suggested topics for panel discussion

Suggested topics for Panel Discussion (in my class)
THEMES: Social issues, Social media, Sports, Hobbies and interests, Financial matters, Consumerism

Students' participation in sports should be made as one of the criteria for entry into universities. What do you think of this requirement? Discuss

Males are able to gossip more than females. Agree or disagree?

Teenage girls are hardworking than boys. Discuss.

Teenagers should not be allowed to use credit cards. Discuss.

Peer pressure in high school or college helps students to learn better in academics. Discuss.

Smartphones should be switched off during lecture time. Agree or disagree?

Students need to exercise more and sit lesser during school days. Agree or disagree?

Hobbies can be used to make money. Discuss.

How to save money while travelling? Discuss

Live a purpose-driven life by embracing your hobbies and interests. Discuss.

Awesome hobbies that you should consider trying. Discuss.

Internet side-hustles among college students can distract them from their studies. Discuss.

Media should promote certain beauty standard so that we will groom ourselves. Discuss.

Students should not study something that they are not interested in. Discuss.

The impact of K-pop stars' beauty on teenagers' self-esteem and body image. Discuss.

Keeping a close eye on personal finance is the key in achieving a better life in future. Discuss. 

Social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Wechat, Snapchat, Instagram, etc) has destroyed face-to-face communication skills. Discuss.

Table manners are no longer practised by the teenagers nowadays. Discuss.

Advertisements affect the vulnerable human psychology and make consumers buy unnecessary things.

Why some people hate sports? Discuss.

How to spread happiness? Discuss.

All women should learn martial arts. Discuss.

Consumerism has caused a shift away from values of contentment, integrity  and community.to competitiveness, materialism and disconnection. 

Green consumerism is not popular among the low-income households in Malaysia. Discuss.

People are becoming more materialistic. They are concerned with making more money and what money can buy. What is your opinion on being materialistic? (MUET Writing question - YEAR END 2008)

Information and communications technology (ICT) is the cause of today's many social ills. What is your opinion? (MUET Writing question - MID YEAR 2009)

People commit crime for selfish reasons. Discuss.(MUET Writing question - YEAR END 2009)

The most valuable thing in life is friendship. Agree or disagree? (MUET Writing question - MID YEAR 2011)

A person's career choice should be determined by his or her interest. Discuss. (MUET writing question - YEAR END 2011)

Women make better leaders than men. Do you agree? (MUET writing question - NOVEMBER 2012)

Everyone should aim to become a millionaire by the age of 35. Discuss. (MUET writing question JULY 2013)

"The imbalance between the number of boys and girls pursuing university education creates social problems." To what extent is this statement true? Discuss. (MUET Writing question - JULY 2014)


Hope these suggested topics could be helpful for those who still don't have any ideas on what to. You need to embark on your project asap.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Reference for my dear two-year-programme students (Session 2018-19)


The typical panel consists of seven elements:

1. Welcome (Moderator welcomes the panelists and audience)
2. Panelist introductions (Moderator introduces the panelists)
3. Panelist initial comments (Panelists give some initial comments about the topic discussed)
4. Moderator pose questions to the panelists
5. Questions from the audience directed to panelist(s) (not included in the six minutes - time for panel discussion)
6. Summary (Moderator summarizes the discussion)
7. Thank you (Moderator expresses thanks to the panelists and audience)

Adapted from: https://powerfulpanels.com/panel-discussion-formats/

If you want to perform well in this activity, you need to plan well and allow room for fortuitous improvisation. Practise more to make the discussion interesting, engaging and looking effortless to audience.

PREPARATION FOR PANEL DISCUSSION

• Choose a theme and then narrow down a topic (e.g. Theme: financial matters; Topic: Why celebrities should have side hustles?) Create a catchy title for this activity and make sure the topic is trendy and fun.
• Choose a moderator with a backbone. He or she must be able to control the discussion. The moderator should be able to give response or react to funny, provocative or interesting stories that will make for a fun discussion.
• Choose 3 or 4 panelists and not more than that for this classroom activity. Too many panelists will negatively affect timing and the liveliness of the discussion. Panelists whom you want to role play must have good resumes or LinkedIn profiles (e.g. Datuk Michelle Yeoh, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Dr. Soo Wincci, Henry Golding) and of course, make sure they are relevant candidates to discuss about the topic you have selected.
• Conduct research on your pertinent topic through reading articles or newspaper (e.g. www.thestar.com.my, www.wikihow.com, www.nst.com.my, www.pinterest.com) and watching news or videos (e.g. ed.ted.com, Youtube). Take good notes and discover interesting stories. You may also contribute riffs or opinions in your discussion.
• Rehearse beforehand. During rehearsal time, moderator can practise asking questions in a directed way to bring out interesting stories and remind the panelists of the stories or topics they can speak about. Meanwhile, panelists can practise delivering their ideas intelligibly and effectively. Take it as a speaking practice. There should be some spontaneity, but having a good handle on some interesting questions and topics in advance is key.
• Structure the discussion to be more like a conversation. It should not be a series of presentations, but instead a lively discussion among experts sharing their thoughts and opinions.
• Develop a final list of questions for the actual panel discussion and make sure you have answers/responses for all the questions.
• Try not to have two or more panelists speaking at the same time. Use turn-taking strategies (refer to: https://busyteacher.org/20571-7-turn-taking-strategies-boost-student-speaking.html)

WARNING: DO NOT READ FROM YOUR NOTES AS MARKS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR SPEAKING NOT READING!

Setting up for panel discussion in class 

• Try to avoid using slides for the discussion. Slides are for presentations, not discussions. If you really need those slides, you may show one or two.
• Don't put panelists behind a table. It adds a formality and distance that prevents interaction with each other and the audience. Panel can be on the same level as the audience in the class.
• Arrange the panelists' sitting in a slight semi-circle so that they can see each other and the audience. Moderator may sit in the middle or at the side.

ALL THE BEST! Hope you do well.