The Importance of a Strong Argument in the Digital World
Every day, students are inundated with information. It seems that anyone with a laptop and a decent Wi-Fi connection can pontificate a point and present it as fact. These 'armchair experts" have the luxury of presenting information uninterrupted and propagate their points without the types of conversational feedback that is typically present in most interpersonal exchanges. When engaging in an argument with someone face-to-face, points are seldom left unchallenged and followed with a simple question such as "So what?" or "how do you know that?" (Toulmin, p. 98) However, in many modern digital platforms, commentators are allowed to spew misinformation without being challenged to their credentials or the sources of their information, thus giving credence and credibility to many who do not deserve it. In The Uses of Argument (1958/2003) Stephen Toulmin argues that students need to be taught not to take in an argument on a macro level, but...