, students can know better what to expect in LTDO competitions and how to do well in them.

What is unique about the LTDO learning centre that makes it more attractive than just hiring a debate coach?

LTDO learning centre provides a comprehensive online platform for debaters from different levels. As students are often busy with school work and extracurriculars, they may not be free during regular debate training at school.  Since LTDO learning is online, students can choose when to complete the lessons depending on their schedule. Additionally, students can start their learning journey at different points depending on their debate experience and English level. They can have a more suitable curriculum fitting their individual needs compared to being one of many students under the same coach. Last but not least, debate coaches may lack a concrete structure in their curriculum. LTDO learning centre has a comprehensive and step-by-step curriculum to equip students with all the skills and knowledge they need for debate.