Pro ~ Round 1

[========= DEFINITIONS =========]

D1.
Computer
An electronic device capable of storing and processing information in accordance with a predetermined set of instructions. (1)

D2.
Beneficial
Favorable or advantageous. (2)

D3.
Education
The process of educating or being educated. (3)

D4.
Book
A written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers. (4)

D5.
To educate
To give intellectual, moral, and social instruction to, or to give training in or information on a particular subject. (5)

(1) http://www.askoxford.com/...
(2) http://www.askoxford.com/...
(3) http://www.askoxford.com/...
(4) http://www.askoxford.com/...
(5) http://www.askoxford.com/...




[========= BURDENS =========]

B1.
PRO must show that computers convey more benefit to education than books do.

B2.
CON must show that books convey more benefit to education than computers do, or that they convey the exact same amount of benefit.




[========= OBSERVATIONS =========]

O1.
"eBooks" or "books on tape" are not actually books. The former is a computer file, the latter is a tape. However, these things would not exist as they are without the original book they were made from. Therefore, books would indeed convey a benefit to education through either of these if either of these was introduced into education. To the extent that they are used for education, they are very insignificant.

O2.
"eBooks" or "books on tape" convey so little benefit to education that they can effectively be discounted.




[========= CONTENTIONS =========]

C1.
The internet is a great thing, and computers convey this benefit to education.
Classes can be taken via the internet. I am in two such classes right now.
Research can be done via the internet. Research is a process of being educated, so it is part of education.
The internet always has very up-to-date information, something you'll find quite lacking in the overwhelming majority of books.

C2.
Children's games. There are many games for children, playable via computer, that educate said children. Since playing these games is a process of being educated, it is part of education. Making education more enjoyable is definitely a benefit. Not only that, but kids who enjoy being educated will want to do so more often.

C3.
Non-children's games. Games like Age of Empires, Empire Earth, the "Caesar" series, combat simulators, flight simulators, the Ace Attorney series, and even sports games. These all provide some kind of knowledge to the player, be it knowledge of history, knowledge of weapons, knowledge of tactics, knowledge of a sport, knowledge of argument, or knowledge of flying planes. These things allow people of all ages to actually enjoy learning a multitude of things. As I said in C2, this is a huge benefit. Not only does this make the process of being educated be more enjoyable, it makes it more likely to happen more often.

Oh, and for both C2 and C3, computers are obviously what conveys this benefit to education, since it is only by use of a computer that one can play such games.

C4.
Educators using computerized notes and/or presentations.
This saves space, saves time, allows for teachers to more easily share information between each other, allows for a more organized, standardized curriculum, etc.
These are all great benefits to education, all conveyed through computers.

C5.
Accessing information via a computer is much easier than accessing information via a book. This is another great benefit conveyed upon education by computers.

-------------------
I suppose that's it for now; I'll let my opponent argue whatever points of mine he disagrees with and make his own points as to why he thinks books are more beneficial than computers or just as beneficial as computers.

Good luck to both of us.

Con ~ Round 1

This round was forfeited because the debater did not post their argument within the allotted time.

Pro ~ Round 2

My opponent has forfeited round 1. I suspect he will forfeit the entire debate, but I will post 2 more arguments here anyway.

First, my opponent has conceded my points, including definitions, by forfeiting a round.

Let us take a look at D3.


Education: The process of educating or being educated


Therefore, I will preemptively deal with the primary argument I see my opponent using. My opponent might say that books are used more often, so they are more beneficial to the cause of educating people. However, it is not the cause of educating people, but the PROCESS by which people are educated. To benefit the PROCESS, you have to make education simpler, better,more fun, etc. Basically, something has to increase some helpful attriubute in the process of educating.

Let's take a look at my contentions so far.

C1: The internet: Makes education easier. Makes education more up to date. [online classes, online information, all at your fingertips from your own house or any Wi-Fi hotspot. Also, information is updated on the internet.]

C2/C3: Computer Games: Makes education very fun. [Games created with the intent to educate, games that educate as a side-effect.]

C4: Computerized notes, presentations: Makes education simpler to organize on the teacher's side. Makes education more equal [since curriclums can be shared throughout the world].

C5: Ease of access: Makes education easier [much easier to search for relevant information on a web page or in a file than it is to search a book]


These are all ways that computers convey benefit to the PROCESS of educating [which is education].

I'll make a few more now.

C6: Listening to music via a computer while being educated. This makes the process of being educated less stressful/more fun, ergo it is a benefit for education.

C7: Increased visual appeal of information. [Computer-made books, web sites, etc, can have information laid out in a much more appealing way, due to the great page design software and principles one can use on a computer.]

C8: Better navigation of information. [Links on a web page. Take wikipediua for example - most relevant words will be links, immediately informing the user about any number of related topics.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now I'll address my O1 and O2. O2 is a garbage point, I could care less about it.

However O1, which my opponent conceded by not disagreeing with it within his 3 days, conveys a point I feel I should say now.

Let us assume that my opponent is able to come up with some benefit books give to education.
The majority of books these days are created via computers. Here's D1, for reference:
Computer: An electronic device capable of storing and processing information in accordance with a predetermined set of instructions.

Anyway, any benefit that is given to education by books is likely given in large part by computers as well, for this reason.


However, let us consider how mundane the process of being educated or educating through the use of books is compared to education through computers. Books offer static information while computers offer dynamic.
Books are no more or barely more portable than computers: http://eeepc.asus.com/...
Books offer less fun to education than computers.
Books take more time to find info in than computers.
Cooks make meals better than computers.
Books take a lot more physical space for the same amount of info, making education bulkier and more troublesome.
Computers clearly offer far more benefit to the process of education.

Con ~ Round 2

This round was forfeited because the debater did not post their argument within the allotted time.

Pro ~ Round 3

The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.

Thus, I affirm, "Computers are more beneficial to education than books."

I REST MY CASE.

Con ~ Round 3

This round was forfeited because the debater did not post their argument within the allotted time.