ABSTRACT
We become experts, not by accumulating facts, but by connecting them and then reasoning with them to make sense of situations and ideas that were previously unknown to us. In this way, reasoning enables understanding to expand to its full potential. To help students achieve this, do not try to teach reasoning, but rather place them in argumentative contexts that allow them to amplify their natural reasoning abilities. Doing this, will not only improve memory, but also deepen understanding as students become increasingly aware of the imperfections and conditionality of human knowledge. In many cases, this will encourage them to contribute to the body of knowledge: their own, that of the classroom community, and ultimately, that of the world. Research suggests that without the active involvement of professor-experts, students will not engage in productive reasoning and argumentation, yet without a structured approach, this is difficult to achieve. For this reason, this chapter suggests a step-by-step approach to planning and facilitating learning through reasoning.
