Procedure

Participants should create a discussion or presentation in the form of a talk show featuring different positions on specific digital cultures. This task consists of four parts.

In the first part, participants form groups of approximately five people. Each group then draws a topic card with a discussion question and two positions. They must now decide who within the group will address which position and who will moderate the discussion. With five people per group, one moderator should be sufficient.

In the second part, participants research information on the discussion topic with their respective positions in mind. Meanwhile, the moderators gain a rough overview of the topic and also come up with a format for the discussion or presentation. For example, they could moderate a kind of talk show and interview the representatives of the respective positions. Alternatively, they can introduce the topic in a structured debate with opening statements and a brief exchange of views. Or: Both sides are given a short time to present their respective positions and are asked critical questions. Ultimately, the format is not particularly important; what matters is that the topic is critically examined.

In the third part, the respective discussions and presentations are presented. While one group is on stage, the other participants can express whether they found a statement or position particularly convincing or state their current inclination toward a position. This can be done, for example, using the tool Poll For All. The mood can be displayed live outside the view of the presenting group; no account is necessary for this.

In the fourth part, the results of the debates are evaluated and any remaining questions are discussed or put to the groups. If necessary and if there is time, the respective discussion topic can be briefly discussed in the plenary session.

Preparation

• Working materials 1–5 must be printed out and distributed randomly to the groups.
• While the participants are researching their respective topics, a stage with chairs or lecterns, etc., can be set up at the front. The live poll should also be set up during this time.

Notes on moderation

• It should be emphasized again in advance that the focus of this task is not on the specific form of debate or presentation. The aim is for participants to engage in detail with different positions on the respective topics. They should then present their findings in a comprehensible manner to the plenary.

Overview of discussion topics

• Cancel culture, NFTs, crypto “currencies,” streamers as a profession, metaverse.

Extension

• To make the task more analog and less technically demanding, the tool can be omitted and replaced with colored (dot) cards in the audience.
• At the end of the task, participants can once again position themselves in the room on the respective topics.
• The task can be expanded to include any number of additional, perhaps more current cultures of digitality. In addition, further positions can be issued for discussion and debate within the small groups.