Teams of students from different countries debate each other using e-mail. Each team consists of three debaters who are qualified to debate in the Karl Popper Debate Program.
It is the current KP format with cross-examination periods. After the affirmative team posts their first speech, the negative has 48 hours to post their response. Between these constructive speeches there is a cross-examination period.
All speeches should be written like argumentative essays instead of set of separate sentences appropriating different arguments.
'Speeches' are posted to opposite team and Internet site (http://www.experiment.lv/rus/debate) by e-mail (experiment@mailbox.riga.lv), so they could be witnessed by all net surfers not only participants. The speeches and cross-examination logs are also published each day that it is allowed for many people to watch them. The guest book should be open for their opinions.
Each speech is typed and saved as 'doc.file' in Microsoft Word 97 format,
and its limit is following: in MS Word 97 in File - > Properties-> Statistics -> quantity of Characters (with spaces) should be no larger than 7,000.
Cross-examination periods - heart of the debate - are arranged after each constructive speech within 20 minutes (keeping with stop watch) in a chat
mode in the ICQ program (http://www.icq.com/download ). Before each cross-examination period the debaters have a little chat with each other both testing the chat system and learning more about their opponents, telling them about life in their own countries, habits and hobbies.
The judges are selected from coaches and experts of IDEA. Their number should be 5 (at least). They ought to fill their ballots in 7 days after last speech.
The pictures of the participants and coaches should be placed on the site as well as information on them, therefore the debates will be "enlivened".
So time limit may be following:
Day #1: First Affirmative
Day #2: First cross-examination period N3-A1, 20 'pure' minutes on-line (ICQ program - http://www.icq.com/download
Day #3: First Negative
Day #4: Second cross-examination period A3-N1, 20 'pure' minutes on-line
Day #5: Second Affirmative
Day #6: Third cross-examination period N1-A2, 20 'pure' minutes on-line
Day #7: Second Negative
Day #8: Fourth cross-examination period A1-N2, 20 'pure' minutes on-line
Day #9: Third Affirmative
Day #11: Third Negative
Day #17: Judges post their decisions and ballots