Understanding Critical Thinking
Critical Analysis Skills
Understanding critical thinking
Have you ever received feedback on a piece of work that tells you to 'be more critical' or to 'be less descriptive'? If you have received such feedback, have you known how to address this for future work?
Alternatively, have you ever received a coursework question that starts with the instruction to 'critically evaluate' or 'critically analyse' and not really known how to address this?
If so, then you need to work through this skills mini-module. In this module we are going to start by gaining an understanding of what 'critical' really means. We are then going to look at how you can write an essay that is 'critical'. We will end the module by looking at the difference between critical and descriptive writing, to give you more understanding of what critical writing actually looks like.
Before we start, if you have received comments about a piece of work that asks you to be more critical read through that work now. Keep referring back to it as you work through this mini-module, and hopefully you will start to have a clearer idea about what the marker meant.
What is critical thinking?
When we read something there are, broadly speaking, two approaches that we can take. One approach is to read and take in what has been written and to accept all that we have read. Another approach is to think about what we are reading and question it. Questioning is the basis of critical thinking.
When you read critically you should be thinking of different points of view. You should be evaluating what you are reading. You should be asking if there is sufficient evidence to support what is being written. You should be asking whether the conclusions that have been drawn are based on fact.
When you write critically you should be presenting the different points of view. You should be comparing and contrasting the different information. You should be commenting on the differences and similarities that you have
Understanding critical thinking
Have you ever received feedback on a piece of work that tells you to 'be more critical' or to 'be less descriptive'? If you have received such feedback, have you known how to address this for future work?
Alternatively, have you ever received a coursework question that starts with the instruction to 'critically evaluate' or 'critically analyse' and not really known how to address this?
If so, then you need to work through this skills mini-module. In this module we are going to start by gaining an understanding of what 'critical' really means. We are then going to look at how you can write an essay that is 'critical'. We will end the module by looking at the difference between critical and descriptive writing, to give you more understanding of what critical writing actually looks like.
Before we start, if you have received comments about a piece of work that asks you to be more critical read through that work now. Keep referring back to it as you work through this mini-module, and hopefully you will start to have a clearer idea about what the marker meant.
What is critical thinking?
When we read something there are, broadly speaking, two approaches that we can take. One approach is to read and take in what has been written and to accept all that we have read. Another approach is to think about what we are reading and question it. Questioning is the basis of critical thinking.
When you read critically you should be thinking of different points of view. You should be evaluating what you are reading. You should be asking if there is sufficient evidence to support what is being written. You should be asking whether the conclusions that have been drawn are based on fact.
When you write critically you should be presenting the different points of view. You should be comparing and contrasting the different information. You should be commenting on the differences and similarities that you have