The Institute for Psychology of the University of Neuchâtel contributes to Argumentum with specific competences on the educational environment, and on the role of argumentation in education.
Educational research is presently interested in better understanding under which psychosocial conditions argumentation is possible and likely to occur. The teaching of argumentation skills is a complex task, given the multiplicity of aspects involved beyond the pure argumentative process (in particular, social and psychological aspects).

Nevertheless, teaching such subjects as science, mathematics, history, civic education, etc. via argumentative debates opens the way for students to a deeper understanding of the type of knowledge developed by these disciplines and of the role of controversies, argumentative interventions and other sources in their historical development.

The Neuchâtel partner has been involved in a European research project named DUNES ( Dialogic and argUmentative Negotiation Educational Software) (www.dunes.gr). The DUNES project goal is to design, implement and test an environment for collaborative learning through electronic discussion . It addresses the challenge of promoting constructivist learning by building on the graphical representation of the argumentative discussion as the learning engine.

Contribution:
Argumentation in the pedagogical interactions; argumentation in Argumentation and pedagogy of sciences.

Work assignments:
Contents: argumentation in pedagogical contexts (C04, C06, C08). Argumentation and pedagogy of sciences (Repository theoretical kernels).
Responsible for the French language.