ABSTRACT
This chapter explores study findings that illustrate the ways in which high-quality talk influences students' thinking, reasoning, and learning outcomes. It examines the impact of effective discussions on students' learning processes and products. The chapter presents an overview the influence that talk can have on various cognitive processes, including critical-analytic thinking, argumentation and epistemic cognition, and relational reasoning. The term cognitive processes refers to purposefully applied thinking skills and strategies that foster deep learning and understanding of ideas and concepts. These processes enable students to critically analyze and question ideas and information, to interpret and consider various viewpoints, and to investigate patterns within various streams of information. Like reading comprehension or content learning, argumentative writing is also a key learning outcome for students to achieve during their educations. Argumentative writing requires individuals to weigh and communicate their logic and thoughts in written form, and undergirds civil and scientific literacy.
