critical thinking academic writing and presentation skills question paper 2017

Academic Writing: Critical Thinking & Writing

• Academic Writing
• Planning your writing
• Structuring your assignment
• Critical Thinking & Writing
• Building an argument
• Reflective Writing
• Summarising, paraphrasing and quoting

Critical Thinking

One of the most important features of studying at university is the expectation that you will engage in thinking critically about your subject area. 

Critical thinking involves asking meaningful questions concerning the information, ideas, beliefs, and arguments that you will encounter. It requires you to approach your studies with a curious, open mind, discard preconceptions, and interrogate received knowledge and established practices.

Critical thinking is key to successfully expressing your individuality as an independent learner and thinker in an academic context. It is also a valuable life skill. 

Critical thinking enables you to:

• Evaluate information, its validity and significance in a particular context.
• Analyse and interpret evidence and data in response to a line of enquiry.
• Weigh-up alternative explanations and arguments.
• Develop your own evidence-based and well-reasoned arguments.
• Develop well-informed viewpoints.
• Formulate your own independent, justifiable ideas.
• Actively engage with the wider scholarship of your academic community.

Writing Critically

Being able to demonstrate and communicate critical thinking in your written assignments through critical writing is key to achieving academic success. 

Critical writing can be distinguished from descriptive writing which is concerned with conveying information rather than interrogating information. Understanding the difference between these two styles of academic writing and when to use them is important.

The balance between descriptive writing and critical writing will vary depending on the nature of the assignment and the level of your studies. Some level of descriptive writing is generally necessary to support critical writing. More sophisticated criticality is generally required at higher levels of study with less descriptive content. You will continue to develop your critical writing skills as you progress through your course.

Descriptive Writing and Critical Writing

• Descriptive Writing
• Critical Writing
• Examples of Critical Writing

Descriptive writing demonstrates the knowledge you have of a subject, and your knowledge of what other people say about that subject.  Descriptive writing often responds to questions framed as ‘what’ , ‘where’ , ‘who’ and ‘when’ .

Descriptive writing might include the following:

• Description of what something is or what it is about (an account, facts, observable features, details): a topic, problem, situation, or context of the subject under discussion.
• Description of where it takes place (setting and context), who is involved and when it occurs. 
• Re-statement or summary of what others say about the topic.
• Background facts and information for a discussion.

Description usually comes before critical content so that the reader can understand the topic you are critically engaging with.

Critical writing requires you to apply interpretation, analysis, and evaluation to the descriptions you have provided. Critical writing often responds to questions framed as ‘how’ or ‘why’ . Often, critical writing will require you to build an argument which is supported by evidence. 

Some indicators of critical writing are:

• Investigation of positive and negative perspectives on ideas
• Supporting ideas and arguments with evidence, which might include authoritative sources, data, statistics, research, theories, and quotations
• Balanced, unbiased appraisal of arguments and counterarguments/alternative viewpoints
• Honest recognition of the limitations of an argument and supporting evidence
• Plausible, rational, convincing, and well-reasoned conclusions 

Critical writing might include the following:

• Applying an idea or theory to different situations or relate theory to practice. Does the idea work/not work in practice? Is there a factor that makes it work/not work? For example: 'Smith's (2008) theory on teamwork is effective in the workplace because it allows a diverse group of people with different skills to work effectively'.
• Justifying why a process or policy exists. For example: 'It was necessary for the nurse to check the patient's handover notes because...'
• Proposing an alternative approach to view and act on situations. For example: 'By adopting a Freirian approach, we could view the student as a collaborator in our teaching and learning'. Or: 'If we had followed the NMC guidelines we could have made the patient feel calm and relaxed during the consultation'.
• Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of an idea/theory/policy. Why does this idea/theory/policy work? Or why does this idea not work? For example: 'Although Smith's (2008) theory on teamwork is useful for large teams, there are challenges in applying this theory to teams who work remotely'. 
• Discussion of how the idea links to other ideas in the field (synthesis). For example: 'the user experience of parks can be greatly enhanced by examining Donnelly's (2009) customer service model used in retail’.
• Discussion of how the idea compares and contrasts with other ideas/theories. For example: ‘The approach advocated by the NMC differs in comparison because of factor A and factor C’.
• Discussion of the ‘’up-to-datedness” and relevance of an idea/theory/policy (its currency). For example: 'although this approach was successful in supporting the local community, Smith's model does not accommodate the needs of a modern global economy'. 
• Evaluating an idea/theory/policy by providing evidence-informed judgment. For example: 'Therefore, May's delivery model should be discontinued as it has created significant issues for both customers and staff (Ransom, 2018)'.
• Creating new perspectives or arguments based on knowledge. For example: 'to create strong and efficient buildings, we will look to the designs provided by nature. The designs of the Sydney Opera House are based on the segments of an orange (Cook, 2019)'. 

Further Reading

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• Last Updated: Apr 12, 2024 3:27 PM
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Academic writing: a practical guide

Criticality in academic writing.

• Academic writing
• The writing process
• Academic writing style
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Being critical is at the heart of academic writing, but what is it and how can you incorporate it into your work?

What is criticality?

What is critical thinking.

Have you ever received feedback in a piece of work saying 'be more critical' or 'not enough critical analysis' but found yourself scratching your head, wondering what that means? Dive into this bitesize workshop to discover what it is and how to do it:

Critical Thinking: What it is and how to do it (bitesize workshop)[YouTube]

University-level work requires both descriptive and critical elements. But what's the difference?

Descriptive

Being descriptive shows what you know about a topic and provides the evidence to support your arguments. It uses simpler processes like  remembering , understanding and applying . You might summarise previous research, explain concepts or describe processes.

Being critical pulls evidence together to build your arguments; what does it all mean together? It uses more complex processes: analysing ,  evaluating and creating . You might make comparisons, consider reasons and implications, justify choices or consider strengths and weaknesses.

Bloom's Taxonomy  is a useful tool to consider descriptive and critical processes:

Bloom's Taxonomy [YouTube]  |  Bloom's Taxonomy [Google Doc]

Find out more about critical thinking:

What is critical writing?

Academic writing requires criticality; it's not enough to just describe or summarise evidence, you also need to analyse and evaluate information and use it to build your own arguments. This is where you show your own thoughts based on the evidence available, so critical writing is really important for higher grades.

Explore the key features of critical writing and see it in practice in some examples:

Introduction to critical writing [Google Slides]

While we need criticality in our writing, it's definitely possible to go further than needed. We’re aiming for that Goldilocks ‘just right’ point between not critical enough and too critical. Find out more:

Critical reading

Criticality isn't just for writing, it is also important to read critically. Reading critically helps you:

• evaluative whether sources are suitable for your assignments.
• know what you're looking for when reading.
• find the information you need quickly.

Critical reading [Interactive tutorial]  |  Critical reading [Google Doc]

Find out more on our dedicated guides:

Using evidence critically

Academic writing integrates evidence from sources to create your own critical arguments.

We're not looking for a list of summaries of individual sources; ideally, the important evidence should be integrated into a cohesive whole.  What does the evidence mean altogether?  Of course, a critical argument also needs some critical analysis of this evidence.  What does it all mean in terms of your argument?

Find out more about using evidence to build critical arguments in our guide to working with evidence:

Critical language

Critical writing is going to require critical language. Different terms will give different nuance to your argument. Others will just keep things interesting! In the document below we go through some examples to help you out:

Assignment titles: critical or descriptive?

Assignment titles contain various words that show where you need to be descriptive and where you need to be critical. Explore some of the most common instructional words: 

Descriptive instructional words

define : give the precise meaning

examine : look at carefully; consider different aspects

explain : clearly describe how a process works, why a decision was made, or give other information needed to understand the topic

illustrate : explain and describe using examples

outline : give an overview of the key information, leaving out minor details

Critical instructional words

analyse : break down the information into parts, consider how parts work together

discuss : explain a topic, make comparisons, consider strengths & weaknesses, give reasons, consider implications

evaluate : assess something's worth, value or suitability for a purpose - this often leads to making a choice afterwards

justify : show the reasoning behind a choice, argument or standpoint

synthesise : bring together evidence and information to create a cohesive whole, integrate ideas or issues

CC BY-NC-SA Learnhigher

More guidance on breaking down assignment titles:

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• Next: Working with evidence >>
• Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 4:02 PM
• URL: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing

• How it works

What is Critical Thinking in Academics – Guide With Examples

Published by Grace Graffin at October 17th, 2023 , Revised On October 17, 2023

In an era dominated by vast amounts of information, the ability to discern, evaluate, and form independent conclusions is more crucial than ever. Enter the realm of “critical thinking.” But what does this term truly mean? 

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the disciplined art of analysing and evaluating information or situations by applying a range of intellectual skills. It goes beyond mere memorisation or blind acceptance of information, demanding a deeper understanding and assessment of evidence, context, and implications.

Moreover, paraphrasing in sources is an essential skill in critical thinking, as it allows for representing another’s ideas in one’s own words, ensuring comprehension.

Critical thinking is not just an academic buzzword but an essential tool. In academic settings, it serves as the backbone of genuine understanding and the springboard for innovation. When students embrace critical thinking, they move from being passive recipients of information to active participants in their own learning journey.

They question, evaluate, and synthesise information from various sources, fostering an intellectual curiosity that extends beyond the classroom. Part of this involves understanding how to integrate sources into their work, which means not only including information from various places, but also doing so in a cohesive and logical way.

The importance of critical thinking in academics cannot be overstated. It equips students with the skills to discern credible sources from unreliable ones, develop well-informed arguments, and approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset.

The Origins and Evolution of Critical Thinking

The idea of critical thinking isn’t a new-age concept. Its roots reach back into ancient civilisations, moulding the foundations of philosophy, science, and education. To appreciate its evolution, it’s vital to delve into its historical context and the influential thinkers who have championed it.

Historical Perspective on the Concept of Critical Thinking

The seeds of critical thinking can be traced back to Ancient Greece, particularly in the city-state of Athens. Here, the practice of debate, dialogue, and philosophical inquiry was valued and was seen as a route to knowledge and wisdom. This era prized the art of questioning, investigating, and exploring diverse viewpoints to reach enlightened conclusions.

In medieval Islamic civilisation, scholars in centres of learning, such as the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, played a pivotal role in advancing critical thought. Their works encompassed vast areas, including philosophy, mathematics, and medicine, often intertwining rigorous empirical observations with analytical reasoning.

The Renaissance period further nurtured critical thinking as it was a time of revival in art, culture, and intellect. This era championed humanistic values, focusing on human potential and achievements. It saw the rebirth of scientific inquiry, scepticism about religious dogma, and an emphasis on empirical evidence.

Philosophers and Educators Who Championed Critical Thinking

Several philosophers and educators stand out for their remarkable contributions to the sphere of critical thinking:

Known for the Socratic method, a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue, Socrates would ask probing questions, forcing his pupils to think deeply about their beliefs and assumptions. His methodology still influences modern education, emphasising the answer and the path of reasoning that leads to it.

A student of Socrates, Plato believed in the importance of reason and inquiry. His allegory of the cave highlights the difference between blindly accepting information and seeking true knowledge.

He placed great emphasis on empirical evidence and logic. His works on syllogism and deductive reasoning laid the foundation for systematic critical thought.

Al-Farabi And Ibn Rushd (Averroes)

Islamic philosophers, who harmonised Greek philosophy with Islamic thought, emphasised the importance of rationality and critical inquiry.

Sir Francis Bacon

An advocate for the scientific method, Bacon believed that knowledge should be based on empirical evidence, observation, and experimentation rather than mere reliance on accepted truths.

A modern proponent of critical thinking, Dewey viewed it as an active, persistent, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed form of knowledge. He emphasised that students should be taught to think for themselves rather than just memorise facts.

Paulo Freire

Recognised for his ideas on “problem-posing education,” Freire believed that students should be encouraged to question, reflect upon, and respond to societal issues, fostering critical consciousness.

Characteristics of Critical Thinkers

Critical thinkers are not defined merely by the knowledge they possess, but by the manner in which they process, analyse, and use that knowledge. While the profile of a critical thinker can be multifaceted, certain core traits distinguish them. Let’s delve into these characteristics:

1. Open-mindedness

Open-mindedness refers to the willingness to consider different ideas, opinions, and perspectives, even if they challenge one’s existing beliefs. It allows critical thinkers to avoid being trapped in their own biases or preconceived notions. By being open to diverse viewpoints, they can make more informed and holistic decisions.

• Listening to a debate without immediately taking sides.
• Reading literature from different cultures to understand various world views.

2. Analytical Nature

An analytical nature entails the ability to break down complex problems or information into smaller, manageable parts to understand the whole better. Being analytical enables individuals to see patterns, relationships, and inconsistencies, allowing for deeper comprehension and better problem-solving.

• Evaluating a research paper by examining its methodology, results, and conclusions separately.
• Breaking down the components of a business strategy to assess its viability.

3. Scepticism

Scepticism is the tendency to question and doubt claims or assertions until sufficient evidence is presented. Skepticism ensures that critical thinkers do not accept information at face value. They seek evidence and are cautious about jumping to conclusions without verification.

• Questioning the results of a study that lacks a control group.
• Doubting a sensational news headline and researching further before believing or sharing it.

4. Intellectual Humility

Intellectual humility involves recognising and accepting the limitations of one’s knowledge and understanding. It is about being aware that one does not have all the answers. This trait prevents arrogance and overconfidence. Critical thinkers with intellectual humility are open to learning and receptive to constructive criticism.

• Admitting when one is wrong in a discussion.
• Actively seeking feedback on a project or idea to enhance it.

5. Logical Reasoning

Logical reasoning is the ability to think sequentially and make connections between concepts in a coherent manner. It involves drawing conclusions that logically follow from the available information. Logical reasoning ensures that decisions and conclusions are sound and based on valid premises. It helps avoid fallacies and cognitive biases.

• Using deductive reasoning to derive a specific conclusion from a general statement.
• Evaluating an argument for potential logical fallacies like “slippery slope” or “ad hominem.”

