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Published on: September 27, 2020
The efficacy of a Web-based counterargument tutor.
Christopher R Wolfe1, M Anne Britt, Melina Petrovic
1Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA. wolfecr@muohio.edu
Behavior Research Methods
|July 10, 2009
Summary
An interactive web-based tutor effectively taught students to identify and evaluate counterarguments, improving their argumentation skills. This tool provides targeted feedback for better critical thinking development.
Area of Science:
- Educational Technology
- Cognitive Science
- Rhetoric and Composition
Background:
- Identifying and evaluating counterarguments is crucial for critical thinking and effective argumentation.
- Previous methods for teaching counterargument identification had limitations, particularly for lower-ability students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate an interactive Web-based tutor designed to enhance students' ability to identify and evaluate counterarguments.
- To compare the effectiveness of different instructional approaches for teaching counterargument skills.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 assessed participants' ability to identify counterarguments and tested didactic text and claim highlighting interventions.
- Experiment 2 implemented and evaluated a state-driven, interactive Web-based tutor with immediate feedback.
- The tutor utilized Java Server Pages and XML for dynamic content delivery based on user interaction.
Main Results:
- Didactic text and claim highlighting showed some positive effects, primarily for high-argumentationability participants.
- The Web-based tutor significantly improved participants' ability to identify counterarguments.
- Participants using the tutor demonstrated enhanced skills in recognizing responses and determining the status of counterarguments (rebutted, dismissed, conceded).
Conclusions:
- Interactive, Web-based interventions can be effective in teaching complex argumentation skills like counterargument identification and evaluation.
- The developed tutor offers a promising tool for improving students' critical thinking and argumentation abilities.
- Personalized, state-driven feedback in a Web-based environment can support learning for a range of student abilities.
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