Learning to Argue in Higher Education

"Argument" is perhaps one of the most misunderstood terms in higher education, meaning different things in different disciplines. Yet on one thing most educators agree: it is almost impossible to attain success at the highest levels in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and other language-based disciplines without a command of argumentative skills. Learning to Argue in Higher Education was written to allow for a cross-fertilization of ideas about argument between different disciplines and traditions, and to encourage conversation about their approaches to its teaching and learning.

This volume makes a significant contribution to the current thinking about argument, addressing why we teach argument in the first place, how it currently figures in teaching and learning, and how me might think about it in more productive ways. Covering everything from formal discussion in seminars to tutorials and written essays, these authors approach the problem from different angles: critical accounts of practice, classroom pedagogy, as well theoretical models of argument, students' perspective on learning, and the dynamics involved in teaching and learning. The book represents a range of disciplines, including architecture, law, social science, work-based education, as well as writing and composition.

Richard Andrews is Professor and Chair in Education at The University of Hull in England. He is author of a number of books on narrative, argument, and poetry in education, and is associate editor of the international journal Education, Communication & Information.

Sally Mitchell has worked on two research projects that have explored the nature and role of argument in higher education and have sought ways of helping staff improve the ability of students to employ arguments effectively in their disciplinary studies. Her other works include Competing and Consensual Voices, coedited with P.J.M. Costello, and Essays in Argument, written with Richard Andrews.