Critical thinking

1. Critical thinking English Language Teaching Unit

2. Alex is a student. • He has a lot of experience • He has a lot of ideas • He remembers facts and figures from lectures and TV programmes • He is creative and wants to express his ideas • He has so much to say he doesn’t need to read books to fill his essays

3. The growth of the World Wide Web In the history of civilisation there have been many significant developments, such as the invention of the wheel, money and the telephone, but the development of the internet is perhaps the most crucial of all. In the space of a few years the World Wide Web has linked buyers in New York to sellers in Mumbai and teachers in Berlin to students in Cairo, so that few people can imagine life without it. It is estimated that over 70 per cent of North Americans, for instance, have internet access, and this figure is steadily increasing. Physical shops are under threat, as growing numbers shop online. In areas such as travel it is now impossible to buy tickets on certain airlines except on the internet. The web also links together millions of individual traders who sell to buyers through websites such as Ebay.

4. The growth of the World Wide Web In the history of civilisation there have been many significant developments, such as the invention of the wheel, money and the telephone, but the development of the internet is perhaps the most crucial of all. In the space of a few years the World Wide Web has linked buyers in New York to sellers in Mumbai and teachers in Berlin to students in Cairo, so that few people can imagine life without it. It is estimated that over 70 per cent of North Americans, for instance, have internet access, and this figure is steadily increasing.Physical shops are under threat, as growing numbers shop online. In areas such as travel it is now impossible to buy tickets on certain airlines except on the internet. The web also links together millions of individual traders who sell to buyers through websites such as Ebay.

5. So… • If you don’t provide fully referenced support, what is there to evaluate?

6. Sara • Sara is a serious student • She lives in the library • She eats and sleeps in the library • She reads books and makes notes • She puts these notes together to write her essay

7. Classification of Life All life forms are divided into one of two categories: plant or animal. Animals move and take in food. Plants are rooted into the earth in some way and lack locomotion. They photosynthesise their food (Smith, 2004). According to Johnson (2001) Zoologists study animals, and botanists study plants. Bacteria were classified as plants because many kinds of bacteria photosynthesise their food. However, they also have locomotion. Recent research has shown that there is an enormous variety of bacteria. Some are able to survive at extreme temperatures and in the absence of oxygen. Most plants cannot usually survive in those conditions. Therefore, even though bacteria photosynthesise, they are not now regarded as plants (Zhang, 2011).

8. Sara’s writing • Mainly descriptive • Mostly statements • Statements are not linked • No evaluation • No development • No conclusion

9. What Sara should have done. The difficulty in categorising bacteria was partly based on the assumption that all life forms were divided into two main categories, plants and animals. Organisms that photosynthesised and lacked mobility were classified as plants; those that had locomotion and ingested food were classified as animals. Bacteria were traditionally categorised as plants because many forms of bacteria photosynthesised their food like plants. However bacteria also have locomotion, associated with animal life. Genetic research has now shown that there are at least eleven major divisions of bacteria, all of which are more genetically distinct than plants are from animals (Fuhrman et al, 1992). In addition, the minute organisms formerly described as 'bacteria' are now found to consist of several major kingdoms and domains of unicellular and multicellular life (bacteria, archaea, eucarya) (Woese, 1994). This research is significant as it has shown that the fundamental division of all life forms into 'plant' or 'animal' was an error, and that plants and animals form only a very small part of a much more diverse range of living organisms.

10. EvaluationSignpostingReferencing The difficulty in categorising bacteria was partly based on the assumption that all life forms were divided into two main categories, plants and animals. Organisms that photosynthesised and lacked mobility were classified as plants; those that had locomotion and ingested food were classified as animals. Bacteria were traditionally categorised as plants because many forms of bacteria photosynthesised their food like plants. However bacteria also have locomotion, associated with animal life. Genetic research has now shown that there are at least eleven major divisions of bacteria, all of which are more genetically distinct than plants are from animals (Fuhrman et al, 1992). In addition,the minute organisms formerly described as 'bacteria' are now found to consist of several major kingdoms and domains of unicellular and multicellular life (bacteria, archaea, eucarya) (Woese, 1994). This research is significant as it has shown that the fundamental division of all life forms into 'plant' or 'animal' was an error, and that plants and animals form only a very small part of a much more diverse range of living organisms.

11. So… When you write an essay you are showing that you have: • an ability to select the right texts for the assignment • a knowledge of the reading • an ability to analyse and evaluate the texts you read

12. Now look at Passages 4&5 • Which contains critical evaluation? • Underline the evaluative language.

13. Passage 4 Scientists do not agree about the extent to which creativity can be linked to activity in the right hemisphere of the brain. It is known that the biochemistry of the two hemispheres of the brain is different. For example there is more of the neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, in the right hemisphere than the left (Okeetoi, 1978). Norepinephrine is associated with increased alertness to visual stimuli. It has been suggested by Springer and Deutsch (1981) that this may lead to increased right-hemisphere specialisation for visual and spatial perception. However, this link is not yet proven. It is not yet clear whether one hemisphere of the brain can be responsible for any creative task. Moreover, although it might seem reasonable to assume that responsiveness to visual stimulus may be an important factor of creativity, this has also not yet been proved.

14. Types of Critical Thinking • Identify opinion e.g. Is this the author reporting facts or giving an opinion? • Evaluate evidence e.g. How big is the sample size? When was the study conducted? • Weigh up opposing arguments e.g. read two texts on the same subject – look for the differences • Draw conclusions &Speculating e.g.What does this mean for your assignment?

16. The In-Sessional Programme • Academic English Lecture Series • Style • Organisation • Critical Thinking • Referencing

17. References • Bailey, S. (2011) Academic Writing. Oxford: Routledge • Cottrell. S (2008) The Study Skills Handbook. 3rd Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan