Up for Debate: Should Kids Be Taught How to Argue? - The Juggle - WSJ:
"Studies of high school and college students show they are able to identify the main claims and reasons in an argument only 30% of the time, says M. Anne Britt, a researcher at Northern Illinois University. Much of the time, they wrongly identified the counterclaim as the main argument. Students have an even harder time thinking up logical arguments to weaken an opposing argument. Instead, a Columbia University researcher says, “they tend to … give all the reasons supporting their side, and absolutely ignore the alternative. They say what they have to say, and then say it louder, and hope the other side will go away.” The federal government has funded 13 studies since 2002 on how teachers can instruct students on improving their arguing skills."
"Studies of high school and college students show they are able to identify the main claims and reasons in an argument only 30% of the time, says M. Anne Britt, a researcher at Northern Illinois University. Much of the time, they wrongly identified the counterclaim as the main argument. Students have an even harder time thinking up logical arguments to weaken an opposing argument. Instead, a Columbia University researcher says, “they tend to … give all the reasons supporting their side, and absolutely ignore the alternative. They say what they have to say, and then say it louder, and hope the other side will go away.” The federal government has funded 13 studies since 2002 on how teachers can instruct students on improving their arguing skills."