Critical Reading Critical Thinking S0505

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Critical ReadingCritical ThinkingS0505

• Angela Koch
• Student Learning Advisory Service
• Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching

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Agenda

• What is critical reading/ thinking?
• Why is it important?
• Techniques

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New thing?

• Not really.
• Easy ?
• Not really.
• Why not?
• Because you need to engage a part of your brain
  that is not normally used.

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Our brains

• Humans only use 10 of their brains
• Albert Einstein
• we could all be geniuses if we knew how to
  unleash the full potential of our brains

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• Our minds are capable of remarkable, incredible
  feats, yet
• we dont use them to their full capacity. In
  fact, most of us
• only use 10 per cent of our brains, if that. The
  other 90 per
• cent is full of untapped potential and
  undiscovered abilities,
• which means our minds are only operating in a
  very limited
• way instead of at a full stretch. I believe that
  we once had
• full power over our minds. We had to, in order to
  survive, but
• as our world has become more sophisticated and
  complex
• we have forgotten many of the abilities we once
  had.
• 
  
• (Geller,1996)

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Developing critical thinking

• lack of critical thinking can be explained from
  physiological perspective
• previous environment has not encouraged the brain
  to develop that particular part
• need to trigger the part of the brain that has
  been left unused

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Where does this leave you?

• Glad
• that it is not you but your environment?
• Intrigued
• - want to find out more and especially how to
  develop this part of the brain?
• Puzzled
• - dont quite believe that it is that simple?

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Right to be sceptical !

• Theres no proof that we use only 10 of our
  brains (its a widespread myth!).
• Theres no link between this myth and critical
  thinking.

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Or have you been taken in by

• Good standard of language (formal)
• Scientific perspective
• Use of widely accepted premise
• It is common knowledge
• Reference to experts (Albert Einstein)
• Quotation from well-known person
• (Uri Geller)
• Use of words that establish logical links
• (therefore, this explains, similarly )

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Clues

• Use of emotional words
• famous, amazing, well-known
• Appeal to audiences vanity (all geniuses)
• Absence of scientific evidence
• Mentioning Einstein without giving the source
• Uri Geller is an entertainer not a brain expert
• Uri Geller has a vested interest (his livelihood)
• Flawed reasoning (link between psychic powers and
  critical thinking)

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Being critical

• Being analytical
• evaluative
• questioning
• investigative
• sceptical
• challenging
• (synonyms)

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Critical Reading Critical Thinking

• Critical reading technique for discovering
  information ideas
• gt careful, active, reflective, analytical reading
• Critical thinking technique for evaluating
  information ideas
• gt reflecting on validity in light of prior
  reading and understanding of the world

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Example

• Parents are buying expensive cars for their
  children to destroy them.
• Critical reading
• Who or what is them? (parents, cars or
  children?)
• What evidence is given to support this claim?
• Critical thinking
• Is the chosen meaning (claim) true?
• Is it a good idea? Who will benefit / lose out
  from this practice? What will be the impact?

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Reading

• Non-critical
• text provides facts
• Reader memorises the facts and key remarks

• Critical
• text provides portrayal
• facts of one individuals
• take on the subject
• matter
• Reader recognises what is said and how it is said

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Criminological theory text

• The non-critical reader
• takes notes on facts only, e.g.
• Classicism preceded Positivism
• Sheldon proposed the body type theory
• 1960s/1970s study of crime changed, new
• political economy of crime emerged

• The critical reader takes
• notes on e.g.
• the authors particular perspective
• the theorys historical context underlying
  concepts
• the selection of the facts
• links to other developments/ movements
• relevance to todays situation/ society

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Critical reading techniques

• Deep or intensive reading techniques
• surveying the text
• reading more than once
• reading in chunks
• stopping to check comprehension (block- break-
  review)
• questioning the text
• taking notes
• making comments in the margins
• identifying a line of reasoning
• identifying evidence
• identifying assumptions
• identifying conclusion
• and
  evaluating these!

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Tools of critical reading

• Analysis (to know what to look for)
• gt You have to recognise the aspects of the
  discussion that control the meaning.
• Interpretation (what to make of it)
• gt You have to interpret the data and facts,
• within the text and within the wider context.

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Tools of critical reading (cont.)