The Difference Between Critical Thinking and Memorisation

In today’s rapidly changing educational landscape, there is an ongoing debate about the importance of rote memorisation versus the significance of cultivating critical thinking skills. Both have their place in learning, but they serve very different purposes.

Nature Of Learning

• Rote Learning: Involves memorising information exactly as it is, without necessarily understanding its context or underlying meaning. It’s akin to storing data as-is, without processing.
• Analytical Processing (Critical Thinking): Involves understanding, questioning, and connecting new information with existing knowledge. It’s less about storage and more about comprehension and application.

Depth of Engagement

• Rote Learning: Often remains at the surface level. Students might remember facts for a test, but might forget them shortly after.
• Analytical Processing: Engages deeper cognitive skills. When students think critically, they’re more likely to retain information because they’ve processed it deeper.

Application in New Situations

• Rote Learning: Information memorised through rote often does not easily apply to new or unfamiliar situations, since it is detached from understanding.
• Analytical Processing: Promotes adaptability. Critical thinkers can transfer knowledge and skills to different contexts because they understand underlying concepts and principles.

Why Critical Thinking Produces Long-Term Academic Benefits

Here are the benefits of critical thinking in academics. 

Enhanced Retention

Critical thinking often involves active learning—discussions, problem-solving, and debates—which promotes better retention than passive memorisation.

Skill Development

Beyond content knowledge, critical thinking develops skills like analysis, synthesis, source evaluation , and problem-solving. These are invaluable in higher education and professional settings.

Adaptability

In an ever-evolving world, the ability to adapt is crucial. Critical thinkers are better equipped to learn and adapt because they don’t just know facts; they understand concepts.

Lifelong Learning

Critical thinkers are naturally curious. They seek to understand, question, and explore, turning them into lifelong learners who continually seek knowledge and personal growth.

Improved Decision-Making

Analytical processing allows students to evaluate various perspectives, weigh evidence, and make well-informed decisions, a skill far beyond academics.

Preparation for Real-World Challenges

The real world does not come with a textbook. Critical thinkers can navigate unexpected challenges, connect disparate pieces of information, and innovate solutions.

Steps in the Critical Thinking Process

Critical thinking is more than just a skill—it is a structured process. By following a systematic approach, critical thinkers can navigate complex issues and ensure their conclusions are well-informed and reasoned. Here’s a breakdown of the steps involved:

Step 1. Identification and Clarification of the Problem or Question

Recognizing that a problem or question exists and understanding its nature. It’s about defining the issue clearly, without ambiguity. A well-defined problem serves as the foundation for the subsequent steps. The entire process may become misguided without a clear understanding of what’s being addressed.

Example: Instead of a vague problem like “improving the environment,” a more specific question could be “How can urban areas reduce air pollution?”

Step 2. Gathering Information and Evidence

Actively seeking relevant data, facts, and evidence. This might involve research, observations, experiments, or discussions. Reliable decisions are based on solid evidence. The quality and relevance of the information gathered can heavily influence the final conclusion.

Example: To address urban air pollution, one might gather data on current pollution levels, sources of pollutants, existing policies, and strategies employed by other cities.

Step 3. Analysing the Information

Breaking down the gathered information, scrutinising its validity, and identifying patterns, contradictions, and relationships. This step ensures that the information is not just accepted at face value. Critical thinkers can differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information and detect biases or inaccuracies by analysing data.

Example: When examining data on pollution, one might notice that certain industries are major contributors or that pollution levels rise significantly at specific times of the year.

Step 4. Drawing Conclusions and Making Decisions

After thorough analysis, formulating an informed perspective, solution, or decision-based on the evidence. This is the culmination of the previous steps. Here, the critical thinker synthesises the information and applies logic to arrive at a reasoned conclusion.

Example: Based on the analysis, one might conclude that regulating specific industries and promoting public transportation during peak pollution periods can help reduce urban air pollution.

Step 5. Reflecting on the Process And The Conclusions Reached

Take a step back to assess the entire process, considering any potential biases, errors, or alternative perspectives. It is also about evaluating the feasibility and implications of the conclusions. Reflection ensures continuous learning and improvement. Individuals can refine their approach to future problems by evaluating their thinking process.

Example: Reflecting on the proposed solution to reduce pollution, one might consider its economic implications, potential industry resistance, and the need for public awareness campaigns.

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The Role of Critical Thinking in Different Academic Subjects

Critical thinking is a universal skill applicable across disciplines. Its methodologies might differ based on the subject, but its core principles remain consistent. Let us explore how critical thinking manifests in various academic domains:

1. Sciences

• Hypothesis Testing: Science often begins with a hypothesis—a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. Critical thinking is essential in formulating a testable hypothesis and determining its validity based on experimental results.
• Experimental Design: Designing experiments requires careful planning to ensure valid and reliable results. Critical thinking aids in identifying variables, ensuring controls, and determining the best methodologies to obtain accurate data.
• Example: In a biology experiment to test the effect of light on plant growth, critical thinking helps ensure variables like water and soil quality are consistent, allowing for a fair assessment of the light’s impact.

2. Humanities

• Analysing Texts: Humanities often involve studying texts—literature, historical documents, or philosophical treatises. Critical thinking lets students decode themes, discern authorial intent, and recognise underlying assumptions or biases.
• Understanding Contexts: Recognizing a text or artwork’s cultural, historical, or social contexts is pivotal. Critical thinking allows for a deeper appreciation of these contexts, providing a holistic understanding of the subject.
• Example: When studying Shakespeare’s “Othello,” critical thinking aids in understanding the play’s exploration of jealousy, race, and betrayal, while also appreciating its historical context in Elizabethan England.

3. Social Sciences

• Evaluating Arguments: Social sciences, such as sociology or political science, often present various theories or arguments about societal structures and behaviours. Critical thinking aids in assessing the merits of these arguments and recognising their implications.
• Understanding Biases: Since social sciences study human societies, they’re susceptible to biases. Critical thinking helps identify potential biases in research or theories, ensuring a more objective understanding.
• Example: In studying economic policies, critical thinking helps weigh the benefits and drawbacks of different economic models, considering both empirical data and theoretical arguments.

4. Mathematics

• Problem-Solving: Mathematics is more than just numbers; it is about solving problems. Critical thinking enables students to identify the best strategies to tackle problems, ensuring efficient and accurate solutions.
• Logical Deduction: Mathematical proofs and theorems rely on logical steps. Critical thinking ensures that each step is valid and the conclusions sound.
• Example: In geometry, when proving that two triangles are congruent, critical thinking helps ensure that each criterion (like side lengths or angles) is met and the logic of the proof is coherent.

Examples of Critical Thinking in Academics

Some of the critical thinking examples in academics are discussed below. 

Case Study 1: Evaluating A Scientific Research Paper

Scenario: A research paper claims that a new herbal supplement significantly improves memory in elderly individuals.

Critical Thinking Application:

Scrutinising Methodology:

• Was the study double-blind and placebo-controlled?
• How large was the sample size?
• Were the groups randomised?
• Were there any potential confounding variables?

Assessing Conclusions:

• Do the results conclusively support the claim, or are there other potential explanations?
• Are the statistical analyses robust, and do they show a significant difference?
• Is the effect size clinically relevant or just statistically significant?

Considering Broader Context:

• How does this study compare with existing literature on the subject?
• Were there any conflicts of interest, such as funding from the supplement company?

Critical analysis determined that while the study showed statistical significance, the effect size was minimal. Additionally, the sample size was small, and there was potential bias as the supplement manufacturer funded the study.

Case Study 2: Analysing a Literary Text

Scenario: A reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”

Understanding Symbolism:

• What does the green light represent for Gatsby and in the broader context of the American Dream?
• How does the Valley of Ashes symbolise societal decay?

Recognising Authorial Intent:

• Why might Fitzgerald depict the characters’ lavish lifestyles amid underlying dissatisfaction?
• What critiques of American society is Fitzgerald potentially making?

Contextual Analysis:

• How does the era in which the novel was written (Roaring Twenties) influence its themes and characters?

Through critical analysis, the reader recognises that while “The Great Gatsby” is a tale of love and ambition, it’s also a poignant critique of the hollowness of the American Dream and the societal excesses of the 1920s.

Case Study 3: Decoding Historical Events

Scenario: The events leading up to the American Revolution.

Considering Multiple Perspectives:

• How did the British government view the colonies and their demands?
• What were the diverse perspectives within the American colonies, considering loyalists and patriots?

Assessing Validity of Sources:

• Which accounts are primary sources, and which are secondary?
• Are there potential biases in these accounts, based on their origins?

Analysing Causation and Correlation:

• Were taxes and representation the sole reasons for the revolution, or were there deeper economic and philosophical reasons?

Through critical analysis, the student understands that while taxation without representation was a significant catalyst, the American Revolution was also influenced by Enlightenment ideas, economic interests, and long-standing grievances against colonial policies.

Challenges to Developing Critical Thinking Skills

In our complex and rapidly changing world, the importance of critical thinking cannot be overstated. However, various challenges can impede the cultivation of these vital skills. 

1. Common Misconceptions and Cognitive Biases

Human brains often take shortcuts in processing information, leading to cognitive biases. Additionally, certain misconceptions about what constitutes critical thinking can hinder its development.

• Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, and recall information that confirms one’s pre-existing beliefs.
• Anchoring Bias: Relying too heavily on the first piece of information encountered when making decisions.
• Misconception: Believing that critical thinking merely means being critical or negative about ideas, rather than evaluating them objectively.

These biases can skew perception and decision-making, making it challenging to objectively approach issues.

2. The Influence of Technology and Social Media

While providing unprecedented access to information, the digital age also presents unique challenges. The barrage of information, the immediacy of social media reactions, and algorithms that cater to user preferences can hinder critical thought.

• Information Overload: The sheer volume of online data can make it difficult to discern credible sources from unreliable ones.
• Clickbait and Misinformation: Articles with sensational titles designed to generate clicks might lack depth or accuracy.
• Algorithmic Bias: Platforms showing users content based on past preferences can limit exposure to diverse viewpoints.

Relying too heavily on technology and social media can lead to superficial understanding, reduced attention spans, and a narrow worldview.

3. The Danger of Echo Chambers and Confirmation Bias

An echo chamber is a situation in which beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication and repetition inside a closed system, cutting off differing viewpoints.

• Social Media Groups: Joining groups or following pages that only align with one’s beliefs can create a feedback loop, reinforcing existing opinions without challenge.
• Selective Media Consumption: Only watching news channels or reading websites that align with one’s political or social views.

Echo chambers reinforce confirmation bias, limit exposure to diverse perspectives, and can polarise opinions, making objective, critical evaluation of issues challenging.

Benefits of Promoting Critical Thinking in Education

When cultivated and promoted in educational settings, critical thinking can have transformative effects on students, equipping them with vital skills to navigate their academic journey and beyond. Here’s an exploration of the manifold benefits of emphasising critical thinking in education:

Improved Problem-Solving Skills

Critical thinking enables students to approach problems methodically, breaking them down into manageable parts, analysing each aspect, and synthesising solutions.

• Academic: Enhances students’ ability to tackle complex assignments, research projects, and unfamiliar topics.
• Beyond School: Prepares students for real-world challenges where they might encounter problems without predefined solutions.

Enhanced Creativity and Innovation

Critical thinking is not just analytical but also involves lateral thinking, helping students see connections between disparate ideas and encouraging imaginative solutions.

• Academic: Promotes richer discussions, more creative projects, and the ability to view topics from multiple angles.
• Beyond School: Equips students for careers and situations where innovative solutions can lead to advancements in fields like technology, arts, or social entrepreneurship.

Better Decision-Making Abilities

Critical thinkers evaluate information thoroughly, weigh potential outcomes, and make decisions based on evidence and reason rather than impulse or peer pressure.

• Academic: Helps students make informed choices about their studies, research directions, or group projects.
• Beyond School: Prepares students to make sound decisions in personal and professional spheres, from financial choices to ethical dilemmas.

Greater Resilience in the Face of Complex Challenges

Critical thinking nurtures a growth mindset. When students think critically, they are more likely to view challenges as opportunities for learning rather than insurmountable obstacles.

• Academic: Increases perseverance in difficult subjects, promoting a deeper understanding rather than superficial learning. Students become more resilient in handling academic pressures and setbacks.
• Beyond School: Cultivates individuals who can navigate the complexities of modern life, from career challenges to societal changes, with resilience and adaptability.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is critical thinking.

Critical thinking is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form a judgment. It involves gathering relevant information, discerning potential biases, logically connecting ideas, and questioning assumptions. Essential for informed decision-making, it promotes scepticism and requires the ability to think independently and rationally.

What makes critical thinking?

Critical thinking arises from questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence, discerning fact from opinion, recognising biases, and logically connecting ideas. It demands curiosity, scepticism, and an open mind. By continuously challenging one’s beliefs and considering alternative viewpoints, one cultivates the ability to think clearly, rationally, and independently.

What is the purpose of critical thinking?

The purpose of critical thinking is to enable informed decisions by analysing and evaluating information objectively. It fosters understanding, problem-solving, and clarity, reducing the influence of biases and misconceptions. Through critical thinking, individuals discern truth, make reasoned judgments, and engage more effectively in discussions and debates.

How to improve critical thinking?

• Cultivate curiosity by asking questions.
• Practice active listening.
• Read widely and diversely.
• Engage in discussions and debates.
• Reflect on your thought processes.
• Identify biases and challenge assumptions.
• Solve problems systematically.

What are some critical thinking skills?

• Analysis: breaking concepts into parts.
• Evaluation: judging information’s validity.
• Inference: drawing logical conclusions.
• Explanation: articulating reasons.
• Interpretation: understanding meaning.
• Problem-solving: devising effective solutions.
• Decision-making: choosing the best options.

What is information literacy?

Information literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively. It encompasses understanding where to locate information, determining its credibility, distinguishing between facts and opinions, and using it responsibly. Essential in the digital age, it equips individuals to navigate the vast sea of data and make informed decisions.

What makes a credible source?

• Authorship by experts or professionals.
• Reliable publisher or institution backing.
• Transparent sourcing and references.
• Absence of bias or clear disclosure of it.
• Recent publications or timely updates.
• Peer review or editorial oversight.
• Clear, logical arguments.
• Reputability in its field or domain.

