Talk is cheap
09 April 2008
Free educational tool launched to support debate on any topic
Futurelab has launched Power League, a free online resource for schools which supports pupils of all ages to explore, debate and discuss any topic in a fun and easy way. Power League, available at www.powerleague.org.uk, enables the user to rank and display group opinions on any issue across the entire curriculum.
Leagues within the Power League tool consist of a database of people, things or ideas chosen by the teacher or students. Students are presented with a question, for example, "what do you think is the bigger cause of climate change?" and they vote for one item from a series of pairs randomly generated from the database – a Climate Change League might include, among other things, short-haul flights, deforestation, CFCs, 4x4 cars and standby buttons on home devices. The Power League then ranks each of the items by the whole group's overall order of preference, changing the order each time a student casts a vote.
The often-unexpected nature of the pairs being compared and the resulting leagues makes a good starting point for debate. Why is this invention more important than that one? What is the main cause of obesity? The tool can be used for whole class discussion and is ideal for use with interactive whiteboards.
David Gibbs, Curriculum Leader ICT (KS3) at King Edward VII School and Language College in Sheffield has used Power League for a staff training exercise: "It was a useful tool in helping to gauge overall opinions of a group of teachers. They took to it quickly and created an accurate and illuminating league."
In addition to being able to design their own league, teachers and students can use one of the five ready-to-use leagues available on www.powerleague.org.uk. These include the New School League, where students discuss the most important factors that need to be taken into consideration when redesigning a school, and the World Power League, where students get to debate who they think should be the most powerful person in the world.
Discussion is a crucial part of education today – where learners need to develop skills to equip them for life in the 21st century and not just assimilate information. Ben Williamson, Learning Researcher at Futurelab, recognises the contribution that Power League can make: "This tool can help children to recognise the role of debate and discussion in a democratic society. Power League will enable pupils to critically evaluate their own opinions and explore and listen to the different perspectives of their peers."