Debate develops proficiency in critical thinking. A number of studies have investigated whether college courses in argumentation and debate improve critical thinking. One researcher, Kent R. Colbert, found that, after a year's participation in either CEDA or NDT debate, the debaters significantly outscored nondebaters on critical-thinking tests. Debate is an integrator of knowledge. Because debate topics are so multi-faceted and cut across disciplines, debaters gain knowledge from unique disciplines outside the students' major, minor, or regular class load.
Debate develops proficiency in purposeful inquiry.
Often debate topics are on the cutting edge, dealing with new technology and different ideas from the norm of the day. By learning to research and inquire into new sources, debaters find ways of collecting data new to them. Debate emphasizes quality instruction. Since classical rhetoric was taught in ancient times, argumentation and debate instruction has relied upon an interactive and closer relationship that most other educational settings. Debate encourages student scholarship.