How do I analyse information critically?

• Determine the source’s credibility.
• Identify the main arguments or points.
• Examine the evidence provided.
• Spot inconsistencies or fallacies.
• Detect biases or unspoken assumptions.
• Cross-check facts with other sources.
• Evaluate the relevance to your context.
• Reflect on your own biases or beliefs.

You May Also Like

When researching or exploring a new topic, the distinction between primary and secondary sources is paramount. The validity, reliability, and relevance of the information you gather will heavily depend on the type of source you consult. 

In our vast world of information, conveying ideas in our own words is crucial. This brings us to the practice of “paraphrasing.” 

Scholarly sources, also known as academic sources, refer to materials created to meet the standards and expectations of the academic community.

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Critical thinking

Advice and resources to help you develop your critical voice.

Developing critical thinking skills is essential to your success at University and beyond.  We all need to be critical thinkers to help us navigate our way through an information-rich world. 

Whatever your discipline, you will engage with a wide variety of sources of information and evidence.  You will develop the skills to make judgements about this evidence to form your own views and to present your views clearly.

One of the most common types of feedback received by students is that their work is ‘too descriptive’.  This usually means that they have just stated what others have said and have not reflected critically on the material.  They have not evaluated the evidence and constructed an argument.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the art of making clear, reasoned judgements based on interpreting, understanding, applying and synthesising evidence gathered from observation, reading and experimentation. Burns, T., & Sinfield, S. (2016)  Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University (4th ed.) London: SAGE, p94.

Being critical does not just mean finding fault.  It means assessing evidence from a variety of sources and making reasoned conclusions.  As a result of your analysis you may decide that a particular piece of evidence is not robust, or that you disagree with the conclusion, but you should be able to state why you have come to this view and incorporate this into a bigger picture of the literature.

Being critical goes beyond describing what you have heard in lectures or what you have read.  It involves synthesising, analysing and evaluating what you have learned to develop your own argument or position.

Critical thinking is important in all subjects and disciplines – in science and engineering, as well as the arts and humanities.  The types of evidence used to develop arguments may be very different but the processes and techniques are similar.  Critical thinking is required for both undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study.

What, where, when, who, why, how?

Purposeful reading can help with critical thinking because it encourages you to read actively rather than passively.  When you read, ask yourself questions about what you are reading and make notes to record your views.  Ask questions like:

• What is the main point of this paper/ article/ paragraph/ report/ blog?
• Who wrote it?
• Why was it written?
• When was it written?
• Has the context changed since it was written?
• Is the evidence presented robust?
• How did the authors come to their conclusions?
• Do you agree with the conclusions?
• What does this add to our knowledge?
• Why is it useful?

Our web page covering Reading at university includes a handout to help you develop your own critical reading form and a suggested reading notes record sheet.  These resources will help you record your thoughts after you read, which will help you to construct your argument. 

Reading at university

Developing an argument

Being a university student is about learning how to think, not what to think.  Critical thinking shapes your own values and attitudes through a process of deliberating, debating and persuasion.   Through developing your critical thinking you can move on from simply disagreeing to constructively assessing alternatives by building on doubts.

There are several key stages involved in developing your ideas and constructing an argument.  You might like to use a form to help you think about the features of critical thinking and to break down the stages of developing your argument.

Features of critical thinking (pdf)

Features of critical thinking (Word rtf)

Our webpage on Academic writing includes a useful handout ‘Building an argument as you go’.

Academic writing

You should also consider the language you will use to introduce a range of viewpoints and to evaluate the various sources of evidence.  This will help your reader to follow your argument.  To get you started, the University of Manchester's Academic Phrasebank has a useful section on Being Critical. 

Academic Phrasebank

Developing your critical thinking

Set yourself some tasks to help develop your critical thinking skills.  Discuss material presented in lectures or from resource lists with your peers.  Set up a critical reading group or use an online discussion forum.  Think about a point you would like to make during discussions in tutorials and be prepared to back up your argument with evidence.

For more suggestions:

Developing your critical thinking - ideas (pdf)

Developing your critical thinking - ideas (Word rtf)

Published guides

For further advice and more detailed resources please see the Critical Thinking section of our list of published Study skills guides.

Study skills guides  

This article was published on 2024-02-26

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

1 – Critical Thinking

Since ancient times, the concept of critical thinking has been associated with persuasive communication, usually in the form of speeches, scholarly texts, and literature.

Today, there are many vehicles for information and ideas, but the elements of critical thinking in a university context still bear strong influences from early scholarly writing and oration.

Definition of Critical Thinking

“Critical Thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.”

Source: https://louisville.edu/ideastoaction/about/criticalthinking/what

Critical thinking may seem very abstract in  definitions such as the one above, but it is, above all,  an action . One source says critical thinking “is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information” ( Skills You Need)   Most college curricula are designed to develop critical thinking.

“Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value … They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments, and findings represent the entire picture and are open to the possibility that they do not. It is more than the accumulation of facts, it is a way of thinking.”

                                                                                                                                   ( Source: Skills You Need )

In her article, “Why Are Critical Thinking Skills Necessary for Academics?,” journalist Jen Saunders  says, “universities concern the ways in which people research and write; their members are responsible for maintaining the foundational principles of truth and knowledge within the folds of scholarship, and permit scholars to grasp and comprehend academic subjects at levels of expertise.” ( https://classroom.synonym.com/ )

Saunders provides this information on the specific ways that critical thinking is important in  college-level work:

• Critical thinking supplies the foundation of high-quality academic writing.
• Peer awareness is an element of critical thinking in that it helps students understand and communicate with those who have different experiences, opinions, and perspectives.
• Critical thinking are necessary for passing some exams (e.g.,  essay answer, a series of multiple-choice questions to test comprehension, and especially situations where students must look for context clues or decipher word elements).
• When students are required to defend a thesis or dissertation, they need to be able to anticipate questions and respond on the spot to those asked by committee members.

Author and master teacher Michael Stratford (Demand Media), in his article, “What Are the Key Ideas for Critical Thinking Skills?”,  and the website, Skills You Need, note that someone with critical thinking skills can:

• Interpret data – becoming aware of all of the parts of an argument, such as point of view, audience, and thesis as well as reasoning through moral dilemmas
• Analyze and synthesize –  the ability to break down data into individual parts and reassemble them to create something original
• Infer and answer :  the ability to explain a problem with an inference, or educated guess. This requires knowing the difference between explaining by inference or by assumptions based on previous ideas
• Make Connections between ideas from varied sources
• Recognize, build, and appraise arguments put forth by others and determine their importance and relevance through objective evaluation
• Spot inconsistencies and errors in reasoning
• Approach problems consistently and systematically
• Reflect on the justification of one’s own assumptions, beliefs, and values

Indeed.com ., a service for finding jobs and polishing a resume, provides the following information about critical thinking. Their website offers five types of skills are important:

Five Important Critical Thinking Skills

Observation.

Observational skills are important for critical thinking because they help you to notice opportunities, problems, and solutions.  Eventually, good observers can predict  or anticipate problems or issues because their experience widens when they get in the habit of close observation. It is necessary to train yourself to pay close attention to details.

After you have spotted and identified a problem from your observation, your analytical skills become important: You must determine what part of a text or media is important and which parts are not. In other words,  gathering and evaluating sources of information that may support or depart from your text or media. This may involve a search for balanced research reports or scholarly work, and asking good questions about the text or media to make sure it is accurate and objective.

Now that you have gathered information or data, you must now interpret it and find a solution or resolution.  Even though the information you have may be incomplete, just make an “educated guess,” rather than a quick conclusion.  Look for clues (images, symbolism, data charts, or reports) that will help you analyze a situation, so you can evaluate the text or situation and come to a measured conclusion.

COMMUNICATION

In the context of critical thinking, this means engaging or initiating discussions, particularly on difficult issues or questions, especially when you face an audience that you know disagrees with your position. Use your communication skills to persuade them. Active listening, remaining calm, and showing respect are very important elements of communicating with an audience.

PROBLEM SOLVING

The problem-solving part of critical thinking involves applying or executing a conclusion or solution. You will want to choose the best, so this requires a strong understanding of your topic or goal, as well as some idea of how others have handled similar situations.

Essential “Critical” Vocabulary

[Source:  ( https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-criticize-criticism-critique-critic-and-critical/]

Now let’s examine the many ways the word “critical” is used in various academic contents. You might be familiar with movie reviews or customer reviews on products in which a critic offers comments.  Below are some reviews of a long-standing Chinese restaurant in Columbus, Hunan Lion:

• The restaurant is over priced. You pay for the atmosphere. Ordered the beef and oriental veggies and to be honest it was onions and 3 pieces of broccoli. The meat was fatty and that is the worst. Typically the food is good but last night it wasn’t.
• 35 years of incredible food. By far the best Chinese restaurant in Columbus. If you want to have a great experience, without a doubt go there, you will love it.
• We ordered take out 10/01/2020. Food was TERRIBLE! The Crab Rangoon…well it’s not crab and I’m not sure of the texture it had going on but it was disgusting! The entire order of food after 1 bite went in the trash! I will certainly spread the word DO NOT ORDER FOOD from this restaurant! They are expensive and you are wasting your money. The girl at the cash register surpasses RUDE.
• The food and service were fantastic! We were in on Christmas day, and despite being busy, they did a magnificent job. We will definitely be back!

These reviews were voluntary; nevertheless, the writers of them are considered “critics,” because what they are really offering is judgment.

In a professional or academic setting, critics do much more than give a strong opinion. Whether they offer positive or negative comments, they all try to do so as objectively as possible. In other words, they avoid Personal Bias, meaning they try not to rely exclusively on their personal experiences, but rather they include influences from people, environments, cultures, values, stereotypes, and beliefs.

It is worth noting that all of these influences are part of being human. Part of critical thinking, however, means acknowledging the impact your own biases may have on the questions you ask or your interpreting of material; then, learn to overcome these evaluations. You must be like a judge in a courtroom:  you have to try to be fair and leave your own feeling out of the situation.

Activity #1:, inference exercise, harper’s is the oldest general-interest monthly magazine in the u.s. it emphasizes excellent writing and unique and varied perspectives. one of its most celebrated features is the “harper’s index,” which is a collection of random statistics about  politics, business, human behavior, social trends, research findings, and so forth. the reader is left alone to make sense of a fact by using inferences and background knowledge., below are some statistics from “harper’s index.” it is up to you to decide what each statistic suggests. something surprising mysterious what could explain its significance.

Choose a few of the facts below and write a response for each in which you raise questions , offer a possible explanation , or propose a tentative theory to explain the fact, or its significance.  Consider what the statistic suggests beyond what is written. Your response should be your own opinion , without consulting any internet resources or others.

Example:    Percentage increase last year in UFO sightings nationwide:   16% Source: [ July 2021 • Source: National UFO Reporting Center (Davenport,Wash.)] Response: Is this a large or small increase? Maybe the  increase is due to the recent U.S. government’s release of a file on unidentified flying objects (UFOs), or, what they call, “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.” Maybe people feel like they can admit to seeing such phenomena since the government now acknowledges their existence? In the recent past, perhaps people would be laughed at or stigmatized if they claimed to see a UFO because the government and general public believed the idea of “alien life forms”  was ridiculous.

Percentage by which the unemployment rate of recently graduated U.S. physics majors exceeds that of art history majors:  60%

Source:  November 2020 • Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

ACTIVITY #2 – LINKING FACTS

Sometimes the “Harper’s Index” features pairs of statistics.  It is up to you to decide what the pair, seen together, suggests. Select a couple of the pairs below and write down questions you may have, or possible explanations that tell why the pair might be significant.  Consider what the statistic suggests beyond what is written. What you write should be your own opinion , without consulting any internet resources or others.

Type your response below each set:

Movie Reviews

One of the most familiar types of criticism we encounter is a movie review,  a short description of a film and the reviewer’s opinion about it. When you watch a movie on Netflix, for example, you can see the number of stars (1-5) given by those who have watched and rated the movie. Professional reviewers usually try to give a formal, balanced account of a movie, meaning they usually provide a summary and point out some positive and negative points about a film. Amateur critics, however, can write whatever they like – all positive, all negative, or a combination.

Amateur film critiques can be found in many places; the movie review site, IMDB , is one of the most popular, with a user-generated rating feature.  Another popular site is Rotten Tomatoes, which uses a unique ‘tomato meter’ to rate movies: a green tomato means fresh while red means rotten. You can also view the individual ratings given by critics. It has more than 50,000 movies in its database. And finally, another good source of movie reviews is Metacritic , which offers a collection of reviews from various sources.

Let’s look at this review by professional movie critic Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/

In “Top Gun: Maverick,” a sequel to “ Top Gun, ” an admiral refers to navy aviator Pete Mitchell (Tom Cruise)—call sign “ Maverick ”—as “the fastest man alive.” Truth be told, our fearless and ever-handsome action hero earns both appraisals and applause.  Indeed, Cruise’s consistent commitment to Hollywood showmanship deserves the same level of respect usually reserved for the fully-method actors such as Daniel Day-Lewis . Even if you somehow overlook the fact that Cruise is one of our most gifted and versatile dramatic and comedic actors with movies like “ Mission Impossible , ”  “ Born on the Fourth of July ,” “ Magnolia ,” “ Tropic Thunder ,” and “ Collateral ” on his CV, you will never forget why you show up to a Tom Cruise movie.

Director Joseph Kosinski allows the leading actor to be exactly what he is—a star—while upping the emotional and dramatic stakes of the first Top Gun (1986) with a healthy dose of nostalgia.  In this Top Gun sequel, we find Maverick in a role on the fringes of the US Navy, working as a test pilot. You won’t be surprised that soon enough, he gets called on a one-last-job type of mission as a teacher to a group of recent training graduates. Their assignment is just as obscure and politically cuckoo as it was in the first movie. There is an unnamed enemy—let’s called it Russia because it’s probably Russia—some targets that need to be destroyed, a flight plan that sounds nuts, and a scheme that will require all successful Top Gun recruits to fly at dangerously low altitudes. But can it be done?

