Net duel

Reading Time: Minutes

Communication skills | normative-ethical attitude | cooperation skills | age 14 and up | 120 minutes

Conducting a debate online

The tone on the Internet is often rough and the anonymity in comment columns, chats and the like tempts some people to make unreflective, disrespectful and sometimes insulting comments. However, rules for respectful cooperation also apply in online debates.

In the "net duel," young people discuss a socially relevant topic in a chat and represent the opinions assigned to them. In this role-playing game, they learn about the mechanisms and rules of an online debate and then exchange ideas on how to get along well online, even in the face of strong differences of opinion.

The young people are sensitized to a healthy debate culture on the Internet. They enter into a real-life scenario in which they actively participate. The role play allows them to get to know different perspectives and to reflect on them afterwards, which strengthens their empathy and attitude towards social interaction.

The young people

get to know the communicative structures of a network debate

test which argumentation strategies can be used to achieve communication goals

experience directly what effects (a)social behavior has on themselves and others

The young people

engage in a network debate

transfer their experiences from the net debate to their own media and social behavior

critically classify network debates, debate participants and argumentation structures in their own media environment.

The young people

shape a substantive debate as a group

discuss with one another and are confronted with opposing opinions in the process

experience the different roles that debate participants can take on

experience directly the effects of (a)social behavior on themselves and others

The young people

reflect on their individual attitude to the topic and the role they play in (Internet) debates

evaluate what has happened in the Net debate on the basis of their own normative-ethical attitude

draw conclusions for their own behavior

Project process

In preparation for the project, the theme is determined and the chat environment is set up. The young people are divided into groups of no more than five; each group conducts a net duel. In the net duel, the young people discuss the topic independently on the basis of the role models assigned to them, which define the opinion to be represented and their appearance.

In a final discussion, the experiences made in the net duel are exchanged. Together, the young people work out what could have been improved and what basic principles they derive from this for good coexistence on the Net.

Preparation of content
The topic of the net duel (e.g., environmental and climate protection, netiquette) is determined. The question should allow for different opinions and can be provocative. Then it is defined which positions the debate participants will take (pro or con opinion, mediating) and how they should represent them (e.g. factual and calm, hot-tempered and emotional, hateful and insulting). On this basis, small profiles are prepared and distributed to the young people.

Technical preparation
The chat environment is set up. An account will be created for each debate participant. Not more than five debaters should be involved in the debate - in case of larger learning groups, several debates can be held at the same time.

Securing of result: Topic with concrete question, profiles for debate participants, chat environment with access points.
Social form: preparatory work by the teacher

The debate topic is presented to the young people. For this purpose, associations and opinions are collected that are represented in the group. The group is then divided into subgroups of no more than five young people. Each subgroup conducts a debate.

All the young people receive a profile and familiarize themselves with their roles. In addition, they have the opportunity to read up on the debate topic by means of independent Internet research. Within the groups, the individual debate participants should not know who is playing which role - in this way, the anonymity of the participants, which is common in Internet debates, is simulated as far as possible.

Securing of result: individual results for the topic research, preparation for the roles
Social form: group work

In the network duel, the debaters exchange views on the topic. The debate opens with a provocative statement. Now, each debater expresses his or her opinion based on the role assignments and tries to convince the others. Contributions can consist of texts, images, videos, emojis, GIFs or net links.

The young people conduct the net duel independently. If necessary, individual young people can be given small work assignments, e.g. that they should post something specific (link to a study, fake news, etc.) or behave in a certain way towards other debate participants (insults, praise, criticism, etc.).

Securing of result: Chat
Social form: Group work

After the network duel, all the young people meet for a joint group discussion. They share their experiences with each other and clarify the following questions, among others:

- Which roles were represented?
- How did you fare in your role?
- What was particularly impressive / astonishing / surprising / terrible?
- Did you come to a conclusion in the debate? Why (not)?
- Which arguments were (not) convincing and why?
- What kind of communication climate prevailed in the network duel?
- How did it feel to write disrespectful comments to others or to be addressed disrespectfully yourself (insults, hate speech, etc.)?

On this basis, what the young people think went well or badly is recorded centrally (blackboard, whiteboard, etc.). Together they discuss what could have been improved, which roles were rather counterproductive and what constitutes a balanced network debate for the young people.

Finally, the basic principles that make up good cooperation on the Net or in Net debates for the young people are derived from the recorded collection.

Securing of result: blackboard picture
Social form: group work, plenary

Project summary

In the further course, the children create their own texts and use correct and wrong aspects. The texts are then exchanged and edited within the class. In addition, all topics are suitable – even outside the immediate environment, e.B celebrities, concerts or sporting events.

Read more in the “Digital Participation" dossier

Young people are not only demonstrating their political commitment, but also how digital media can be used for social and political processes. Participate instead of just running along