CRITICAL THINKING + WRITING

1. CRITICAL THINKING + WRITING HOW TO START A CRITICAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT Juliet Davis

2. CONTENTS NOTE: You can jump to any section below by clicking the link or watch the whole presentation in order. • What is “critical thinking?” • What is a “critical perspective?” • How can I start a paper with critical inquiry? • How can I develop my ideas? • What kinds of evidence can I use to support my ideas? • What kinds of research could I conduct myself? • How can I tell if my sources are credible? • How can critical writing skills apply to my future goals?

3. But Wait . . . Do YOU NEED MORE BASIC WRITING HELP FIRST? See my PPT on Writing Basics

4. 1. What is critical thinking?

5. The term is based on a core body of research that started in the mid- to late 20th Century and derived from ancient Greek philosophy. • Greek roots: "kriticos" (meaning discerning judgment) and "kriterion" (meaning standards). The word implies the development of "discerning judgment based on standards." • The concept implies an attempt at objective judgment so as to determine both merits and faults. • Critical thinking utilizes appropriate evaluative standards in the attempt to determine the worth, merit, or value of something. • The tradition reflects the common perception that human thinking left to itself often gravitates toward prejudice, over-generalization, common fallacies, self-deception, rigidity, and narrowness. • The critical thinking tradition develops and nurtures reasoning. Source: www.criticalthinking.org Image: “The Death of Socrates” French painter Jacques-Louis David, 1787. Socrates was condemned to death (suicide by hemlock) by the government of Athens for questioning the existence of the gods and corrupting youth. “characterized by careful analysis and judgement”--New World Dictionary

6. A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR DEVELOPING INFORMED OPINIONS • Language Matters • Question AuthoritiesFind Credible Research Sources • Avoid Over-generalizations • Watch out for fallacies. • Let Down Your Guard

7. 2. What is a “critical perspective?” “Taking a critical perspective involves adopting a viewpoint that asks questions about the rationale and legitimacy of something. . . . “ –Reference.com

8. Bloom’s Taxonomy1956(We will also look at a slightly updated model in a moment.) • Image Credit: Fractus Learning, (published under Creative Commons).

9. Climbing the Ladder

10. Climbing the Ladder

11. Climbing the Ladder

15. Synthesis is now “Creation” and has moved to the top. Creation

16. Remember: Critical Perspectives Question the Legitimacy of Something

17. Synthesis is Now Termed “Creation” and has been moved to the top.

18. Note that these levels are not mutually exclusive.You’ll be traveling up and down the ladder.There’s also a 3-dimensional model you can see at this link. Creation

19. It can be important to look at the roots of a problem (e.g., monetary, social, political, etc.). Who benefits from the problem as well as the solutions? How?What new incentives can be introduced to solve the problem? A note about evaluating a problem:

20. UPDATED BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

21. NOTE: Not All Creative Acts Are High Level 3 Levels of Creative Actsaccording to Leslie Owen Wilson, Professor Emerita at The University of Wisconsin (see “Types of Creative Thinking”): • REPLICATION is one level of creativity (example: following a recipe as written; copying a drawing; writing a press release based on a formula, re-selling an alligator key chain as part of a business that contributes part of its proceeds to wildlife protection) • SYNTHESIS is a medium to high level (e.g., combining recipes or nutrition principles to create a recipe of your own; combining information in new ways for a news article; partnering with the Florida Gators in a wildlife protection effort;creating a program for people to address phobic behavior ) • BREAKTHROUGH is high level (e.g., creating a new type of cuisine; propagating a new hybrid fruit; writing a piece of investigative reporting that brings entirely new discoveries to the surface; creating an app that allows people to track alligator and other wildlife sightings in a nature park and connects proceeds to wildlife preservation; creating a new therapy for phobias).

22. 3. How can I start a paperwith a critical perspective? Discover what you care about.