In a different package, all the proud fist-shaking seen in “Top Gun: Maverick” could have been borderline insufferable, but fortunately Kosinski seems to understand exactly what kind of movie he is asked to navigate. In his hands, the tone of “Maverick” strikes a fine balance between good-humored vanity and half-serious self-deprecation, complete with plenty of emotional moments that catch one off-guard.

In some sense, what this movie takes most seriously are concepts like friendship, loyalty, romance, and okay, bromance.  Still, the action sequences are likewise the breathtaking stars of “Maverick.” Reportedly, all the flying scenes were shot in actual U.S. Navy F/A-18s, for which the cast had to be trained. Equally worthy of that big screen is the emotional strokes of “Maverick” that pack an unexpected punch. Sure, you might be prepared for a second sky-dance with “Maverick,” but perhaps not one that might require a tissue or two in its final stretch.

Available in theaters May 27th, 2022

ACTIVITY #3 – BEING A CRITIC

Analyze the film review above.  Does the reviewer give the movie a strongly positive or negative review? A mildly positive or negative review? A balanced review? How can you tell?  Support your opinion by identifying words, phases, and/or comparisons that directly or indirectly are positive, negative, or neutral.

ACTIVITY #4 – WRITE A MOVIE REVIEW

Select a movie to review. Choose one you either love or hate. (If it evokes emotions, it’s usually easier to review.) You may choose any movie, but for this assignment, don’t choose a film that might upset your target audience – your instructor and classmates. A movie review can be long or short.  Usually a simple outline of the plot and a sentence or two about the general setting in which it takes place will be sufficient, then add your opinion and analysis. The opinion section should be the main focus of your review. Don’t get too detailed. Your instructor will determine the word limit of this assignment.

Suggestions:

Do a web search to find information about the film: is it based on real-life events or is it fiction?

Find some information about the director and his/her/their style.

Look for information about the cast, the budget, the filming location, and where the idea for the film’s story came from. In other words, why did the producers want to make the movie?

Be sure to keep notes on where you find each piece of information – its source.  Most of the facts about movies are considered common knowledge, so they don’t have to be included in your review.

Avoid reading other reviews. They might influence your opinion, and that kind of information needs to be cited in a review.

When you are watching the film make notes of important scenes or details, symbolism, or the performances of the characters. You may want to analyze these in detail later. Again, keep notes on the source of the information you find.

Don’t give away the ending! Remember, reviews help readers decide whether or not to watch the movie. No spoilers!

Suggested Steps:

Write an introduction where you include all the basic information so that the film can be easily identified. Note the name, the director, main cast, and the characters in the story, along with the year it was made. Briefly provide the main idea of the film.

Write the main body. Analyze the story, the acting, and the director’s style. Discuss anything you would have done differently, a technique that was successful, or dialogue that was important. In other words, here is where you convey your opinion and the reasons for it. You may choose to analyze in detail one scene from the film that made an impression on you, or you may focus on an actor’s performance, or the film’s setting, music, light, character development, or dialogu

Make a conclusion. Search for several reviews of the film. Include how the film was rated by others. You will need to include information about where you found the information. Then, give your own opinion and your recommendation. You can end with a reason the audience might enjoy it or a reason you do not recommend it. Include a summary of the reasons you recommend or do not recommend it.

[Source:  https://academichelp.net/academic-assignments/review/write-film-review.html]

————————————————

References:

10 Top Critical Thinking Skills (and how to improve them).(2022).   Indeed.com: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/critical-thinking-skills

Difference between criticize, criticism, critique, critic, and critical. Espresso English : https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-criticize-criticism-critique-critic-and-critical/

Hansen, R.S. (n.d.).  Ways in which college is different from high school.  My CollegeSuccessStory.com .

Ideas to Action. Critical Thinking Inventories. University of Louisville:  https:// louisville.edu/ideastoaction/about/criticalthinking/what

Saunders, J. (n.d.). “Why Are Critical Thinking Skills Necessary for Academics?,” Demand Media.

Stratford, M. (n.d. ) What are the key ideas for critical thinking skills? Demand Media .

Van Zyl, M.A., Bays, C.L., & Gilchrist, C. (2013). Assessing teaching critical thinking with validated critical thinking inventories: The learning critical thinking inventory (LCTI) and the teaching critical thinking inventory (TCTI). Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across The Discipline , 28(3), 40-50.

What is Critical Thinking? (n.d.). Skills You Need : https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/critical-thinking.html

Write a Film Review. Academic Help: Write Better : https://academichelp.net/academic-assignments/review/write-film-review.html

Critical Reading, Writing, and Thinking Copyright © 2022 by Zhenjie Weng, Josh Burlile, Karen Macbeth is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• Applying Critical Thinking
• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Reading Research Effectively
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Research Process Video Series
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Insiderness
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
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• Further Readings
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Critical thinking refers to deliberately scrutinizing and evaluating theories, concepts, or ideas using reasoned reflection and analysis. The act of thinking critically involves moving beyond simply understanding information by questioning its source, its production, and its presentation in order to expose potential bias or researcher subjectivity [i.e., evidence of being influenced by personal opinions and feelings rather than by external determinants ] . Applying critical thinking to investigating a research problem involves actively challenging basic assumptions and questioning the choices and potential motives underpinning how a study was designed and executed and how the author arrived at particular conclusions or recommended courses of action. Applying critical thinking to writing involves effectively synthesizing information and generating compelling arguments.

Hanscomb, Stuart. Critical Thinking: The Basics . 2nd edition. London: Routledge, 2023; Mintz, Steven. "How the Word "Critical" Came to Signify the Leading Edge of Cultural Analysis." Higher Ed Gamma Blog , Inside Higher Ed, February 13, 2024; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen JG and Paul A. Kirschner. Ten Steps to Complex Learning: A Systematic Approach to Four-component Instructional Design . New York: Routledge, 2017.

Thinking Critically

Applying Critical Thinking to Research and Writing

Professors like to use the term critical thinking; in fact, the idea of being a critical thinker permeates much of higher education writ large. In the classroom, the idea of thinking critically is often mentioned by professors when students ask how they should approach writing a research paper [other approaches your professor might mention include interdisciplinarity, compare and contrast, gendered perspective, global, etc.]. However, critical thinking is more than just an approach to research and writing. It is an acquired skill associated with becoming a complex learner capable of discerning important relationships among the elements of, as well as integrating multiple ways of understanding applied to, the research problem. Critical thinking is a lens through which you holistically interrogate a topic.

Given this, critical thinking encompasses a variety of inter-related connotations applied to writing a college-level research paper:

• Integrated and Multi-Dimensional . Critical thinking is not focused on any one element of research, but instead, is applied holistically throughout the process of identifying the research problem, reviewing the literature, applying methods of analysis, describing the results, discussing their implications, and, if appropriate, offering recommendations for further research. It permeates the entire research endeavor from contemplating what to write about to proofreading the final product.
• Humanizes the Research . Thinking critically can help humanize what is being studied by extending the scope of your analysis beyond the traditional boundaries of prior research. The scope of prior research, for example, could have involved only sampling homogeneous populations, only considered certain factors related to the investigation of a phenomenon, or was limited by the way the study was framed or contextualized. Critical thinking supports opportunities to think about incorporating the experiences of traditionally marginalized groups into the research, leading to a more inclusive and representative examination of the topic.
• Non-Linear . This refers to analyzing a research problem in ways that do not rely on sequential decision-making or rational forms of reasoning. Creative thinking relies on intuitive judgement, flexibility, and unconventional approaches to investigating complex phenomena in order to discover new insights, connections, and potential solutions . Thinking critically involves going back and modifying your thinking as new evidence emerges , perhaps multiple times throughout the research process, and then drawing conclusions from multiple perspectives as a result of questioning initial impressions about the topic.
• Normative . This refers to the idea that critical thinking can be used to challenge prior assumptions in ways that advocate for social justice, equity, and resilience, leading to research having a more transformative and expansive impact. In this respect, critical thinking can be viewed as a method for breaking away from dominant culture norms so as to produce research outcomes that illuminate previously hidden aspects of exploitation and injustice.
• Power Dynamics . Research in the social sciences often includes examining aspects of power and influence, focusing on how it operates, how it can be acquired, and how it can be maintained, thereby shaping social relations, organizations, institutions, and the production and maintenance of knowledge. Thinking critically can reveal how societal structures and forces perpetuate power in ways that marginalizes and oppresses specific groups or communities within the contexts of history , politics, economics, culture, and other factors.
• Reflection . A key component of critical thinking is practicing reflexivity; the act of turning ideas and concepts back onto yourself in order to reveal and clarify your own beliefs, assumptions, and perspectives. Being critically reflexive is important because it can reveal hidden biases you may have that could unintentionally influence how you interpret and validate information. The more reflexive you are, the better able and more comfortable you are in opening yourself up to new modes of understanding.
• Rigorous Questioning . Thinking critically is guided by asking questions that lead to addressing complex principles, theories, concepts, or problems more effectively, and in so doing, help distinguish what is known from from what is not known [or that may be hidden]. Critical thinking involves deliberately framing inquiries not only as hypotheses or axioms, but as a way to apply systematic, disciplined,  in-depth forms of questioning about the research problem and in relation to your positionality as a researcher.
• Social Change . An overarching goal of critical thinking applied to research and writing is to seek to identify and challenge forces of inequality, exploitation, oppression, and marinalization that contribute to maintaining the status quo within institutions of society. This can include, for example, schools, court system, businesses, government agencies, or religious organizations that have been created and maintained through certain ways of thinking within the dominant culture. Thinking critically fosters a sense of awareness and empathy about where social change is needed within the overall research process.

Critical thinking permeates the entire research and writing process. However, it applies in particular to the literature review and discussion sections of your paper. These two sections of a research paper most clearly reflect the external/internal duality of thinking critically.

In reviewing the literature, it is important to reflect upon specific aspects of a study, such as, 1) determining if the research design effectively establishes cause and effect relationships or provides insight into explaining why certain phenomena do or do not occur; 2) assessing whether the method of gathering data or information supports the objectives of your study; and, 3) evaluating if the assumptions used t o arrive at a specific conclusion are evidence-based and relevant to addressing the topic. Critically thinking applies to these elements of reviewing prior research by assessing how each source might perpetuate inequalities or hide the voices of others, thereby, limiting its applicability for understanding the scope of the problem and its impact throughout society.

Critical thinking applies to the discussion section of your paper because this is where you contemplate the results of your study and explain its significance in relation to addressing the research problem. Discussion involves more than just summarizing findings and describing outcomes. It includes deliberately considering the importance of the findings and providing reasoned explanations why your paper helps to fill a gap in the literature or expand knowledge and understanding in ways that inform practice. Critical thinking uses reflection to examine your own beliefs concerning the significance of the results in ways that avoid using biased judgment and decision making.

Using Questions to Enable Critical Thinking

At its most fundamental level, critical thinking is thinking about thinking in ways that improve the effectiveness of your ability to reason, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and report information and, as a result, it advances deeper explorations of the topic*. From a practical standpoint, critical thinking is an act of introspective self-examination that involves formulating open-ended questions that inspire higher levels of reasoning about a research problem. The purpose of asking questions during the research process is to apply a framework of inquiry that challenges conventional assumptions, scrutinizes the evidence presented, determines how effectively arguments have been supported by that evidence, discerns patterns or trends in the findings, and helps imagine alternative outcomes if new or different factors were introduced.

Below are examples of questions that can stimulate critical thinking:

• Why is this a problem?
• Why does this research problem matter?
• Does the problem matter to everyone or just certain groups?
• How might your perspective change if you were on the other side of the argument?
• What patterns or connections can you see in the results?
• What key factors could have altered the outcomes described in the results?
• What evidence would be needed to support any alternative outcomes?
• Should there be any additional or alternative interpretations of the research outcomes?
• What is the explanation for the cause of an event or phenomenon?
• Why has a particular situation or condition arisen?
• Who will be impacted by the recommendations posed by the author?
• Who might be excluded from the author’s recommendations?
• When and how will you know that the recommendations have worked?
• In what ways can you apply knowledge from this study to new situations?
• What is another way to look at how the study was designed?
• How does the study contradict or confirm your understanding of the research problem?
• Do the outcomes of the study inform your own lived experiences?
• What do you think is the significance of this study and why?
• What are the overall strengths and weakness of this study?

NOTE : Being a critical thinker doesn't just happen. Casting a critical eye on how effectively others have studied a research problem requires developing self-confidence in your own abilities to actively engage with information, to consistently ask how and why questions about the research, and to deliberately analyze arguments and recommendations set forth by the author. Examining critically your own beliefs and feeling about your writing involves a willingness to be comfortable questioning yourself in a way that promotes a strong sense of self-awareness and introspection. Together, these outward and inward looking habits can help improve your critical thinking skills and inform how to effectively research and write a college-level research paper.

* Kharbach, Med. “Examples of Critical Thinking Questions for Students.” Educational Technology and Mobile Learning blog , Last Update: November 10, 2023.

