argument of fact and definition

Hugo Azevedo
Jane Moody
4/8/10
ENC 1102 Sec 0105
In Class Essay On Lunsford
After reading about arguments of fact and definition I have concluded that my essay cannot be designated into one group because it is a combination of both. My argument attempts to redefine people’s view of video games, which are generally seen as a waste of time, into a more positive one because of the potential of video games to become a powerful educational tool. I attempt to accomplish this by presenting the case studies done by researchers on this very subject and that is why my argument is a mixture of both definition and fact.
At first I was on the fence about what kind of argument my essay would be until I read the Lunsford book. The section about arguments of definition is what swayed my opinion on my own argument. The part that said that an argument of definition is a “claim involving a question of definition” (Lunsford 233) didn’t really draw my attention until I considered what my paper was really about. My essay is attempting to change people’s view of video games, which has always been a negative one, usually seen as being a waste of time, into a more positive one because I have found through my research that if used properly they can completely change the way students learn. I was writing an argument of definition the whole time and not even realizing it until I read Lunsford. Now the reason why I believe that my argument is not only one of definition but also one of fact is because the way in which I try to redefine the way people see video games is through the factual information I have found through my research.
While my paper is mostly an argument of definition it is only strong because of the factual information that I used to strengthen my points which would also make this an argument of fact because, according to Lunsford, arguments of fact “offer substantial and authoritative evidence to support your claims” (Lunsford 194). That is exactly what my argument does; it provides factual evidence that video games CAN be constructed and used for educational purposes and that they will be very productive because this generation of students that fully rely on technology are better equipped to learn this way. So while my paper may be an argument of definition, it is only so because of the factual information and evidence I have gathered through research.

Core 3 Reflection

My topic is whether or not video games affect digital literacy and I believe they do. Before I started researching I thought that I would be alone on this issue but I found a lot of support. Many people agree that video games can have a positive effect on a person’s digital literacy and they also believe that video games have the potential to be part of a student’s education in the future. After seeing how many helpful articles there were on this subject, my research process just became a matter of choosing a few of them from the bunch. My argument will mostly serve to convince those against my views, and those undecided on the issue, that my points are valid.