Subjects

Counter arguments
It is often useful to acknowledge the counter-arguments to the approach which you are recommending. This places your proposal or argument in context. It also anticipates potential criticism and shows that you can view the topic from all angles. You are then free to conclude in favour of your original argument - or come to some kind of balanced conclusion. Your own argument will then probably also appear stronger to your reader.

EXAMPLES The writer is arguing in favour of continuous assessment. Counter-argument dealt with: common student viewpoint (that continuous assessment unsatisfactory because feedback is slow)

Continuous assessment has always been seen as a somewhat contentious issue by the student population, with many students feeling that while assignments are set during the teaching period, more often than not it is still not until the very end of the term/semester that they can actually gauge their performance.

Writer is arguing in favour of new technologies. Counter-argument dealt with: academics' viewpoint that learning is depersonalised. Conclusion: no evidence to suggest that this is true

There are many academics who believe that the new technologies cannot provide the necessary learning environment for students, and that personal contact such as that achieved in a tutorial/lecture method is more effective. The feeling is that to depersonalise the learning experience can lead to students falling by the wayside as a result of a lack of mentioning and monitoring. However there is no real evidence to suggest that the traditional methods achieved particularly high standards anyway.

MORE SOPHISTICATED EXAMPLE
Writer is arguing in favour of the Web's potential ('Despite its great potential'). Counter-argument dealt with: limitations and risks of the web. Conclusion: We expect similar developments to continue to enhance server software. Writer concludes with a note of warning: 'It should be noted that...'

Despite its great potential, it is important to realize that the World Wide Web has its limitations, too, and to consider mechanisms that will help overcome these limitations for educational and community users. For example, the Java servers developed by Sun Microsystems can go beyond some of the limitations of the hypertext markup language that forms the basis of the World Wide Web. Java allows a server to pass new mini- applications to the client machine. Because these applications can be of greater complexity than standard Web pages and because they are not limited by the constraints of the hypertext transfer protocol that underlies all Web pages, the Java mechanism greatly expands the functionality of the Web environment.
We expect similar developments to continue to enhance server software and improve environments for developing and presenting online multimedia materials. It should be noted that the act of passing executable code to a client machine carries with it a strong risk of introducing viruses or Trojan horses on the client machine, so this type of technology should be carefully monitored as it develops.