Discussion, Analyze the Pro/Con in “The Value of a College Education”

Go to CQ Researcher and find the article “The Value of a College Education” by Thomas Billitteri.  Go to the “Pro/Con” section of the article.  The question presented here is, “Should college preparatory and career-training programs get equal priority?” Read both sides and answer the following questions. It will be helpful to read pp. 604-609 in Back to the Lake and the Powerpoint notes in the module before you begin.

1. Who are the two men each presenting their claim? What are their qualifications?

2. (a) Is the Pro claim plausible? Why or why not?

(b) Is the Con claim plausible?  Why or why not?

(c) With which claim do you agree?  Why?  (Note that it is possible to see both claims as plausible, and to see a claim as plausible with which you do not personally agree.)

3. Are these two claims rooted more in argument or persuasion? Explain.  (Do not guess.  Refer to p. 605 in Back to the Lake or to the Powerpoint notes in the module to learn the difference between the two.  This question is not a matter of opinion; there is a right and wrong answer.)
4. Find an example of each of the following. Examples may come from either or both essays.

(a) Fact

(b) Statistic

(c) Example

(d) Personal experience

5. Looking at either argument, which piece of evidence did you find to be (a) the strongest? Why? (b) the weakest?  Why?

6. Think of evidence that you could add to one of the claims to make it stronger. What would it be?  Why?