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Essay about No Credibility, No Clue!

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No Credibility, No Clue! In his 2011 article, “Reliance on Online Materials Hinders Learning Potential for Students,” David Smith attempts to build upon student’s obligated online interaction to make a case against online classes. Smith first shows how much today’s learners must use online materials by using the example of his own Alma Mater. By referencing his own experience at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, with MyRED and EBSCO search engine, Smith lays the grounds for the focus of his argument. He then attempts to use what seem to be personal examples of experience with online coursework while begging the question through repeated examples. By failing to establish the credibility of his facts, attempting to force his own …show more content…

Because Smith never offers up any backing for his word, the reader is left to speculate how he came up with all his information and why they should believe anything he has to say. Smith goes on and on, mentioning example after good example while never once backing up what he has to say. Smith fails to cite an outside source or use any statistic to back up what he’s saying. On the other hand, his writing fails to account for his audience, the University of Nebraska—Lincoln Students that are reading The Daily Nebraskan should have a basic understanding of all the things that he mentions: Blackboard; EBSCO; MyRED; but instead Smith builds his argument upon information that is more distracting than helpful (4). Smith introduces his audience to the benefits of online coursework and resources at the beginning of his argument, builds upon what some of these resources are, before finally moving on to explaining how online classes encourage irresponsibility. Finally Smith exposes himself, clearly using his own experience as his only reference. As he begins his argument against online coursework, he cites his own experience, “The instructions for such courses are, at least in my experience, pared down to the following: “Read this by this date, this by this date, and this by this date.’” (11). Going on, many of the sentences in his argument begin with “I” as Smith uses his own opinion and

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