RAIL

A screen shot of Rationale Online, click for a larger view.

It’s no secret to regular readers here that I’m a big fan of argument mapping. I’ve written about it several times and it’s come to be a very important component of my teaching. That’s why I’m happy to have added Rationale Online, a web-based version of the Rationale software package, to the RAIL Resources page.  Beyond merely listing it there, though, I thought I’d put up a short post about it as I think it really does represent a positive step in the evolution of argument diagramming software for the classroom.

The diagramming system used in Rationale Online is a descendant of that pioneered by Tim van Gelder (some will remember Reason!Able), wherein one can diagram both arguments and various sorts of rebuttals, with or without incorporating various sorts of argument schemes from a number of different models. Kritisch Denken, a company based in the Netherlands has taken what was great about the earlier incarnations of van Gelder’s diagramming system, preserved it, and extended its utility with some shiny new code, an excellent and intuitive user interface, and a wealth of supporting materials including an e-book, sample diagrams, and support for languages other than English, just to name a few. The developers’ blog can be found here. I have been playing with Rationale Online throughout the beta testing phase and have really come to love it. It’s become the one exception to my standing preference for using free, open source software for this kind of thing. I still love Araucaria, Carneades, and iLogos, and they’re all still excellent research tools that won’t be leaving my toolbox anytime soon. That said, they’re tough to teach to students and hard to use on the fly in the classroom. Rationale Online may cost money, but it’s exactly right for teaching argument diagramming in class.

One additional point about the supporting materials that bears mention is their potential usefulness not just for curricular development but for training students, graduate students or even adjuncts in the use of argument mapping. The team at Kritisch Denken also has and is willing to share a good deal of their research about the efficacy of argument mapping for teaching critical thinking and composition too. To their great credit, they take argumentation and critical thinking research very seriously. That the licensing system in use for Rationale Online offers an educational discount for students is another big plus. If you need to make a case for getting this program or one like it adopted for your students, all of these things are a great help.

Free trial accounts are available if you want to get a sense of how the program works. I’d say this is worth your time even your interest in argument mapping is wholly research-based. If your pedagogical approach makes heavy use of diagramming too, however, then being able to test out the program before deciding if you want to have your students use it is absolutely invaluable. Do check it out! I know I’ll be trying it out in my classroom this year. I’d be interested to hear from others who are doing so as well.