Behar-Horenstein, Linda S., and Lian Niu. “Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature.” Journal of College Teaching and Learning 8 (February 2011): 25-41; Bayou, Yemeserach and Tamene Kitila. "Exploring Instructors’ Beliefs about and Practices in Promoting Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Writing Classes." GIST–Education and Learning Research Journal 26 (2023): 123-154; “Bloom's Taxonomy.” Centre for Teaching Excellence. University of Waterloo; “Higher Order Thinking: Bloom’s Taxonomy.” The Learning Center. University of North Carolina; Butcher, Charity. "Using In-class Writing to Promote Critical Thinking and Application of Course Concepts." Journal of Political Science Education 18 (2022): 3-21; Krathwohl, David R. “A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy: An Overview.” Theory into Practice 41 (Autumn 2002): 212-218; Loseke, Donileen R. Methodological Thinking: Basic Principles of Social Research Design. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2012; Mintz, Steven. "How the Word "Critical" Came to Signify the Leading Edge of Cultural Analysis." Higher Ed Gamma Blog , Inside Higher Ed, February 13, 2024; Hart, Claire et al. “Exploring Higher Education Students’ Critical Thinking Skills through Content Analysis.” Thinking Skills and Creativity 41 (September 2021): 100877; Lewis, Arthur and David Smith. "Defining Higher Order Thinking." Theory into Practice 32 (Summer 1993): 131-137; Sabrina, R., Emilda Sulasmi, and Mandra Saragih. "Student Critical Thinking Skills and Student Writing Ability: The Role of Teachers' Intellectual Skills and Student Learning." Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences 17 (2022): 2493-2510. Suter, W. Newton. Introduction to Educational Research: A Critical Thinking Approach. 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2012; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen JG and Paul A. Kirschner. Ten Steps to Complex Learning: A Systematic Approach to Four-component Instructional Design. New York: Routledge, 2017; Vance, Charles M., et al. "Understanding and Measuring Linear–Nonlinear Thinking Style for Enhanced Management Education and Professional Practice." Academy of Management Learning and Education 6 (2007): 167-185; Yeh, Hui-Chin, Shih-hsien Yang, Jo Shan Fu, and Yen-Chen Shih. "Developing College Students’ Critical Thinking through Reflective Writing." Higher Education Research & Development 42 (2023): 244-259.

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• February 22, 2017

How to Demonstrate Critical Thinking in Your Writing

What is critical thinking.

“Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it” (Paul & Elder, 2009).

Critical thinking involves a cultivated approach to learning and excellence in thought.  It requires that we go above and beyond our existing knowledge to consider new information and alternative viewpoints. When we arm ourselves with sufficient information about a concept or idea, we can demonstrate proper judgment, reasoning, and understanding. Critical thinking is an intellectual trait that will benefit you both academically and professionally.

How do you demonstrate critical thinking?

One typically cannot deliver a sufficient overview of a topic without thoroughly understanding it.  In an academic program, we are required to both learn new information and to evaluate our existing knowledge and assumptions. We must go beyond our current understanding and more deeply consider the topics or concepts we are studying. Thus, when a professor says “demonstrate critical thinking in your writing,” they are asking you to offer more than a summary of the textbook or your opinions about the topic. Here are some steps to help you demonstrate critical thinking in your writing.

Your goal is to achieve specific learning objectives by engaging with the lectures and assigned reading.  Your task is to engage with assigned reading or lectures and to gain foundational knowledge about the topic.  When you are asked to write about a topic, review the prompt or assignment directions before you begin your reading and research.  This will allow you to more conscientiously focus on the key points that you must address in your writing.

2) RESEARCH

Your textbook provides necessary information that allows you to attain foundational knowledge.  However, critical thinking requires that we consider the information more deeply.  We should go beyond the textbook to take into account what other experts and professionals have to say about the subject.  Thus, we should look to scholarly sources of information.  As you complete research, look for information that fits the context and purpose of what you must write about.

Subject experts write scholarly sources.  The information that they present has been reviewed and evaluated by other professionals who have considerable knowledge and experience on the subject. One way to access scholarly information is by using the online databases offered through  MVNU’s library .

3) EVALUATE

The next step is to thoroughly and logically apply the information.  To do this requires that we reflect, observe, weigh evidence, analyze, and evaluate the information.  It may seem like this is a tedious or time-consuming task.  But with practice, evaluating information becomes infused in your thinking process.  Here is a link to the Intellectual Standards .  Be sure to look these over.  You will find guiding questions to help you reshape the way that you think.  If you would like more information, you may want to read The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking.

As you can see, there is a lot of pre-work that needs to happen before we actually begin to write critically. Before typing up your response to a discussion question or writing a paper, consider what you have learned.  If you have gained sufficient knowledge through your research and evaluation, then your thoughts will flow more easily and you will be able to articulate a critical response.

• Write with a purpose.   Consider the writing prompt and identify your argument (thesis).  What information do you need to convey?  What key points will you make?  How will you structure your thoughts?   Your professor will be looking to see if you both understand the concept and know how to apply it.

Thoroughly explain the concept, theory, or model.   Use your own words to explain the knowledge that you have gained through your research.  Avoid dropping in dictionary definitions or quotes to convey meaning or explain the topic.  Do not simply summarize what the textbook said about the topic.   Share what you have learned .

Share what it means in real life.   Use examples to illustrate your key points.  What are your observations?  What has your experience shown?  How does it apply in the real world or in your own life?  Are there any moral or spiritual implications?

• Support your assertions and opinions.  Through your research, you have gained valuable knowledge on the topic.  Thus, you should be able to articulate an informed response.  When you make a claim, offer the reader evidence from the scholarly sources that informed your research and knowledge on the topic.  Take caution to ensure the outside content does not overshadow your original thoughts on the topic. Aim for less than 20% content from others on any submission.  Avoid using too many quotes or stringing together quotes. Don’t use ideas from other sources to replace your own thoughts.  Instead, carefully use the information to back up your assertions.

Author: Dawnel Volzke, Adjunct Professor

Reference Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 6th ed., 2009. Kindle Edition), Location 41.

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Webinar Transcripts: Demonstrating Critical Thinking in Writing Assignments

Demonstrating critical thinking in writing assignments.

Presented June 27, 2017

View the webinar recording

Last updated 7/19/2017

Visual: The webinar begins with a PowerPoint title slide in the large central panel. A captioning pod, Q&A pod, and files pod are stacked on the right side.

The slide says “Housekeeping” and the following:

• Will be available online a day or two from now.
• Polls, files, and links are interactive.
• Use the Q&A box to ask questions.
• Send to [email protected]
• Choose “Help” in the upper right hand corner of the webinar room.

Audio: Beth: Hello everyone and thank you so much for joining us today. My name is Beth Nastachowski, and I'm going to get us started by going over a couple of quick housekeeping notes before I hand the session over to our presenter today, Melissa. So, a couple of quick things here, everyone. The first is that you may have noticed that I've started the recording for this webinar and I'll be posting the recording in full in our webinar archive probably by this evening if not a little bit sooner, and so if you have to leave for any reason or if you'd like to come back and review the session, you're more than welcome to do so. And you can find that recording in our webinar archives. And I also like to note here that we do record all of the webinars in the Writing Center so you're more than welcome to access those webinars at any time if you ever see a session that’s being presented live that you can't attend, you can always find the recording. Additionally, we have those recordings available any time so if you're looking for help on a particular topic you can always find a recording in the webinar archive as well.

There are lots of ways for you to interact with us, and with our presenter Melissa, today. So, I do encourage you to do that. I know Melissa has a poll and a couple chats put together throughout the session here, but also note that you can download her slides in the files pod at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. There are lots of links to additional information and resources in this webinar so you can access those links. You can click on them as Melissa is going through them in the webinar itself, but you can also save them by downloading those slides in the PowerPoint files pod on the bottom right-hand corner. So, feel free to do so. You can just click on the slides file and then click download files and it will save it to your computer.

The other way that you can kind of interact with us today is through the Q and A box. So, I will be monitoring that Q and A box throughout the session today. And I’m happy to respond to any questions or comments that you have throughout this session. So, do let me know how I can help, what information I can get you, what questions I can help you in that Q and A box, and then I also like to note that if you do have a question and maybe it's at the very end of the session and we just aren't able to get to it or if you come up with a question after the webinar, you think of it later, do make sure to e-mail us at [email protected]. We are happy to help and respond via e-mail as well, so do let us know.

And then finally, if you have any technical issues I am happy to help. I have a couple of tips I can give you if you're having technical issues, so do let me know if that Q and A box, but I also like to note there's the help button in the top right-hand corner of the screen and that's Adobe Connect's help option and that's really the best place to go if you're having significant technical issues. Alright, and so, with that, Melissa, I will hand it over to you.

Visual: Slide changes to the title of the webinar, “Demonstrating Critical Thinking in Writing Assignments” and the speaker’s name and information: Melissa Sharpe, Writing Instructor, Walden Writing Center

Audio: Melissa: Great. Thank you, Beth. Hi everybody. My name is Melissa Sharpe and I'm a writing instructor here at the Walden Writing Center and thank you for joining us today where we're going to be looking at what critical thinking is, as well as how to demonstrate it in our course work and academic writing. So, let's begin.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Agenda

Critical Thinking:

• Thesis Development
• Paraphrasing

Audio: This is our agenda for today and we will return to it throughout the webinar to help stay on track just to remember where we've been and what's coming up next. The purpose for this webinar is to define critical thinking and then look at how we make it obvious that we're thinking critically in our writing. We hear the word "critical thinking" a lot but we may wonder, okay, how do I think critically in writing or how do I make it clear that I have used critical thinking skills. So today in this webinar we will look at the definition of critical thinking and then we'll see how we demonstrate that thinking in our thesis statement, in our paraphrases, in analysis and synthesis. And these are things that we include in our writing and when they are done strong, they provide the evidence that we have put critical thinking into our writing so we'll get to look at that relationship today. You may find yourself realizing throughout this webinar that you're already demonstrating critical thinking in your work.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Critical Thinking

• An original and informed assessment of an idea, theory, or phenomenon.
• Original : Not just a paraphrase/quote
• Informed :   Backed up by scholarly research
• Assessment : Takes a stand on an issue

Audio: So, we'll start off with that definition of critical thinking and the definition of critical thinking that we will use throughout this presentation, and it's a widely accepted definition, and that is critical thinking is an original and informed assessment of an idea, theory, or phenomenon. And really the keywords here are first original, and that means critical thinking isn't just repeating what someone else said. Critical thinking contains some amount, maybe a touch or a whole bunch of your original thought.

The next keyword is "informed," and that means your original ideas and thought don't come, you know, out of nowhere. Instead they are informed through the research, and that means high quality scholarly research and that becomes the foundation for critical thinking. If you aren't rooting your thought in those things, it's really easy to discredit your ideas.

Last, we have the keyword "assessment" and in this context, the word doesn't mean text or quiz. Instead, it means a position, a stance, a position. And that ties right back to it being an original idea, an original thought. When we put all of this together we can see that critical thinking means using research to say something new. It's really that thought process that you go through after reading the research. We could all read the same three articles on a topic, but as we think about it ourselves and apply our own background knowledge and experiences and opinions, what we have to say about it would be different if we were to sit and talk about those articles, and that's what critical thinking is, and so that process that we go through when we're thinking or talking about these things with people, what we're going to look at today is how that becomes evident in our writing.

Demonstrate that you can develop new ideas, perspectives, or research.

• Exploring the similarity or differences between ideas
• Showing how a theory can be applied in a new setting
• Making practical suggestions for change in processes
• Discovering new connections
• Arguing the importance or need for something

Audio: So critical thinking is especially important in graduate level writing because you use it to show that you have something to add to the conversation, and as you near your capstone document, whatever that may be, for many degrees you have to propose or complete original research or forward some sort of new, original thought, idea, theory on a topic, and critical thinking shows that you're able to do that because it is an original and informed assessment, and outside of those major documents I'm sure you'll recognize that all regular course work needs critical thinking as well. You may see it appear in some of these tasks that are on the screen. Maybe you're asked to look at the similarities or differences between ideas or you read about a theory and apply it in a new setting. Maybe you read about a theory and you apply it in your daily work life. Maybe you're asked to create a suggestion for change. That would be something new that is based on existing research. Sometimes we discover new connections or argue the importance or need for something. And these are the types of tasks that appear in a lot of writing prompts, and all of them by nature require critical thinking.

Bad Example:

• Æ A discussion post defining two educational philosophies. Æ

Good Example:

• A discussion post comparing two educational philosophies and reflecting on the ways those philosophies could (or could not) be used to inform the teaching in a classroom environment you observed.

Audio: So, here's what critical thinking may look like in a discussion post. And a bad example would be if you were to write a discussion post that just defines two educational philosophies. That's definitely going to be based on research but there isn't anything new. There's none of us, the writer, the thinker in there. So as a discussion post that one does not require any critical thinking. A discussion post that does demonstrate and show critical thinking would be a post where you are comparing two educational philosophies and reflecting on the way that those philosophies could or could not be used to inform teaching in your classroom or a classroom you observed, and this discussion post we still have that research comparing and contrasting the two philosophies but we have that new idea, that new perspective, that new application and that is tying those philosophies into a classroom environment, so in that bad example we see a discussion post where critical thinking is not evident but in this better example the critical thinking is clear. There's that new application.

• Æ A short essay detailing the steps taken during admissions in an inpatient facility. Æ
• A short essay recommending a change in the steps taken during admissions in an inpatient facility, where the changes are based on current research.

Audio: And in a short essay we may also see critical thinking in the following ways. First, we'll take a look at the bad example. If a person were to write a short essay detailing the steps taken during admissions in an inpatient facility, that’s just research. It's just repeating something that was looked up. There really isn't any critical thinking going on there because there aren't new ideas, perspectives or a proposal of new research. Here we have a better example, and this example shows critical thinking. So, if somebody were to write a short essay where they recommend changing the steps during the admissions process and those steps are based on current research, this does demonstrate critical thinking because there's that new idea, that new perspective. Once again, it's based on research, but it is a presentation of some sort of new idea or thought. So, critical thinking sometimes appears in the subject matter or prompts that we're given, and when those are completed following directions you're kind of as a writer forced to critically think, but we're still going to look at all the ways that we can pull it into our writing.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Critical Thinking Red Flags

• Ideas supported with a single source
• Extensive quotes
• Use of sources of questionable credibility
• Just a restatement of what a source said

Audio: And sometimes it helps to know how to do something by looking at what not to do. So, if you see any of these four things in your writing, it's a little red flag that there just isn't enough critical thinking, yet. So, if in an essay that you see yourself supporting an idea using a single source over and over again, that might be a sign that the writing could be more informed. There's strength in numbers, I guess, if you are writing on a topic and you have a lot of sources that you've used to inform yourself and your opinion, it's just going to be stronger than if you were relying on a single piece of research because if you rely on a single piece of research even if it's really, really good, it helps to have that validated or backed up in other places as well.

