The Benefits of Using Handouts

The Benefits of Using HandoutsAt a time when students are often less likely to complete written work and are more inclined to look at pictures of models instead, samples of argumentative essay answers are now being employed more in today's college education. The introduction of these 'handouts' has proven successful and useful. However, while the students have become more reliant on their handouts for the answers to many questions, they often fail to perform the proper critical thinking skills required to see if their handouts are really providing them with any practical knowledge.Because the students believe that the sample arguments are often more detailed and elaborate than the research paper, some of them are not able to comprehend all the implications of the information presented. When the students miss out on a good chunk of the details, they often remain at the end of the handout, convinced that they have found the answer but not being able to identify what the answer is. And when they do not be able to identify the question, they are not able to probe further into the different aspects of the argument.It is important to remember that there are only a few minutes left for the students to prepare for the real questions that they have to address. Students might get involved in a discussion that would help them become aware of more specific aspects of the argument and improve their grasp of the subject matter. But the chances of that happening are highly unlikely.More importantly, students would rather avoid writing something on paper than writing something on the handouts. This is because a student is likely to add important data and fill in some gaps in the argument. This enables the students to do some better writing and sharpening of their skills in fine-tuning the argument.When a student writes a real paper, it becomes very difficult to grasp the arguments that are being advanced because the student is able to manage the format of the paper. He is able to compose the paper in such a way that there area number of topics to be covered and the words used are all provided as samples. The teacher is not impressed by the verbal prowess of the student in writing an essay on a subject in which he or she is not proficient in writing and might wonder how a student is able to write so well and use all the resources of literature without the students having to look beyond the pages of the handouts.On the other hand, handouts allow the students to explore the topic and find out what the writer really knows. When the samples are introduced, the student can easily write the argument and note where the errors have been made. He or she will not be able to find the answer even if they thoroughly go through the pages of the handouts.An argument is made out of the sample. In fact, this is the very reason why the actual argument must not be written. While it would be helpful to use the argument for a specific purpose, the author can make use of the s amples to learn more about the topic than by using the examples provided by the handouts.