Argumentation and Education

Objectives

1. Learning the fundamentals of dialogue-based teaching methods.
2. Learning the most important tools of argument-based teaching.
3. Learning to use the different methods of dialogue- and argument-based teaching methods.
4. Developing lesson plans based on an argument-based method.
5. Learning the fundamentals of argumentation theory.
6. Learning and using the argumentative tools for assessing student’s writing.

General characterization

Code

02108346

Credits

5.0

Responsible teacher

Chrysi Rapanta

Hours

Weekly - Available soon

Total - 140

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

N/A

Bibliography

Aguiar Jr, O. G., & Mortimer, E. F. (2005). Tomada de consciência de conflitos: análise da atividade discursiva em uma aula de ciências. Investigações em ensino de Ciências, 10(2), 179-207.

Rapanta, C. (2016). Professores como facilitadores de argumentação entre estudantes: Uma necessidade emergente. Revista Portuguesa de Pedagogia, 50(2), 41-62. https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/rppedagogia/article/view/1647-8614_50-2_3

Rapanta, C. (2019). Argumentation strategies in the classroom. Wilmington: Vernon Press.

Rapanta, C. (2021). Can teachers implement a student-centered dialogical argumentation method across the curriculum? Teaching and Teacher Education, 105, 103404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103404 .

Rapanta, C. & Macagno, F. (2016). Argumentation methods in educational contexts. Introduction to the special issue. International Journal of Educational Research, 79, 142-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2016.03.006.

Teaching method

The classes will be based on four types of methods: explanatory presentations, activities in small groups, lecture simulations by the students (individually and in groups) and works developed by the students. The theoretical contents developed and presented during the classes will be used by the students in specific individual and group activities.

Evaluation method

The evaluation will be structured as follows:

1. A written reflection on the importance, potencialities and limitations of argument-based teaching (70%).

2. The development of a lesson plan of an argument-based activity (30%).

Subject matter

The course will be divided into two macro-areas mirroring the two dimensions of argument-based teaching, namely the dialogical teaching methods and the theoretical grounds of argumentative dialogue. The classes will be divided in theoretical classes concerning the foundations of argumentation theory and methodological/practical classes on the argument-based teaching methods. Specific contents:

• Fundamentals of argumentation theory

i. The concept of argument

ii. The dimensions of argumentative dialogue

iii. The types of argument

iv. Fallacies

• Fundamentals of argument-based teaching.

i. The most important contemporary teaching methods

ii. The most important dialogue-based teaching theories

iii. The instruments of argument-based teaching

iv. The "argue with me" curriculum and approach

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: