Argument relevance and structure. Assessing and developing students' uses of evidence. (2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Macagno, Fabrizio
• Is Part Of: International journal of educational research. Volume 79(2016)
• Page Start: 180
• Page End: 194
• Publication Date: 2016
• Subjects: Argumentation -- Relevance -- Argument structure -- Evidence use -- Dialogue; Education -- Evaluation -- Periodicals; Curriculum evaluation -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; Program Evaluation -- Periodicals; Éducation -- Évaluation -- Périodiques; Programmes d'études -- Evaluation -- Périodiques; Éducation -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Curriculum evaluation; Education -- Evaluation; Periodicals; 370.72
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijer.2016.07.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0883-0355

Abstract

Highlights: Defining and coding argument relevance. Analyzing the relationship between argument-as-a-product and argument-as-a-process. Developing two coding schemes for analyzing argument structure and relevance. Assessing the impact of the dialogical mode on students' use of evidence. Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to show whether the two crucial dimensions used for assessing the quality of argumentation, argument-as-a-product (argument structure) and argument-as-a-process (relevance), are interrelated, and how they can be used to assess the effect of argumentative mode on students' arguments. To this purpose, a twofold coding scheme will be developed, aimed at capturing: a) the argumentative function of evidence use and b) the dialogical relevance of evidence use. A study will be described in which students' use of evidence is elicited in two distinct argumentative modes (dialogical vs. non-dialogical). According to the results, in the dialogical mode students tended to use evidence in a more sophisticated way from both argument evaluation perspectives.