CRITICAL

ANALYTIC
AL
THINKING
Workshop 3; Semester 2,
2011.

TODAY

Review of critical
analytical thinking what
is it?
Critical reading having a
go!

Critical writing examples

to see!

Notices
No workshop next week because you are busy little beeeees
EDB410 drafts due to me BEGINNING of next week Monday/TuesdayKeep in mind I have
all 57 of you, so I need time to get through them all!!! Last drafts will be looked at Friday
morning at 1pm Friday afternoon, I knock off work because of other commitments so keep
that in mind
Next workshop 13 September, Week 8: How to write a lit review.
MDB397 minimaster after this workshop...
EDB361 & EAB023 send in drafts to Jan
So far SPB004 is going really well, the seminar marks have been pretty strong so far!
WELLDONE!!!
Dont forget your squares!!! Everyone got one? Need some ideas???
Coming to Jan and me makes a difference =D

Notices
No workshop next week because you are busy little beeeees
EDB410 drafts due to me BEGINNING of next week Monday/TuesdayKeep in mind I have all
57 of you, so I need time to get through them all!!! Last drafts will be looked at Friday morning
at 1pm Friday afternoon, I knock off work because of other commitments so keep that in
mind
Next workshop 13 September, Week 8: How to write a lit review.
MDB397 minimaster after this workshop...
EDB361 & EAB023 send in drafts to Jan
So far SPB004 is going really well, the seminar marks have been pretty strong so far!
WELLDONE!!!
Dont forget your squares!!! Everyone got one? Need some ideas???
Coming to Jan and me makes a difference =D
Keeping in touch Facebook meBut I need to learn how to use it!!! ;P

Emma Qut

Just because research is

published in a well-known
journal does not automatically
make it good research.
Creswell (2012).

What is critical analytical thinking?

Stand back and evaluate the evidence put forward in support of a
belief or claim and adopting and attitude of skeptism or reasoned
doubt
Examine and evaluate the beliefs/claims/arguments from different
angles and habitually questioning their quality Are they accurate?
Comparing the same issue from the point of view of other writers and
theorists
Considers where the belief or view point/argument leads what
conclusions follow? Are they valid and rational?
Looking for possible flaws in the reasoning, evidence or the way the
conclusions are drawn
Being able to argue why/how one set of opinions, results or conclusions
is preferable to another
Being on guard for literary devices that encourage the reader to take
questionable statements at face value and lure the reader into
agreement
Checking for hidden assumptions, bias and inferences
(Adapted from: Cottrell, 2008, p.275; Poulson & Wallace, 2004, p.5)

Critical analytical thinking when reading

means actively looking for the following
Significance What is important and why?
Inference What is really being said? Reading
between the lines
Argument Is it clear and is there enough valid
evidence to support the argument/claims?
Assumptions What are their theories and beliefs?
Are they valid and convincing?
Hidden values What is not being said?
Bias Is there any? Is it fair?
Authors purpose What is the intention of the author?
Why did they write this?
Patterns and connections (between points made,
arguments & claims, between different readings) Are
there any?

Differences between critical & non-critical

readers
Non- critical
readers:
Take in the facts
Satisfied with what
the text says
Discover an
accepted
interpretation or
argument
Restate the key
points

Differences between critical & non-critical

readers
Non- critical
readers:
Take in the facts
Satisfied with what
the text says
Discover an
accepted
interpretation or
argument
Restate the key
points

Critical readers:
Actively examine, evaluate and
analyse evidence, data & information
(e.g. Is it valid & reliable? Is there
enough?)
Recognize not only what the text says
but how the text presents the subject
matter (e.g. amount and type of
support given to arguments and points
made)
Examine choices of content, language
used and structure made by the author
to determine how these choices effect
meaning and argument (e.g. Any bias?)
Recognize how a particular perspective
or selection of facts can lead to a
particular understanding (e.g. Whats
not being said/included?)

(Poulson & Wallace, 2004, p.25)

Type of
literatur
e

Common features

Some potential limitations of

claims to knowledge things

to look out for!!!

Lets have a go
Firstly, some contextual
background

My Research Topic
A comparative investigation of the use and impact of Bislama
(pidgin English) and Merelav (provincial language of Mere Lava) as
the medium of instruction on the learning and teaching of English
as a foreign language in two primary school sites in Vanuatu; one
on the island of Gaua (where only Bislama and English is used), the
other on the island of Mere Lava (where only Merelav and English
is used).
Two research articles:
Siegel, J. (1997). Using pidgin language in formal education: Help
or hindrance? Applied Linguistics, 18(1), 86-100.
Why 1997? Its tooooooo old!!!!!

Willans, F. (2011). Classroom code-switching in a Vanuatu

secondary school: Conflict between policy and practice.
International
Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism,
14(1), 23-38.

So lets start doing

some critical
reading
Siegel (1997) & Willans (2011)

So how can we
start pulling all
this together?
Refer to .docx

Critical analytical thinking when writing

means actively applying the following
Identifying and presenting the significance of the topic/issue or
point/argument
Being clear what your conclusions are
Showing a clear line of reasoning an argument leading to a
conclusion
Presenting evidence to support your reasoning
Weigh up and evaluate one piece of information against another
and show the relevance of links between pieces of information
Viewing your topic/subject/issue from multiple perspectives
Reading your own writing critically (critical reading), along with
your sources of information and literary evidence
Respecting others as people at all times. Challenging others
work to find a better way of doing things is acceptable, but
indulging in destructive criticism of others work and their worth
as people just to demonstrate your intellectual prowess at their
expense is not.
Adapted from: Cottrell, 2008, p.276,286; Poulson & Wallace, 2004, p.5

Some useful advice

As a self-critical writer you will wish to protect
your writing from the criticism of the critical
readers who are assessing it. You should be
cautious about asserting greater certainty over
your claims to knowledge than you have
evidence to support, and about making broad
generalisations except perhaps at a high level
of abstraction.

(Poulson & Wallace, 2004, p.19)

Useful
comparisons

(Poulson & Wallace, 2004,

p.7)

Profile of a
typical
academic who
assesses your
writing

PROFILE OF A
TYPICAL ACADEMIC
WHO ASSESSES
YOUR WRITING:
(Poulson & Wallace, 2004, p.8)

(Poulson & Wallace, 2004,

REFERENCES
Cottrell, S. (2008). The study skills handbook
(3Ed). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Poulson, L. and Wallace, M. (2004). Chapter 1:
Critical reading for self-critical w riting. In
Poulson, L. and Wallace, M. (eds). Learning to
read critically in teachiing and learning . S AGE
Research Methods Online, pp. 2-40