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Two year ago Nova High School began to use interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects.The school dropout rate declined immediately, and last year’s graduates have reported some impressive achievements in college. In future budgets the school board should use a greater portion of available funds to buy more computers, and all schools in the district should adopt interactive computer instruction throughout the curriculum.
The argument concludes that the declined dropout rate and graduates’ achievements in college are the direct results of using interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects in Nova High School, and therefore encourages the school board to assign more available funds to buy more computers and all schools in the district should adopt interactive computer instruction throughout the curriculum. Nevertheless, this argument is faulty in several respects.
In the first place, the argument does not provide enough evidence to justify its assumption that interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects in Nova High School contribute significantly to the lowered dropout rate and graduates’ impressive achievements in college. The mere fact that the usage of the interactive computer instruction predates the followed dropout rate and graduates’ achievements in college is insufficient ground to conclude that the interactive computer instruction are the cause of the lowered dropout rate and some achievements. Many other factors may bring about the same results. The Nova High School may adjust its recruitment policy: to enroll as many disciplined, creative and talented students as possible.
In the second place, what we can learn from a narrow focus may be coherent and logically sound but may be irrelevant or fallacious within the framework of a broader perspective. Even though the interactive computer instruction in the three academic subjects do contribute significantly to lower the dropout rate and to facilitate the achievements in college, it cannot by no means guarantee the success it achieved in the three subjects can be transferred to the other subjects.
In the third place, if the argument is not convincing about the contribution of the interactive computer instruction, how can this policy be promoted and encouraged that the other schools should allocate a greater portion of available funds to buy more computers? What if the available funds are limited and are supposed to improve the infrastructure facilities such as the library and the teaching building?
In conclusion, the argument is not well-reasoned and even fallacious. Although the interactive computer instruction maybe a useful tool in lowering the dropout rate and helping graduates achieve, its contribution should be carefully evaluated before its wild promotion to other schools. Otherwise, those schools adopting this policy will more or less suffer unnecessary losses.
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