NYU coaches & graduate students are entering the fourth year of their partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library on Bridging the Gap. Youth and older adults face some of the same challenges, including social stereotyping and political underrepresentation. Bridging the Gap provides a safe library space for generations to learn about one another while listening to one another. Bridging the Gap is a 10-week intergenerational debate program in which elders [ages 55+] and youth [ages 14-19] learn the art of debating and practice debate skills. Bridging the Gap teaches youth and older adults to develop and hone their research and public speaking skills.
The NPDL seeks to promote human potential and social diplomacy by creating safe educational spaces wherein a thoughtful exchange of ideas can increase knowledge, understanding, and community. NYU was proud to participate in its first event with the NPDL bringing a mix of junior varsity and new debaters to face a team from the Corrections system. The event was powerful and memorable and we look forward to future opportunities.
Research Initiatives
How Do Students Learn — First, a cohort of graduate students from New York University’s Foundations of Learning Science course taught by Professor Alyson Wyse selected numerous novices and junior varsity CEDA debaters to conduct interviews, observe practice rounds and attend tournaments over the course of the year virtually and in-person using a constructivism lens. The trio of researchers examined knowledge production and training strategies to draw conclusions about how learners learn.
Creating Models for Better Judgements — CEDA debaters volunteered for a postdoctoral research initiative run by the Center for Data Science to build machine learning models that debate each other as a way of helping people make better judgments on hard decisions. Students assisted with data collection, testing and brainstorming sessions to help determine factors in establishing controlled settings.