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Praise for How Arguments Work

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  • Page ID
    162219

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    Praise from Teachers

    • “I've been using your text for almost a year now, and I think it's fantastic. It works perfectly for our Comp 2 class.”
      – Susan Stafinbil, Arapahoe Community College
    • "The chapters on argument are well-developed and easy for a student to follow. Rather than simply defining “rhetorical situation” or “logos/pathos/ethos,” the writer does a nice job of explaining them in student-friendly, relevant language and illustrates how to use them as well as how to recognize when they are misused. This allows students to better understand and apply the knowledge as they evaluate arguments and learn how to construct their own." -- Jean Mittelstaedt, Chemeketa Community College
      • The textbook has many assets for the 100-level composition course, specifically those focused on argument evaluation and development. The language is approachable, the breadth is comprehensive, and the depth is appropriate. The Teacher's Guide at the end offers excellent resources, including quizzes, assignments, course maps, and lesson plans. In the model of They Say/ I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, the textbook leans heavily on teaching students how to read, analyze, and use the common phrases of academic writing. Having taught with They Say/I Say, this textbook develops many more concepts than Graff and Birkenstein, making it possible to use as the single text in the composition class... The chapters provide an introductory understanding of a wide range of composition content including argument, academic research, the writing process, and writing conventions.
      • The content is accurate, unbiased, and error-free...
      • The textbook provides a variety of examples of claims on relevant topics today...
      • The brief introductions to evidence and logical fallacies are the right fit for 100-level composition students who are new to the rhetorical terminology. The definitions and examples are explained in simple terms. The overview of the research process, source evaluation, and MLA format is also simple and straightforward.
      • The textbook is organized with clear scaffolding and building of concepts."
      – Liz Onufer, College of Eastern Idaho 
    • “The text is written in lucid, accessible prose, and provides adequate context for any jargon/technical terminology used…The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion…Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time…I have found that the How Arguments Work text covers most everything under the sun. For sure, this OER text is a blessing. I can pull information to use not only in my argumentative and research writing courses, but in both my composition and business writing courses!”
      – Tim Marmack, University of Hawaii Maui College

    • “Given a choice, I would adopt this text in a heartbeat for any first or second-year composition course focused on teaching the principles of writing and responding to writing across the disciplines. I already envision using material from this resource to supplement content for students in the Comp 1 and Comp 2 courses I regularly teach.”
      – Vicki Towne, University of the People

    • “My students are responding so powerfully to the book! This is a powerful addition to the composition class, particularly as a means of equity pedagogy - developing critical thinking, argumentation and writing for students who have often been left out of the academic conversation.”
      – Sarah Sullivan, Mission College (a How Arguments Work contributor)

    • “Anna Mills' How Argument Works is a comprehensive and equitable guide to everything your students should know to do well in first-year writing courses. It's informative and useful without being excessively wordy, it's dynamic, and it teaches students the moves that matter in writing (definitely finding some inspiration in They Say/I Say while also striking out on its own). What makes this an especially valuable resource are the Canvas tools and supplemental information that comes with it. Helpful for students AND teachers.”
      – Ryan Hitch, Norco College (a How Arguments Work contributor)

    Praise from Students 

    • “I felt like I learned and improved a lot more than I ever did, all the class reading helped me. Class reading should be something that will also help future students. You shouldn't change anything! “
    • “It was all beneficial and all part of a larger whole, so I don't think anything should be removed and I'm not sure if anything should be added. Reading it did help me.”
    • “The most useful thing for me is the fact that you added some single phrase examples after every specific explanation on how to identify reasons, claims, thesis and other stuff.”
    • “I found the sectioning and subsections to be very useful and organized and easier to reference.” 
    • “The important thing I learned… is being able to summarize and read materials closely. I would struggle to write before but now I can write more comfortably. “
    • “I will always remember about the slow thinking process that you mentioned in earlier chapters. It is actually a super helpful tip as I have a tendency to speak before thinking properly.”
    • “I think your structure… is put together very well and it’s straight to the point where you’re trying to do. “
    • “I have always been a bad student, but this class very much encouraged me to do my best and to put in hard work. I think the class is well done and well designed.”
    • “I think I learned a lot. I felt hopeless before this course. “
    • “I enjoyed all of it.”

    Note: This student feedback was collected anonymously in Anna Mills' composition course at City College of San Francisco in Spring 2022. Respondents indicated that they were willing for the feedback to be shared.

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