Symposium

The symposium is defined as a teaching technique that serves as an excellent method for informing the audience, crystallizing their opinion and preparing them for arriving at decision regarding a particular issue or a topic.
The symposium is a discussion method in which different viewpoints on a single aspect of a topic is discussed.
The symposium is a series of speeches on a single aspect of a topic.
Topics are related to controversial issues in discipline and a single aspect of the topic is discussed.

PURPOSE

• To identify and deeply understand the specific aspect of a theme.
• To develop the ability to arrive at a decision and provide judgement for a problem.
• To develop values and feelings regarding a problem.
• To provide understanding to the students or listeners on a theme or problem to specifically develop certain values and feelings.
• To enable the listeners to form policies regarding a theme or a problem.
• To investigate a problem from several points of view.
• To boost students' abilities to speak in the group.
• To encourage the students to study independently.

CHARACTERISTICS 

• Symposium provides a broad understanding of a topic or problem.
• The listener is provided with an opportunity to make decisions about a problem.
•  This method is used in higher classes for a specific theme or a problem.
• It develops a feeling of cooperation and adjustment.
• The symposium technique helps in achieving the objectives of synthesis and evaluation.
• It provides different views on the topic of the symposium.

How to Start ? 

• The chairman of the symposium introduces the topic and suggests something of its importance.
• The experts/speakers of the symposium talk from 10 to 20 minutes.
• The speech may be persuasive, argumentative, informative or evocative.
• Each speech proceeds without interruption.
• The speeches are followed by questions or comments from the audience. 

MERITS

• Symposium can be used to address a large group or class.
• This method can be frequently used to present broad topics for discussion at conventions and organization of meetings.
• In the symposium, the principle of organization is high as the speeches are prepared beforehand.
• It gives a deeper insight into a topic.
• It directs the students to continuous independent study.

DEMERITS : 

• Symposium does not provide adequate opportunities for all the students to participate actively.
• It has limited audience participation.
• The speech is limited to 10 to 20 minutes.
• The Questions and Answer session is limited to 3 to 4 minutes.
• It has the possibility of overlapping the subjects.
• The chairman has no control over the speakers as they have full freedom to prepare the theme for discussion.
• There is a possibility of repetition of content.
• The different aspects of the theme are not prepared separately.
• The different aspects of the theme are not presented simultaneously, therefore the listeners are not able to understand the theme correctly.
• The listeners remain passive in the symposium because they are not given an opportunity to seek clarification and questions in between the symposium.

Technically, a panel discussion consists of questions and answers only, and a symposium consists of a series of prepared speeches, followed by questions and answers. The chairman/moderator must monitor time and manage questions. If each participant is making a speech for a set period of time, he should signal the speakers at the one minute to go mark and at the stop mark.