• Analyse interpret the authors portrayal of the
  topic gtgt to identify the authors purpose.
• Examine the choices the author made concerning
  - content
• - structure
• - language
• Consider their effect on the meaning

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Queen Elizabeth II by Annie Leibovitz 2007
Portrayal of the same subject But what are the
intentions ?
Queen Elizabeth II by Lucian Freud, 2001
Queen Elizabeth II by unknown 2007 in these
fast-moving times
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Example Hayward Morrison (2005)Theoretical
criminology a starting point

• Critical reading
• Does it merely restate facts on the different
  criminological theories?
• Does it discuss aspect of the theories?
• Does it analyse and interpret the theories?
• What is the central message?
• What kind of evidence is offered?
• Is there a criticism?
  and more !

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Example Hayward Morrison (2005)Theoretical
criminology a starting point

• Critical thinking
• How is it different from/ similar to other texts
  on the same topics, e.g. Walklate (2007)
  Perspectives in criminological theory with
  respect to
• - choice of content/ key information/ evidence
• - choice of structure/ presentation/ approach
• - choice of language /emphasis
• - authors purpose or portrayal

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Why discuss critical reading and critical
thinking on SO505 ?

• Heavy reading load
• gt understand the underlying structure of the
  module (readings will make more sense)
• Complex mix of theories
• gt identify and understand the underlying
  connections (no theory was developed in isolation)

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The intended subject specific learning
outcomes(Point 11 in Module Specification, 2005)

• SO505 Theories of Crime and Deviance builds upon
  the knowledge
• and skills developed at Stage 1 in SO305
  Introduction to Criminology.
• It will augment these skills by
• Describing and assessing a range of theoretical
  accounts of crime and deviance and their control
• Further developing the understanding of the
  social, economic and cultural dimensions of crime
  and deviance
• Building on awareness of classical and
  contemporary ideas about the cultural and
  ideological character of crime and deviance
• Developing an understanding of the links between
  sociological theorizing of crime and deviance and
  the socio-historical context in which these
  theories emerged
• Building on existing ability to apply research
  evidence to understandings of deviance, social
  control and related social problems.

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The intended generic learning outcomes (Point 12
in Module Specification, 2005)

• On successful completion of this module, students
  will be able to show
• Progression in ability to present arguments in
  oral form, throughdeveloping skills in seminar
  presentation. Groups members will ask and respond
  to questions in a bid to facilitate discussion.
• Advancement of existing skills in regard to the
  organisation ofinformation in a clear and
  coherent manner, through essay writing, and
  seminar-based group discussion of completed
  essays.
• Be able to synthesise items of knowledge from
  different schools and disciplines of enquiry.
• Show progression in development of research
  skills through advanced library investigation,
  critical debate and essay writing.
• Develop enhanced research and organisational
  skills by using library e-journal and other
  on-line resources

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Critical thinking when writing

• Analyse the question
• (implicit and explicit instruction verbs)
• Check Learning Outcomes
• Module structure (all lecture topics)
• - overarching themes
• - opposing or complementing ideas
• Have strong argument

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Evaluation the ability to make a judgement about
the value of something by using a standard
(appraise, argue, assess, attach, compare,
defend, estimate, judge, predict, rate, select,
support, evaluate)
Blooms Taxonomy (1956)
Synthesis the ability to combine existing
elements in order to create something original
(arrange, collect, compose, construct, design,
develop, organize, plan, propose)
Analysis the ability to break content into
components in order to identify parts, see
relationships among them, and recognize
organizational principles (analyse, appraise,
calculate, categorize, compare, contrast,
criticize, differentiate, distinguish, examine,
question, test)
Application the ability to use a learned skill
in a new situation (apply, demonstrate, employ,
illustrate, interpret, sketch, solve, use, write)

Understanding basic level of understanding, the
ability to know what is being communicated in
order to make use of the information (classify,
describe, discuss, explain, identify, report,
review)
Knowledge starting point, includes both the
acquisition of information and the ability to
recall information when needed (define, label,
list, memorize, order, relate )
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For a strong argument

• Provide evidence
• Have a structured line of reasoning
• Clear and coherent language
• Make links between points
• Provide interim conclusions that lead to
• A well supported final conclusion

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Possible barriers to critical thinking

• Emotional involvement
• Ignorance
• Prejudice
• Lack of focus or attention to detail
• Focus of facts only
• Understanding critical as purely negative
• Awe of experts, reluctance to critique experts
• Lack of practice

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Summary Critical thinking

• Recognising reasoning
• Drawing recognising conclusion
• Identifying unstated assumption
• Appraising evidence
• Evaluating statements
• gt Skill to be developed over time, with practice

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Good Luck

• Student Learning Advisory Service