Helping students develop the ability to construct high-quality arguments and to engage in productive argumentation with others is now widely seen as an essential goal of schooling that should be at the forefront of our efforts to develop an educated citizenry. Today, in all grades and school subjects, students are expected to actively engage in knowledge construction through inquiry and argumentation: they should ask questions, define problems, challenge the ideas of others, and defend their own positions with reasons and evidence. These ambitious educational goals call for profound changes in the roles and responsibilities traditionally assigned to students and teachers. They require creative solutions, which include the use of innovative pedagogies and technologies.

This 2-day, online workshop brings together scholars in argumentation and technology, creating a shared space for researchers to discuss existing barriers and blind spots and engage in cross-disciplinary collaboration. During the workshop, participants will examine current challenges in argumentation and technology, identify additional areas of concern, explore possible solutions, and create new opportunities for collaboration. Possible research topics may include the following:

On Day 1, workshop participants will present and discuss research projects in their respective disciplines. That is, argumentation experts will introduce educational innovations and engage in a discussion with technology specialists to receive feedback about how technology could be incorporated to support their work. Similarly, technology specialists will discuss their work with argumentation experts. These presentations and discussions will serve as the basis for forming cross-disciplinary teams by the end of Day 1. Each team will have researchers from both argumentation and technology who are interested in exploring opportunities for further collaboration.

On Day 2, workshop participants will work in cross-disciplinary teams to identify opportunities for and barriers to using technology to address specific educational innovations in teaching and learning argumentation. Each team will also discuss possibilities for collaboratively developing grant proposals for a project that incorporates argumentation and innovative technology. At the end of the workshop, participants will complete a survey that addresses ideas, barriers, and opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.