A preliminary study on the effects of visualizing argumentation quality on the elementary student in computer-supported collaborative argumentation

[[abstract]]This study explored the effects of visualizing argument quality on elementary students in online argumentation. It was hypothesized that visualization of student’s argument quality could contribute to successful argumentation. An argumentation environment was augmented with a visualization tool (VT). The VT visualized the quality of arguments contributed by each student. Using a posttest-only design with a treatment (N = 13) and a control group (N = 12), it was examined whether students with access to the VT generated arguments with higher quality. The results show that the VT has a promising impact for students to learn argumentation and develop argumentative skills.