DCU Student Learning

Critical Thinking for Undergrads

1. What is Being Critical?

2. Critical Thinking in Assignments

3. What’s an Argument?

4. Getting What You Need from What You Read

Learning Aims

• Developing a questioning attitude towards what you read

• Looking for alternatives in what you read:

Asking why/how something happens Asking why something is important Asking …… ??

Being a Critical Student

Critical Cycle

- Show understanding of topic (ie) relevant reading and summarise main points, key information - Apply knowledge (ie) select only relevant information- Original ideas (ie) your analysis of topic- Valid argument (ie) your position on topic, supported by evidence; egs consider a range of views

Being Critical In Assignments

• Academic essays usually require an argument

• You are being asked to present your position on the essay topic and to support your position with reasons

What’s an Argument?

• Genetic Engineering really worries me. I don’t think it should be allowed

• That doesn’t convince me. I think genetic engineering is really exciting

Is It An Argument?

• Genetic engineering should be curtailed because there hasn’t been sufficient research into what happens when new varieties are created without natural predators to hold them in check

Is it an argument?

• Different types of reading strategies for different texts:

Novels, Magazines Website Info

• Academic Texts: Critical Reading

Purpose – a specific objective

Selective – focused on questions

Active – effective, targeted,

motivated

Reading Academic Texts

• Is a technique for discovering information and ideas in a text

• Involves reading with a purpose: to fully understand the merits and limitations of what a text says and does

Critical reading…

Your notes should identify

1. What is said:

what is the argument (what are you

being asked to accept as true)

2. What examples are given:

what does the text focus on, how is the

topic narrowed down

3. What kind of evidence is supplied:

what citations/authorities, samples/

cases, when/timeframe etc 

Active Reading Strategies

• Non-critical reading

– restates text

(ie) examines what a text says

• Descriptive reading

– examines what a text does

 • Critical reading

– evaluates or interprets the text

Critical v Descriptive Reading

Your doctor tells you to

eat less chocolate and drink less beer

 

• A restatement would repeat the statement:

The doctor said I should eat less chocolate & drink less beer.

 • A description would describe the remark:

The doctor advised me to change my diet

 • An evaluation/interpretation would find underlying

meaning:

The doctor warned me to reduce my calories for the

sake of my health

 

Evaluation attempts to find the significance of the text – (eg) that the foods mentioned are high calorie

• Next Semester:

Moving From Descriptive Writing

To Critical Writing

• Critical Reading is the first step to writing critically!

Follow-Up Workshop