Project two

This project will examine both sides of some controversial issue relevant to the course, and culminate in an in-class debate. In formulating strategy, it is critical to understand both sides of an issue. Even if your role is to advocate one side, you must understand the other side. Thus, in this project you will first formulate the arguments on both sides, but then argue only one side in the in-class debate. Although groups typically begin with a preconditioned opinion, they often come away surprised by the strength of the opposing position.

Milestones and deadlines

See the course calendar for due dates for the project milestones and the date and time of your in-class debate.

 

Milestone 1. Each group will rank by preference the debate topics below (taking in account also the date of the debate). The instructors will then assign each group a topic trying to follow preferences while ensuring that each topic has two groups assigned to it to facilitate a debate. The following are topics debated last year. New topics for this year will be posted in time for milestone 1.

 

Date of in-class debate

Title

Resolved:

Nov. 12

Business method patents

Business method patents should be encouraged as a matter of government policy as a source of new innovation.

Nov. 14

Broadband subsidy

Market failure in broadband deployment to residences is a significant barrier to new applications and new technologies, and should therefore be subsidized by the government.

Nov. 26

Expensing options

Companies should be required to subtract the fair market value of options grants to employees when reporting earnings.  (You should be specific about the particular valuation methods.)

Dec. 3

Telecommunications subsidy

The telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S. is in serious trouble, so the government should offer financial assistance to insure its future viability.

Dec. 5

Regulating open platforms

Owners of common  infrastructure platforms (like the cell phone, set-top box, and game platform) should open them to a variety of third-party applications, even if this requires regulatory intervention.

 

Outcome 1: Web-posted written report (due seven days before in-class debate):  Each group will research and internally discuss both sides of this issue and prepare a written report (similarly to Project 1, although the presentation and the supplementary materials will normally be less extensive than in project 1) outlining the background and issues involved on both sides of this issue, post it on the Web and send the URL to the instructors by email (you will not make this presentation available to the class as a whole until after the debate). This presentation should not advocate a position, but rather just analyze both sides of the issue. Please do not discuss this research with the other group working on your project; we want these to be independent analyses. Also indicate in your email which side of the debate you would prefer to defend in class.

 

Outcome 2: in-class debate. You will be informed in advance of the in-class debate as to which side you will defend. If your debate is on a Tuesday, you will be informed on the previous Friday morning. If your debate is on Thursday, you will be informed the previous Monday afternoon. We will assign you your preference if the two group's preferences are compatible, or flip a coin if they are not. The debate will proceed as follows:

 

  • Affirmative position (15 min)
  • Negative position (15 min)
  • Negative side rebuttal to affirmative position (5 min)
  • Affirmative side rebuttal to negative position (5 min)
  • Class discussion of the issue led by the instructors (30 min)

 

Obviously you will want to prepare a rebuttal to expected arguments on the other side, as well as adjust your rebuttal as you hear the other side’s actual arguments.

 

Follow-up.

  • After each debate, all students in groups that did not participate in that debate please fill out the peer evaluation questionnaire posted on WebCT. In this, you will rate the quality of each group's arguments in the debate, taking into account the intrinsic strength of their side of the issue.
  • Immediately after your debate, please post both your group’s writeup you used in "groups and projects" area on the class Web site for the benefit of other students.
  • Each member of the group please assign your 100 points to the other group members based on their individual contributions to the group’s efforts on this project (both the presentation and in-class debate) using a form posted on WebCT.

Grading

The group grade will be based on both presentation and performance in the debate, the latter rated by peer review of your fellow students as well as by the instructors. There will be no designated winner and loser of the debate, but rather each side will be graded by the quality of their arguments in advocating their side of the issue, taking into account its intrinsic strength. The individual grade will be based on the evaluation of your participation and contribution by other group members.