Also, any time there's an essay that has extensive quoting if there's quote after quote all over the place, that also is a red flag that there isn't quite enough critical thinking yet and this is for a couple reasons. First having a lot of quotes means they're just taking up a lot of space. You're letting other writers do the talking for you, and it is just -- it's costing you time and space on the page. As the writer, you want to be in control of that and so instead of relying on other sources even if they happen to be amazing sources, it helps to paraphrase and that's one of the things we'll look at today. Also, if there's a lot of quotes, it means you haven't -- you've lost that space of where you're going to comment and explain what they mean and connect it to other ideas. Quotes just -- they cost you space.

So, the next one to look at would be having sources that have questionable credibility so if you look at your reference list and there's some kind of iffy sources, not a lot of named authors could be a red flag. A lot of sources that come from general websites, not websites of academic journals or other reliable sources. If you have something that's particularly tough to put on your reference list, sometimes even that can be a red flag because a journal article has a really straightforward pattern of what to include to put on the reference list and it's relatively easy to plug those in providing can you find them all on your page of course but some of our, like, website resources can be a little trickier to cite and if you notice that you have some sources with questionable credibility that means what you're basing your ideas on is a shaky foundation. You want to have a little bit more solid research.

And then the last red flag, is if you find yourself just restating what sources said over and over again, it means we're missing that new original thought, your argument, your assessment. So, if any of these four things you notice when you're revising your work or reading through a draft you can say okay, I think I need to add a little bit more critical thinking. And so, today we're going to look at four of the things that we include in our writing that are great places to show and demonstrate that we are critically thinking.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Chat:

What parts of critical thinking do you struggle with the most?

[The webinar layout changes to open a chat box for students to type into in response to the chat question.]

Audio: So, as we're getting ready to look at those, how we demonstrate critical thinking in our thesis, our paraphrase, our analysis, our synthesis. Before we start that I want you to tell me in the chat box, which of these four you struggle with the most and, if you wish, why you feel you struggle with them most.

[Pause as students type.]

Right away I see a lot of thesis coming in, and I think one of the reasons why we sometimes think the thesis statements are difficult is because they have a really big job to do. They have to kind of preview the main idea and argument of the entire piece of writing, and unlike a paraphrase, analysis, and synthesis the thesis appears really in this one spot. We may repeat it or reflect on it throughout but a thesis statement sort of happens just once, and maybe that makes it feel higher stakes. We have a lot of great resources for thesis statements and some of these, I'll share links with you at the end of this presentation.

I also see a lot of paraphrasing coming through. Actually, it looks like we are touching on all of them, which is great because we will look at all four of these things, today. And throughout this webinar even though we touch on all four of these we're going to look at how doing them well demonstrates critical thinking. We won't be going into detail about how to do all four of these, at least not into great detail. However, in our Writing Center both on the website and in other webinars, we have some tools that will help you go into detail if you need help like, how do I even start to write a thesis? We have a webinar about that. So, if you need any of those resources, you could even send us a question in the Q and A box and I'm sure Beth could get those links for you. All right.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Thesis Statement:

A sentence that states your main argument ; must be:

• Argumentative
• Capable of advancement

The purpose of my paper is to discuss dark chocolate.

My paper will explore dark chocolate.

Audio: So, the first part of writing a text and that could be an essay, a major assessment, a discussion post but the very first thing we're going to look at is the thesis statement, and here you can see in this checklist the things that make for a good and a strong thesis. A thesis states the main argument of an essay, that main idea, the purpose, what's going to happen in the writing. And so, it should be argumentative and what that means is, it doesn't have to be combative in nature, but it should state an opinion, it should state the opinion that you are going to present and forward and develop throughout the writing. And that means the thesis also has to be capable of advancement and what that means is, your thesis has to be something you can continue to write about over the length of an essay. If a thesis is something that you can't expand on, if you could say everything you have to say about it in a paragraph but your essay is supposed to be five pages long, that thesis isn't as strong as it could be.

Next a thesis should be concise. And that means not too long or wordy. Yes, we want to preview what the work is going to do, the ideas that are coming forth in the writing, but it has to be digestible. A reader should be able to read that thesis, beginning to end, and understand it. We don’t want anybody to get lost along the way. And a thesis should also be supported and much like being capable of advancement that means your thesis has to be supported with research, proof, and evidence. Otherwise that writing and the ideas in it are going to be a little bit faulty.

 These four things are what we use to make sure a thesis statement is sound. If you take a look at that red box on the bottom of the slide we'll see two thesis statements that, they just are not quite good enough, yet. And so, let's take a look at the first one. “The purpose of my paper is to discuss dark chocolate.” Well, that is great. We definitely know your topic. But I don't see an argument or an opinion. I don't also have like a direction. As a reader, I'm not sure where this is going to go. Like, what are we going to discuss about dark chocolate? If it's everything about dark chocolate that could be an entire book, that could be a series of books. So, this… Although there's a lot that could be said, it's not really capable of advancement because it's too broad. Sure, it is nice and short, but this doesn't have enough of a focus for us and it doesn't help us to present an opinion.

Same thing with the second one. “My paper will explore dark chocolate.” Well… Again, we're going to wonder what? Where is this going to go? And so, these two thesis statements do not demonstrate critical thinking because we cannot see any thought process. It's just a statement of topic. We're missing that originality that critical thinking is based on.

In this paper I argue that dark chocolate has more positive benefits than other types of chocolate.

My discussion shows that dark chocolate contributes to people’s happiness and satisfaction.

Audio: So here are the revised thesis statements. These are better because they meet the four criteria and therefore they're going to demonstrate some critical thinking. In that first example thesis, it says, “in this paper I argue dark chocolate has more positive benefits than other types of chocolate.” Here we have an argument and that is that dark chocolate has positive benefits, that are lacking in other chocolate. Great. We have an opinion. That means we have this original thought that's going to be supported throughout the writing. I would personally prefer to see this thesis statement stated without “in this paper I argue.” I think we can do away with that stylistically, but we're here just to take a look at the critical thinking and not the wording.

The second thesis statement for a discussion post also has that original thought because there is an argument here. “My discussion shows that dark chocolate contributes to people's happiness and satisfaction.” As a reader, I know after reading that thesis that I'm going to read a discussion post that's going to tell me how dark chocolate makes people happy, might have a paragraph or two about that, and I'm going to read about how dark chocolate makes people satisfied. We'll have a paragraph or two about that. This thesis statement presents an opinion that's argumentative. It can be advanced because we can use research to support those two points and it's short enough that when I read it I get the idea. So, here we have a thesis statement that's strong and that is showing critically thinking because I can tell there's gonna be research, yet the writer is sharing their thoughts. The writer has decided that dark chocolate contributes to these two things and there is that newness that we're looking for.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Thesis

Poll Practice:

Which thesis statement is argumentative ?

[The webinar layout changes to open a poll for the students to respond to the question.]

Audio: So, we're going to practice to try to find a thesis statement that shares an argument, a thesis statement that has that new and original thought. So, here there should be a poll on your screen and I want you to use that poll to choose which of these three thesis statements presents an argument.

[Pause for students to participate in the poll.]

Sometimes it helps us to find the one that is, by first finding the ones that are not. And so, we want to find a thesis statement that presents an opinion. Our thesis should not just repeat existing research. Remember if something repeats existing research alone, it's informed, but in critical thinking it also needs to be original. So, definitely a thesis statement that just repeats existing research is not going to be argumentative, so -- and I'm assuming, and I apologize if I'm wrong, but these are appearing in the same order on your screen as they are in mine but this first thesis statement, the on “in his article Jefferson insisted,” that one is just repeating what an article said. If that's a thesis the entire post or essay would be a summary of an article and that's not an argument so we do not want to identify that as being the argumentative one.

The next thesis statement here says that “social media can create distractions for high school students as they focus on talking with their friends rather than their studies.” Now, this is an argument. It is I believe pretty narrow in focus, so perhaps it is more appropriate for a discussion post or a short essay rather than something long because it is very narrow in focus but it does present an opinion because you could disagree with it. I could say social media does not create a distraction or I could say it creates a distraction but not because high school students are talking with their friends, but for some other reason. So, this is argumentative. This is a thesis statement that shows critical thinking provided that the writer has drawn this conclusion his or herself. If this had a citation at the end showing that this also came from the Jefferson article, then it becomes just another paraphrase or a summary, and as a thesis statement that would mean the entire essay would also be a summary and that's not what we're looking for.

In our last example thesis statement, which is “the purpose of this paper is to consider positive and negative ways that social media affects high school students.” This is kind of an in-between thesis statement. It could maybe be an argument. It also could maybe not be one. For me as a reader, I'm not exactly sure where this essay is going to go. I think it's a great topic but there's so many different ways it could affect high school students. Perhaps that could be narrowed a little bit. There's just some ways to make this more specific so there's probably an argument brewing underneath in this thesis. It's just not as obvious as that option in the middle. And I'm pleased to see that the majority went with that option in the middle, which is an argumentative thesis.

Visual: Slide changes to the following:  Thesis Statement:

A statement of the main idea of the text, which is argumentative, capable of advancement, concise, and able to be supported.

Social media can create distractions for high school students in schools as they focus on talking with their friends rather than their studies.

Audio: All right. Now we know what a good thesis is and we know what critical thinking is, so how does a good thesis demonstrate critical thinking? Remember our keywords for the definition of critical thinking are original and informed assessment. A good thesis is argumentative. That means it is a new and original argument. Argument is assessment as we talked about earlier today. A good thesis is also able to be supported. That means it is informed by the research. Here is that sample thesis that we said was argumentative, and when we look at it we can see that original idea which is that it creates a distraction in these ways, and we can tell that it's going to be informed at least ideally unless this particular writer gets sidetracked. It's going to be backed by research showing that social -- that students focus on talking with their friends and that perhaps they're spending less time studying and paying attention to school work. All of that research has informed the argument that social media is a distraction. Before we -- well -- oh, here are my arrows. I apologize. Look at this. I have connected these two thing for you. So, we can see how the keywords are repeated in the definition of critical thinking and in the definition of thesis.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Questions?

[Slide includes an image of a question mark.]

Audio: I'm going to stop here before we move on and just see if any questions came into the Q and A box that I haven’t touched on yet or that we should look at before moving forward.

Beth: Yeah. Thanks so much, Melissa. We had a great question where a student was asking, you know, whether you had any suggestions or strategies for how to come up with a thesis topic. Anything, if students are kind of struggling with that. Things to keep in mind or things to do to help with that.

Melissa: Yeah, I think that sometimes it helps to keep your thesis statement alive as you're writing. So, what that means is just because you've written a thesis statement doesn't mean it's going to stay that way forever, so when I'm writing I will look at my prompt, or my directions, my purpose first and after doing all the reading and research and I'll say, okay, what am I going to do, and it can help to start off by saying in this paper I will, and start listing what you're going to do. That is not my favorite type of thesis to see in a final draft but it is the -- it is a good way to stay focused on that idea as you're writing. Now, you can write your whole draft, come back and make sure that the paragraphs that you create still match the thesis statement, and if they do, then it's time to try rewriting that thesis statement in a few different ways trying to really nail it down into a sentence or two and then going back and applying that checklist. Okay, is this an argument. If you are doing this after you've written the essay you can probably say, yes, I have been able to advance it, and then if you continue to struggle with the thesis or wonder if it is as good as it can be, this is where you might want to make an appointment in the Writing Center and in that appointment form say, you know, I need some help with my thesis statement, or you might want to go and watch the recording of our thesis webinars but just know that that thesis statement is going to change and grow and shift with the writing.

Beth: Fantastic. Do you mind if I note a couple of other things that I mentioned in my response?

Melissa: Oh. Please do.

Beth: I love what you were saying about shifting and sort of working with the thesis as you're writing. But a couple other things I also said was go ahead and take a look at your notes again, once you’ve taken a look at your assignment prompt. Maybe you have some ideas in your notes where you say wow I was really interested in this part of this topic and maybe that's where I can focus my paper this week but also, we presented on sort of using your discussion posts as a basis for a paper a couple weeks ago. That was a webinar we did and that might be another idea is to take a look at your discussion post and the discussion forum for the week and see if there's anything that catches your eye and that might help you kind of come up with some ideas to focus your paper too.

Melissa: Yeah, that's a great idea because if we're looking for that original thought in the presentation of our own argument, we have to go digging back through our ideas.

Beth: Sure. Yeah, I think that's all we have for now, Melissa.

Audio: Melissa: Okay. Great. That means we can move on to the next part of our writing that we can use to demonstrate critical thinking and that would be paraphrasing.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Paraphrasing

Placing ideas or information from a source in your own words

• Preferable to direct quotes.
• Citing page/paragraph number is optional.
• Usually shorter than the original.
• Condense, reframe, and restructure the author’s idea.
• Relate author’s ideas to your own ideas, perspective, and argument.

Audio: So first we're going to define a paraphrase, and a paraphrase is when you take source material and we take that source material and put it in our own words. For example, if I read an article about a health care bill and I repeat the key points in my own words, as soon as I do that I have paraphrased, so some additional details about paraphrasing is that it's preferable to direct quotes and that's because it allows us to maintain our role as the writer. There's nothing wrong with including quotes especially when the writer has said it in a way that you just can't duplicate, but as we are the writer of our own work we want to keep as much of it in our own words as possible, so paraphrasing is preferable because of that. Know when that when you paraphrase you also have to cite the paraphrase but including the page or paragraph number is optional and that's because unlike a quote which definitely exists on a page or a specific paragraph, a paraphrase could include information that's not all on one page or all in one paragraph. A paraphrase is also usually shorter than the original, although it can be of a similar length. You could take two sentences and paraphrase it and that paraphrase will still be two sentences long.

In a paraphrase our purpose, of course, is to condensed, reframe, restructure, restate the author's idea in our own words, but we don't want to change the idea itself. We want to maintain what the original point of information or expert opinion is. And then the purpose of a paraphrase is not just to repeat that information, but it gives us a point to relate the author's ideas to what we are writing about. A paraphrase is that first step. If writing does nothing but paraphrase, it's kind of like piecing together, you know, like cutting up a bunch of articles and gluing them on a piece of paper. We still need our own ideas in there, and a paraphrase helps us to connect what we are saying to the larger conversation.

