Kialo - a free web-based interactive way to do discussions, debating and defending a position

Kialo is a free web-based tool, requiring no downloads, works with any browser.  This can be used so students can demonstrate critical thinking in a discussion.  Students can debate, vote,  and defend a position on any topic that you create. 

You can use single or multiple theses discussion types, you can add links, images (jpeg, png 16MB or less), allow voting and feedback. You then share this work by enabling a link where students can join the discussion without even having a Kialo account.  As an instructor, you can get a pie graph of the results, as well as receive a copy of the tabulated report.

Students can be required to defend their position along with their response which adds a critical thinking component that can be shared in a 500-word limit answer.

You can have students debate a social issue, company issue, department issue, take an opinion poll, all while requiring the student to take a position and defend it to others.







INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY: Compare/Contrast Bloom Level = 3+ (apply, analysis)

-Clarify thinking
-Classify ideas
-Collaborate for one meaning
-Reflective judgment (Affective Learning)
-Highlight similarities and differences (shows student has a deeper understanding that goes beyond surface-level
-Form generalizations based on categorized items
-Debate
-Think critically
-Defend a position