Argument in Reading: what does it involve and how can students become better critical readers?

One of the biggest problems in Higher Education, but one which is often not fully recognised by either students or teachers until some way into academic courses, is the problem of reading, perhaps because reading in itself is not assessed. However, the results or output from reading are assessed. Students are often overwhelmed by the quantity of reading required and fail to adequately exploit or benefit from their reading efforts when they themselves write or give presentations. Tutors complain about the lack of critical argument in much student work. This paper takes argument in reading as a central touchstone to academic study, discusses some views of the source of the difficulty and makes some suggestions which have proved to be helpful.