Read passage until you understand its meaning

Consider context of assignment: What will you do with this evidence?

Look away from passage to write main points of what you read

Cite source in your paraphrase

• Rework, revise, and rephrase as needed.
• Imagine you are explaining that information to a colleague or classmate.

Audio: And it's important to look at how we paraphrase. It sounds easy, just put it in my own words. But really this is something academic writers struggle with because it often ends up not being in our own words enough, and then it would be an issue with academic integrity or plagiarism or maybe the paraphrase feels like it just isn't saying the right thing or, sure, I can paraphrase the article but where am I actually going to put it in my own essay. So, these are some things that can make paraphrasing difficult.

So when you paraphrase the first step we start at the very top of this circle you’ll see how we move through a paraphrase. The first step is to read that passage until you understand its meeting. Read it over and over again, take some notes. In order to repeat the ideas, we have to know what the ideas are. So, start by reading that passage until you really get the meaning. Then we want to consider our assignment. What are we doing? What is the purpose of this discussion post? Why am I writing this essay? And once you know that, you can try to figure out where this paraphrase will fit in. Does it support one specific idea that you know you’re going to say? How can I use this? Knowing how you can use the paraphrase before you're drafting or how you can use your sources before you draft, maybe if you're a person who creates detailed outlines it just helps you prepare to insert that research in a way that makes sense.

And then when you're actually writing that draft, look away from that original article, look away from the passage when you're writing your main points and you’re repeating it. If you have your article next to you as you're typing that paraphrase it becomes easy to start borrowing some of the words and phrases and at that point it's not really a paraphrase and needs to be quoted. And when you're working on that you want to kind of stop and you can revise your paraphrase, you can rework it a bit. Okay? If you are really struggling with how to put this in my own words just imagine you're explaining it or telling it to someone else and see how it comes out. And if you don't like that version, like I said, just revise, rework and go ahead and what you need to.

Now, once the paraphrase is complete remember the citation. It's a really good habit to get into to cite as soon as you write the paraphrase because it becomes very difficult to try to figure out where the citations go after the fact. And sometimes students will put “citation needed” as a reminder to themselves to add that citation, but if you're working with 7 sources you might forget what source it is. So, citing as soon as you're done with the paraphrase is a really good habit to get into.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Paraphrasing: Example

“The most significant contribution of this work is the explicit focus on the informational resources available via social media and their role in the process of applying for, planning to attend, and feeling confident about succeeding at college. Importantly, and perhaps not surprisingly, social media does not play a major role for non first-generation students but does for first-generation students. This may be due  to the fact that first-generation students are less likely to have these instrumental and informational resources available in their immediate household, as they do not have parents who have experienced successfully graduating from college”

(Wohn, Ellison, Khan, Fewins-Bliss, & Gray, 2013, p. 27).

Wohn, Ellison, Khan, Fewins-Bliss, and Gray (2013) discussed the role social media plays for students’ actions and feelings about college. First-generation students are more affected by social media’s in their decisions related to college. First-generation students sometimes don’t have the experience of people around them to use as they make decisions regarding college, one reason social media might have more of an impact for them.

Audio: And so, here's an example of how to paraphrase. You're going to see this rather long paragraph from an article. As an academic writer, it's my job to read this as an academic writer over and over until I know what the main idea is. I'm going to look away from it when I write my paraphrase, and when I do that my paraphrase may look something like this.

Right away you can see that this is shorter than the original. And that's a good sign. If we compare the wording of the two, there's no -- there isn't a point at which I've used more than two words in the same word order as the original source. And that means this wording is totally new, the wording is all my own. Also, I have cited it. Note that this citation comes at the beginning of the sentence and what matters is that I have the names of the writers and the year of publication. I could have cited it at the end if I wanted to and then I would have a parenthetical citation where the name and year was all in. That stylistically is up to you as long as it is cited.

While social media can be a distraction to high school students during school hours, Wohn, Ellison, Khan, Fewins-Bliss, and Gray (2013) found that social media can help first-generation students successfully apply and be accepted to college.

Audio: Here is another example of what a paraphrase could look like and this is what I think is my better one, I apologize, that is short and has a clear citation. In this previous example I had too much going on. There we go, there's my good one. Okay. So, this is the one that's nice and short and I have a citation. The citation you can see appears at the beginning but not the total beginning of the paraphrase and that's okay because the work is still cited and once again I can cite at the beginning, I can cite at the end. As a writer, I get to choose stylistically what works best for me.

Paraphrase:

• An original restatement of information from research.

Audio: And so now the big question. How does paraphrasing actually demonstrate that I'm critically thinking. We know that a paraphrase is repeating existing information. So where is the originality coming from? Well, a paraphrase is your original restatement, so the connection here is that you have put that information or research in your own words. Remember critical thinking is creating something original and new out of the existing research. So, remember it doesn't take any critical thinking to copy a quote, but it does take critical thinking to create and craft a paraphrase.

Audio: Again, I'm going to pause to make sure I haven't left anything out or there's any lingering questions so let me know, Beth.

Beth: Yeah, thanks so much, Melissa. We did have a student asking sort of about quoting and asking whether they should never quote or it there is a certain number of quotes they can use, that kind of thing. Do you have any suggestions or guidance on that since we're talking about paraphrasing and kind of comparing the two?

Melissa: Yeah, you know, each assignment is going to be different when it comes to when, where, how often to quote. I think that if you're able to paraphrase, it's usually the better choice. Occasionally, there are sentences or phrases that you can't state any better, maybe their research dense or the phrasing is beautiful, maybe somebody was a great writer when they presented some information or fact and you want to keep that original phrasing, or you're quoting an expert in the field, and it just supports your research, and you really want to give that expert credit for saying it, just because they carry so much weight. All of those are cases where quoting is fine. I think if you have back-to-back quotes or quotes that appear very close together, then that's a sign that the number should be reduced, either it would help to say more in between them or to turn one into a paraphrase. It’s really… You have to look at each specific assignment to see if there are too many quotes and I think if you look at your page, like if you have a whole page pulled up on the screen and you kind of step back, you can see the quotes and I think really what's most important is that space between them.

Beth: Awesome. Thanks so much, Melissa. So, we had another question come in, so do you have another minute for another question?

Melissa: Yes, of course.

Beth: Okay. Awesome. So, when you are paraphrasing and sort of thinking about the process of paraphrasing we had I student ask about synonyms and asking whether synonyms are acceptable for paraphrasing and king of how those work into the process of paraphrasing. Could you talk about that a little bit?

Melissa: Yeah, so there's, well, there’s kind of a bigger idea that is lingering under that question of using synonyms and that is if you're going to take a sentence and just hit up every other word and change it to a synonym, that's not going to be the strongest paraphrase and it might come out sounding a little awkward. So, in a paraphrase, it's both about kind of shuffling the order of words in addition to changing some of them. In some research, there may be words or phrases that are technical or specific and in which case we wouldn't want to rephrase them. I'm thinking like “differentiated instruction” in the world of education. Calling that something else might be a little clumsy. So, we would want to maintain that word. But a paraphrase is both about changing the order of words as well as what they actually are.

Beth: Perfect. Thanks so much, Melissa. I think that's it for now.

Audio: Melissa: Okay. Great. So, taking a look at our agenda today we just finished talking about paraphrasing and that means we are ready to move on to analysis.

Visual : Slide changes to the following: Analysis

• Your own interpretation of other authors’ ideas
• Shows that you’re not just summarizing your research, but using it to support your argument
• How you’ll support your thesis statement throughout your paper
• Important to include in every paragraph

Audio: And analysis is one of the words that I think we hear a lot. It appears -- I know we talk about it a lot in the Writing Center. I see it in assignment prompts but it may not be something that's easy to have a solid definition of. We have a lot of great resources related to analysis spread throughout the Writing Center including the website and other webinars and I think these are four things that really help to define analysis in as brief of a way as we can get through here in this webinar.

So first an analysis is your own interpretation of other authors', writers' ideas. It's what you think, what you get out of it, what occurs to you after reading that source. And analysis shows that you are not just summarizing the research you completed but that you're using it to support your argument. You have read research on a topic and now here's what you think. The analysis is where we kind of present that “here is what I think.” So, there's a lot of weight and importance to including an analysis. The analysis is that actual support. If you have facts and statistics and all this research based on a topic and you just present it on the page, the reader could draw their own conclusions. The analysis is the conclusions you have drawn, and that's really how you support the thesis or how you support your argument. The sources give you what you need to make those claims and to share those ideas, but you have to yourself as the writer make the claim and share the idea. And the analysis is where all of that happens, and it's important to include in every paragraph. Now I'm going to say every paragraph but of course each assignment may have different purposes and goals so occasionally there are types of paragraphs where we don't have analysis but I think if this is something you're worried about not including just try to get it in there in every paragraph. The short of all of this is analysis adds you to the writing. Analysis is where you happen.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Analysis: MEAL Plan

M ain idea: Topic sentence—what subject will the paragraph be about?

E vidence: Research, data, and sources

Analysis: Interpretation of research, data, sources for your reader

L ead out: Emphasize main point, reiterate a conclusion, explain significance of           information

Audio: One place where you may have heard the word analysis is the MEAL plan and the MEAL plan is a paragraphing plan we refer to a lot here in the Writing Center. It's featured on our website, all throughout the blog. Maybe Beth could put a link or two in the Q and A box if you want to learn more. Or if this is something you just aren’t’ familiar with yet. But the shortest explanation of the MEAL plan is that it helps you write a paragraph so long as you include the four parts, and the four parts are the main idea. The main idea is the topic sentence or the first sentence or two of the paragraph and that's where we state what the subject of the paragraph is, what the paragraph is all about. Next an MEAL plan paragraph includes evidence, and that evidence is all of our research, our statistics, data, other sources. It's everything we've looked up. After evidence, we have analysis and the analysis is that interpretation, what it means, exactly what we just looked at on the previous slide. It's you, your thoughts, what you have to say about it. And then an MEAL plan paragraph ends with some sort of lead-out where you can repeat the main idea of the paragraph. Reiterate your conclusion, explain the significance. There are a lot of strategies you can do at the end of the paragraph.

When we look at this MEAL plan one thing to note is that the paragraph could have a topic sentence, two sentences of evidence, three sentences of analysis and a lead-out and that could be it, but an MEAL plan paragraph could also open with a topic sentence, have some evidence followed by analysis, a little bit more evidence and more analysis and then lead out. So, it's not an exact template that you can just drop one sentence into for each. There's flexibility with this, how long each of those four things are, and if your evidence and analysis repeats or not. But the MEAL plan can be very, very useful.

Visual: Slide change to the following: Handout:

Including Analysis and Explanation in Your Writing

Audio: Now, before we take a look at examples of adding analysis, I do want to point out that we have a handout that is down in that files pod near the bottom of your screen, and in this handout, it will explain how you can include analysis and explanation in your writing. And this is useful if that's something that you feel stuck on or right now you're sitting here thinking you need a little bit more information about that. So, you'll see this handout and even though we're looking at examples of what analysis looks like, if you want those specific steps or information about doing it yourself, you're going to find it here, and I just wanted to draw your attention to that before we check out the following example.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Analysis

According to recent data, 88% of patients in the United States needing to see a health care specialist are able to do so within a month (Roland, Guthrie, & Thome, 2012).

According to recent data, 88% of patients in the United States needing to see a specialist are able to do so within a month (Roland, Guthrie, & Thome, 2012). This statistic shows that more than 10% of the population needs to wait to receive what might be urgent medical care.

According to recent data, 88% of patients in the United States needing to see a specialist are able to do so within a month (Roland, Guthrie, & Thome, 2012). In other words, in terms of seeing a specialist, the U.S. health care system is meeting the needs of the majority of patients.

Audio: And so, one trick to doing analysis is to include a quote or paraphrase and then just follow it up with what you think. This way it forces you to include that analysis right away, and because we know analysis is how we add more of ourselves to the topic, more of ourselves to the research, we want to say this, we want it to be something new and from our own brains and responding immediately to a paraphrase helps us with that. It's a good habit to get into.

First here I have a paraphrase which is awesome because I'm presenting the facts in my own words, but I add even more critical thinking by analyzing or saying something new about it right after.  So here I have my paraphrase. “According to recent data 88% of patients in the United States needing to see a health care specialist are able to do so within a month.” There's my paraphrase, so here's one example of analysis. Immediately after I could say “this statistic shows that more than 10% of the population needs to wait to receive what might be urgent medical care.” So, as a writer I read that article. I paraphrased it and I thought that is not good. That means there's a lot people who are not getting the help they need, so I had that idea and I put it into writing and that becomes my analysis.

But because analysis involves adding my own thoughts, it can look different in each paper. So, here's another example. I read that same article, and my analysis is, “in other words, in terms of seeing a specialist the U.S. health care system is meeting the needs of the majority of patients.” So, in this case I'm a writer who read that article and said 88%, that's amazing and I’ve included that in my analysis. So, see how the one paraphrase could be used to support two totally different ideas? That's because analysis is coming from me as the academic writer. It's me. I'm not just repeating what I read in the article, I’m adding my thoughts. So, on the one case, I'm a student who thinks this article shows the health care system is great and on the other hand, I'm a student who read the article and thought it showed that health care system needs to be improved. Two totally different ideas. Both are good. Neither is better than the other. The point is that analysis is going to come from you, so you could read the research and have one idea. Someone could read it and have a different idea, but both are correct.

Provide analysis of my paraphrase

Audio: And just to demonstrate how people can read the same bit of research and draw their own conclusions, I want you to write an analysis of this paraphrase, what this -- what I'm asking you to do is to read through the paraphrase and then share a follow-up conclusion, observation, thought, something new. What does this make you realize? I'm going to give you a couple minutes to complete this task, and as you work or after you're done, take a look at the variety of responses.

