Working with the argument maps that are at the heart of Rationale has been shown to produce a dramatic increase in students’ critical thinking ability. Rationale is a software tool that helps students grasp the essence of good essay-writing: structure.
Video: Plan and write a great essay with Rationale
(3 min; click “Full Screen” icon to enlarge)
(3 min; click “Full Screen” icon to enlarge)
Which activities?
Rationale is great for:- Learning to analyze and think critically
- Writing tasks: argumentative essays, opinion pieces and text analysis
- Debate preparation
- Capturing class discussion
Which subjects?
Rationale is especially useful across tertiary and secondary education in situations in which teachers ask students to provide reasons, objections and rebuttals and evidence for whatever claim they make, for example in subjects like Law, English, Social studies, History and Philosophy.
What’s in it for teachers? The methodology Critical Thinking with Rationale
- Rationale assists teachers by providing built-in guidance, critical thinking exercises (similar to these) and essay templates to make students’ learning more effective, engaging and enjoyable.
- Austhink has developed a complete methodology to develop critical thinking skills: Critical Thinking with Rationale. It includes teaching materials for a course Critical Thinking on tertiary level: the book Critical Thinking with Rationale , Powerpoint lessons, exercises, exams and much more. See our European site for more information and/or contact us.
