Debating - AI Roleplay

The debate topic and the AI debate opponent in this roleplay can be customised in BSGO for a unique and personalised experience: 

• Debate topic: set any subject relevant to your curriculum or learning objectives
• Positions: define both the learner's stance and the avatar's opposing viewpoint
• Avatar: choose between May and Leonard to match your scenario
• Avatar personality: customise the avatar's background, interests, speaking style and current mood to create a realistic debate
• Difficulty level: adjust between "Easy" (basic arguments, simpler language) and "Difficult" (complex reasoning and domain-specific terminology)
• Debate length: control the number of exchanges in the debate
• Transcript submission: toggle to choose if learners must submit their debate transcript for instructor review

The debating roleplay begins with a customised text panel which introduces the learners to their assigned debate topic and position. They then enter a virtual auditorium and face their fellow debater.

The debate unfolds in a structured back-and-forth exchange. The avatar opens with arguments supporting its assigned position, prompting the learner to respond and the conversation evolves from there. As it progresses, the avatar’s responses dynamically adapt, based on the learner’s input. Learners practice real-time adaptation too, as they need to refine their approach each time their views are challenged. If their arguments are baseless or simply not strong enough, the avatar will become progressively less inclined to engage in the debate. If the learner continuously uses foul language or displays aggressive or negative behaviours, their opponent will shut the debate down completely and the simulation will end.

Throughout the debate, learners test their ability to construct strong and relevant counterarguments, manage opposing views and maintain a composed demeanor. The avatar maintains focus on the central topic, while implicitly encouraging learners to develop flexibility in their communication style – an essential component of persuasive dialogue. According to the selected difficulty level, learners strengthen their ability to think critically and challenge, rather than dismiss, their opponent’s views.

On the second to last exchange, the avatar prompts the learner for their final statement, before bringing the debate to a close. Learners can then view the AI-powered, personalised feedback on their performance.

Throughout the debate the AI continuously assesses six critical aspects of the learner’s performance:

• Respectful communication: evaluates the learner's ability to maintain composure, even during disagreements, including their use of appropriate language, acknowledgment of opposing viewpoints and avoidance of personal attacks or dismissive rhetoric
• Clarity of arguments: measures how effectively the learner structures and articulates their position, including logical flow and supporting evidence
• Mistakes in reasoning: identifies any logical fallacies, unsupported claims, contradictions, or other flaws in the learner's arguments
• Discrimination and judgment: analyses content for biased language, stereotyping, overgeneralisations, or other forms of discriminatory expression
• Eye contact: evaluates the learner’s ability to maintain steady and balanced eye contact with both their opponent and the audience to indicate engagement and attentiveness
• Body language: tracks the learner’s use of non-verbal cues, including posture and hand gestures, to gauge confidence and focus, or pick up on any signs of nervousness or disengagement

In their personalised feedback, learners can identify their strengths and areas for improvement across all of these dimensions. Learners can also review the full conversation transcript to reflect on how their responses and debating style influenced the outcome of the simulation.