So, when I take a look at some of the analysis that's coming in I see some people are using this research to focus on communication. Some people are going to use this to help forward an opinion about students going on to further their education. Some people are focusing on how social media becomes a learning tool. So, this one paraphrase could be used to support four different essays, no problem. And that's because the analysis is coming from us. And you may notice that sometimes people will use the same sources for totally different papers, totally different purposes and that's because that analysis is all about how you have chosen to use it. So, I hope you what can see here is that in the analysis we have a demonstration of critical thinking, it's what we think about that topic. Thank you so much for participating in this chat. This one requires a lot of -- well, no surprise, critical thinking, so thank you.

Critical Thinking

• An original and informed assessment of an idea, theory, or phenomenon

Audio: And so, we can solidify how including analysis demonstrates critical thinking and we'll return to that definition, critical thinking is an original and a form of assessment and an analysis we provide our own ideas, our own interpretation. Our ideas and interpretations are original, so we have that match up well and because those ideas are based on other authors' ideas and work it is informed. So, see if you include analysis you're demonstrating critical thinking.

Audio: Once again, I'll pause just to see if there's anything I should address before we move on.

Beth: Yeah, I don't really think so, Melissa. I think we're pretty good.

Audio: Melissa: Oh, great. Okay. So here we are. The final way to show critical thinking in our writing which is synthesis.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Synthesis

Combining independent elements to form a cohesive whole

• Critical analysis of sources
• Comparing and contrasting what the authors have to say
• Evaluating and interpreting that information

Audio: And synthesis I think you may feel that these are getting a little bit more complex concepts as we move along, but synthesis is when we take a whole bunch of stuff, independent elements and we take all of those things and pull them together into something new into a cohesive whole. So really those independent elements that could be a whole bunch of research like five different articles. So, for example I synthesize when I read those five articles about school reform and then I create my own plan or I plan new school reform. I've taken a lot of independent elements, those five articles, and I've used them to create a cohesive whole and that would be my plan. Originally those five ideas had nothing to do with each other, maybe the two authors had dinner once or something, but the articles all existed totally separate. It was me and my brain that pulled them together to create something new. I did the synthesizing. And, so, in order to synthesize we use a lot of brain power because we have to analyze the sources. We have to compare and contrast what they say. We have to evaluate and interpret the information and then we still have to use it to create something new.

• Expert advice
• Statistics                 
• Research study

è Your recommendation of how to combat the negative effects of social media on high school students.

[Slide shows the three bullet points as balls put into a funnel, with the recommendation coming out as the result.]

Audio: So, here's a visual I like to share whenever I talk about synthesis. Imagine putting all these things into a funnel or a bowl or something and you mix them up and squeeze it out through your brain and there it is, something new that you created. So, for example, I could take statistics about high schoolers' use of social media, I could read a bunch of articles about what experts advise when it comes to social media and high school students. I could see what they say, what's the same, different, what's valid, what is flawed. I could also read a research longitudinal research study on the topic and I would think, think, think about all of these things. I would draw conclusions. I would compare and contrast and then I would present my synthesis. And that's my recommendation how to combat the negative effects of social media on high school students. Nobody else wrote that recommendation. That's all me. So, synthesis is taking a whole bunch of pieces and using them to make them new whole thing.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Synthesis: Not Quite

According to Peterson (2008), 83% of teenagers claimed that social media had no impact on their academic performance. Carol (2010) noted that teenagers who used social media reported a higher dissatisfaction with their academics than did teenagers who use little or no social media.

Audio: And here’s an example of synthesis that isn’t quite there.  Let’s take a look. Here I have “according to Peterson 83% of teenagers claimed that social media had no impact on their academic performance. Carol noted that teenagers who used social media reported a higher dissatisfaction with their academics.” And so, what I have here is actually just two paraphrases back to back. I have my independent elements, or the whole bunch of pieces, all the stuff we just talked about, but I haven't done anything with them. I haven't made anything new.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Synthesis: With the MEAL Plan

Research on social media’s effect on high school students is far from reaching consensus.

While Peterson (2008) noted that 83% of teenagers claimed that social media had no impact on their academic performance, Carol (2010) found teenagers who used social media reported a higher dissatisfaction with their academics than did teenagers who use little or no social media.

However, both authors neglect the possibility that high school students are simply not aware of the negative influences of social media.

Future research, therefore, should closely examine this level of awareness and whether it can predetermine particular adolescent behavior.

Audio: So, here's how I could do that using the MEAL plan. And first here is my M, my topic sentence, that is going to present the main of idea of the paragraph. And then now I'm going to have my evidence, and so that evidence is those two paraphrases we just looked at. I'm going to use these as my independent elements based on my synthesis. And now here's my analysis. Yes, analysis, analyzing is necessary for a synthesis. We can't create something new, whole without analyzing or responding to the research. And analysis and synthesis are closely related because of this. Here's my comparison. And then I'm going to end with a lead-out phrase that's going to wrap it all up and when I wrap it up here what I’m doing is I'm creating this new idea. It's a recommendation of what we should do. The proposal is a new whole thing. This taken together this paragraph is me synthesizing.

So, synthesis can happen in the paragraph level like this. Here we see independent elements and what I've done with them but it can also be an end result of an entire essay. It's just that on this slide I can't walk us through an essay easily so we're looking at it on the paragraph level. I noted there's a public health or something like that assignment out there where students are asked to create a policy to address a health issue. That assignment requires heavy duty synthesizing. The policy that students are proposing is a new original plan that is a result of looking at a lot research and other existing plans.

Critical thinking : An original and informed assessment of an idea, theory, or phenomenon

Synthesis: Combining independent elements to form a cohesive whole

Audio: So, as you can expect synthesis helps us demonstrate critical thinking. Remember critical thinking is an original and informed assessment. We see the idea of original in the definition of synthesis because you're creating a totally new thing, brand-new, and we see the idea of informed up here in the definition of synthesis because synthesis is based on research or those independent elements. It's helpful to see how the definition of thesis, paraphrasing, analysis and synthesis all overlap and so having strong -- a strong thesis, a strong paraphrase and analysis and synthesis will all demonstrate the strength of your own critical thinking.

Audio: And I don't know if we want to stop questions before we recap and share resources. Did anything come through?

Beth: It didn't, no. So maybe just talk about those resources, and yeah, wrap us up here.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Recap

• Relate source to your own ideas
• Use own words and phrasing
• Interpret sources
• Compare, contrast, and analyze sources

Audio: Melissa: Okay. Sounds great. So, just to recap critical thinking is something we're asked to do as academic writers, and if you're wondering how do I show I've thought critically? I mean, I'm sure when a student is preparing an assignment, or even a discussion post, a lot of thought goes into it. How do we make that thought visible? We can make it visible in your thesis, in your paraphrasing, in the inclusion of analysis and in the syntheses as you pull together multiple sources to create something new. In these four ways, your critical thinking becomes visible and it becomes something that you can say okay, my critical thinking, people will know that I've used resources. I have an informed assessment because I've created this new idea based on research.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Critical Thinking Toolbox

Thesis statements:

• Thesis Statement page
• “Practical Skills: Thesis Statements”

Paraphrasing:

• Paraphrasing page
• “Practical Skills: Paraphrasing”
• Using Evidence page
• Paragraph page
• “Topic Sentences and Paragraph Development”
• Synthesis page
• “Synthesis and Thesis Development”

Audio: And now, here is a page that has links to more details about the four things we looked at. And I have to apologize because it looks like these links are not clickable here in this presentation today so if you go to the files pod you'll be able to download the slides and when you download the slides, these will be completely accessible so that you can take a look at some of these that will help you if you wanted more information about how to write a thesis, how to paraphrase.

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Questions:

Anytime: [email protected]

Continue the conversation on Twitter with #WaldenU

Develop your Critical Thinking Skills:

Check out the recorded webinars “Adding Analysis and Synthesis to your Writing” and “Writing Effective Academic Paragraphs”

Audio: And that brings me to the end of my presentation and I will hand it back to Beth to wrap things up for us.

Beth: Thanks so much, Melissa. We didn't get any other questions that came in and I know we're here the top of the hour so I wondered if you just have any sort of final tips or strategies, for students. I know this is a lot that you went over. So, I wondered if you had any tips for students who might be feeling a little overwhelmed for trying to incorporate all of this into their writing.

Melissa: Oh definitely. And in this webinar because we talked about four really important things rather quickly, the big take away here is just to know that when we include these things in our writing we are demonstrating our critical thinking skills. If you're feeling like you need more support in one of those areas, first download the slides and access those links but also feel free to make an appointment with us in the Writing Center and just mention where you want the instructor to focus. You know, can you focus on my analysis. I'm not sure if I have enough synthesis. I'm worrying about the amount of critical thinking and you can get that one-on-one help that way with whatever you think you will need the most help with.

Beth: I love that. Fantastic. Thanks so much, Melissa. This is a great sort of really in-depth I feel like but broad overview of all these different elements so thank you. And thank you everyone for coming. I know we're at the top of the hour so we're going to go ahead and close out but do let us know if you have any lingering questions at that e-mail writing support and check out those other webinars and resources Melissa mentioned and we hope to see you at another webinar coming up. Thanks everyone. Have a great night.

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EXPLORING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND ACADEMIC WRITING

2020, International Journal of Asian Social Science

Discussions on critical thinking skills among students in higher institutions of learning continues to be an important topic for discussion. These discussions revolve around the facts that students are not capable of displaying critical thinking skills abilities or researchers suggesting on ways to improve critical thinking skills among learners. Teachers a c ca (ac it) and how critical thinking skills influence classroom learning. Not many realize that writing and thinking are interrelated in many ways. The teaching of critical thinking skills can be embedded in the teaching of writing in the classroom. This study explores the connection between critical thinking skills and academic writing. It looks into how writing process mirrors critical thinking skills. This quantitative study is done on 207 first semester undergraduate students who signed up for academic writing course in a public university in Malaysia. Findings of this study revealed interesting implications for the teaching of writing process and critical thinking among undergraduates. Contribution/ Originality: The study contributes in the existing literature on the connection between critical thinking and academic writing. Existing characteristics of critical thinking skills is merged with academic writing skills.

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Academic writing and critical thinking are two things which strongly deal with higher education context, especially for EFL students. Unfortunately, the process of the teaching and learning which deals with the two aforementioned things was rarely researched. Hence, this current study aimed at revealing the process of teaching and learning of academic writing which involves critical thinking in higher education level. It was carried out through qualitative approach with non-participatory observation and interview as the data collection techniques. The participants were the subject teacher as the one who taught academic writing and also the students in the academic writing class. The result shows that the process of teaching and learning of academic writing consisted of several phases united into a set prevailing for each type of academic writing. Furthermore, critical thinking is engaged within almost all phases with different way of its existence. This study is expected to open eye...

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Cognitive skills covering both intellectual and practical skills including critical and creative thinking as foundations of the essential learning outcomes which students should achieve across their college experience. For that reason, the objective of undergraduate education is to improve students who are able to involve in critical thinking and clear writing. The purpose of this study is: (1) to know both high and low-level students’ difficulties in writing argumentative essay; (2) to compare the students’ critical thinking competence both from high and low-level students by locating students’ writing argumentative scores into Critical Thinking Analytical Rubric (CTAR); (3) to compare between both high and low-level students’ difficulties in writing argumentative essays scored by SRAE and both high and low-level students’ critical thinking competence in writing argumentative essays scored by CTAR. This research investigated 35 students of the English Department of University of Is...

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Critical thinking skills are necessary tools for promoting postgraduates' academic writing. This study explores postgraduates' responses towards the role of critical thinking skills in academic writing courses. The study adopts Peter Honey Critical Thinking questionnaire which is delivered online to EFL MA students at the Department of English in the University of Tripoli in order to collect data. 20 students participate in the questionnaire which aims to find out whether EFL MA students are aware of the role of critical thinking skills in enhancing the writing of their written assignments and theses. The results reveal that EFL MA students are aware of the important role that critical thinking skills play in developing academic writing courses and in producing quality content texts.

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One of targets issued by UN through SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in education is ensuring that all youth and adults have to achieve literacy and numeracy skills through long live education for both men and women. It is due to facts that education does not nationally wide spread among the developing and mostly, the third world countries. In those countries, the citizens whom literacy and numeracy skills are built up well are only them whose motivation in learning is high. Simply, it can be said that literacy awareness of those countries is unsatisfying. Realizing this fact, Indonesian government revises the National Curriculum of 2013 by the year 2017 and puts some important issues in learning process: (1) integrating five characters building; (2) elaborating literacy skills and 21st century skills (4C); and (3) integrating High Order Thinking Skill. Not only applied in lower education, these rules can be adopted also in higher education, such as university. Based on the lite...

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This action research sought to investigate the critical thinking (CT) skills of thirty (30) Grade 11 Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students in Old Poblacion National High School through their performance in writing academic papers. An “infusion approach” was employed to facilitate students’ critical thinking anchored on Paul and Elder’s (2001) CT model in an L2 writing context. In this study, students were asked to write a position paper (Essay 1) before the treatment was introduced. Another essay (Essay 2) was written during the study and another one (Essay 3) was taken as the post-test essay. For essays 2 and 3, infusion approach was applied. Students followed the four-step process in writing: brainstorming, drafting, peer review, and revision. The explicit inclusion of critical thinking in the teaching instruction occurred only in brainstorming and peer review using a CT-oriented brainstorming worksheet and CT-oriented peer review checklist respectively. After a four-week study, students’ pretest and post-test CT writing scores were assessed by three inter-raters using the “criteria for assessing critical thinking in L2 writing.” Hence, one-group pretest-posttest only design was utilized in the study. Findings revealed that students’ critical thinking before the employment of infusion approach was “very poor” and it had progressed to “poor” after following the infusion approach. In addition, the result in paired samples t-test showed a significant difference between the pretest and post-test CT means scores, suggesting an improvement in the CT and L2 writing scores. Despite the improvement, students’ critical thinking emerging from L2 writing remained at poor level. This suggests that students’ facility of the English language and the application of critical thinking need further strengthening to, at least, attain the average level.

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Critical Thinking Academic Writing And Presentation Skills Paperback – January 1, 2017

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• Print length 182 pages
• Language English
• Publisher PEARSON INDIA
• Publication date January 1, 2017
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ PEARSON INDIA (January 1, 2017)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 182 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8131731987
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8131731987
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 15 years and up
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