Three Sources, One Weak Claim
A student writes a 700-word essay arguing that 'online courses are not as good as face-to-face classes.' The draft relies on one anecdote about a boring Zoom lecture and the claim that 'everyone knows online classes are easier.' The student has a source packet with three items. Study A followed 1,200 students at one university and found no significant difference in final exam scores between online and in-person sections; it was peer-reviewed. Survey B polled 300 community college students; 62% said they preferred in-person classes, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points. College C reported pass rates of 78% online and 81% in person, but its online sections enrolled more part-time students. The essay is due tomorrow, and the student wants to use all three sources to sound authoritative.
1. Recommend which evidence to use and how to integrate it without overgeneralizing.
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Use Study A as the central evidence because it directly compares outcomes and is peer-reviewed, but qualify it: one university, 1,200 students, final exam scores only. Use Survey B only to support a claim about preference, not effectiveness: 'In one survey, 62% preferred in-person classes, though the margin of error is plus or minus 5.7 points.' Use College C cautiously: pass-rate gaps may reflect the higher share of part-time students, so the writer should either control for that factor or present the data as inconclusive.
Do not use all three to 'sound authoritative'; that invites overgeneralization. A defensible thesis would be: 'Online courses can be as effective as in-person courses for some students, but they are not a universal substitute, and completion supports may matter more than format.' Integrate sources by explaining what each can and cannot show.
2. The student drafts: 'Online learning is a failure.' Evaluate this sentence in light of the sources.
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'Online learning is a failure' is not supported by the sources and would damage the essay's credibility. Study A found no significant difference in exam scores, which contradicts a blanket failure claim. Survey B shows a preference for in-person classes, not that online learning fails. College C's pass-rate gap is real but confounded by part-time enrollment. The sentence also overgeneralizes from 'some online courses' to 'online learning' as a whole.
A better sentence would be: 'Online learning is not a failure, but it may be a poorer fit for students who need structure and contact with instructors.' That version is arguable, precise, and consistent with the evidence.
3. Identify one missing piece of evidence that would strengthen the argument, and explain what it would add.
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Missing evidence: completion or withdrawal data broken down by student characteristics, or a controlled comparison of online and in-person sections taught by the same instructors with similar student populations. This would add a stronger test of effectiveness than pass rates alone, because it would reduce selection bias and show whether format or student preparation drives outcomes.
Alternatively, the student could use survey data on why students prefer in-person classes, such as access to instructors or scheduling. That would clarify the mechanism behind the preference. The essay currently has evidence about scores and preferences, but it lacks evidence about who succeeds online and under what conditions.