23. Discover what you care about.FreewriteJournal-writeBrainstorm

24. What changes would you like to see in the world? • What mystery would you like to find out about? • Is there a common belief or social practice you question? • Are there events in your life (positive or negative) that have had an impact on you that you would like to know more about? • Have you made an unusual observation about human behavior, beliefs, attitudes, etc.? • What would you like to know about that could impact your future? • Are there circumstances impacting a loved on that you’d like to learn more about? • What are you passionate about? Is there a related question you could research? UsePrompts

25. EXAMPLES: • Q: We know that low-stress environments are most conducive to learning. Do students need to learn to handle stress better, or do universities need to change their organizations, or both?WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED? “Two of my friends dropped out of school after they couldn’t handle stress.”POSSIBLEPROCESS: Research definitions of stress and anxiety. Read current peer-reviewed studies and research history of higher ed. Interview students, professors, and administrators. Design an experiment of your own (get approval through IRB), conduct experiment, report findings. RESEARCH TYPE: Social sciences, qualitative and quantitative. • Q: How do museums decide what “art” is or whether a work has artistic merit?WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED? “Some work I see in museums don’t appear to be artistic to me, and I’m interested in being an artist.”PROCESS: Research definitions, read essays, conduct interviews, form a thesis, evaluate select works for research, etc.RESEARCH TYPE: Humanities • Q: What does “multiracial” mean? WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED? “I’m considered to be multiracial. On one hand, I hear that race is more culturally defined than biologically based, and on the other hand, even government forms ask me to identify my race. I even sent away for my DNA analysis.” PROCESS: Research definitions, read scientific and social science journals, read about history of race in the U.S.RESEARCH TYPE: Science, social science, humanities Question Things

26. 4. How can I develop my ideas? Get ready to let your mind . . .

27. . . . branch out

28. . . . wander and climb . . .

29. . . . go down the rabbit holes.

30. Consider . . . Mind MapsRough ListsSticky NotesButcher Block PaperMore FreewritingIncubating

31. ASK QUESTIONS

34. At some point you’ll want to take off writing Let your writing flow. You can always come back and keep brainstorming as you draft.

35. At the end of this lesson,we’ll try a brainstorming activity together . . . You can use paper/pen, whit board, butcher block paper), software (such as www.mindmeister.com), etc.

36. 5. What kinds of evidence can I use to support my ideas?

37. Facts • Definitions • Statistics • Expert Perspective • Experiments • Observations • Examples • Descriptions • Narratives • Interviews • Comparison and Contrast • Etc. EXAMPLES

38. Quantitative Research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables – and generalize results from a larger sample population. Quantitative Research uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover patterns in research. Quantitative data collection methods are much more structured than Qualitative data collection methods. Quantitative data collection methods include various forms of surveys – online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys and kiosk surveys, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, longitudinal studies, website interceptors, online polls, and systematic observations. QuantitativeResearch

39. Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Qualitative Research is also used to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive deeper into the problem. Qualitative data collection methods vary using unstructured or semi-structured techniques. Some common methods include focus groups (group discussions), individual interviews, and participation/observations. The sample size is typically small, and respondents are selected to fulfil a given quota. QualitativeResearch

40. 6. What kinds of research could I conduct myself?

41. First, remember approval for experimenting on human subjects:IRB U.T. IRB InfoU.T. IRB Forms Intstutional Review Board  is a group that reviews and monitors research involving human subjects. In accordance with FDA regulations, an IRB has the authority to approve, require modifications in (to secure approval), or disapprove research. See IRB Forms for conducting

42. 7. How can I tell if my research sources are credible?

43. What is peer review? HOW DOES IT WORK?

44. Is this a peer-reviewed source? • Is it a primary publication? • A secondary publication? • What’s its reputation? • Has it been recognized? Awards? • How current is this research? • Who are the people writing it? • Are there any apparent agendas? • Who is the intended audience? Question Your Sources

45. What about popular books?

46. QUESTIONABLESOURCES: EXAMPLE: Are men really from mars and women from Venus?

47. EXAMPLE - Who is John Gray? What information can you find about his Ph.D.? - What are the author’s foundational ideas (premises)? - What research on gender differences seems to support and negate the book’s claims? (This path might take you to scientific research.) - If you find inconsistent support of the book’s claims, you might ask why the book is so popular. (That question could prompt you to study fandom, popular culture, gender performance, etc.)- What are your own ideas about gender differences? Is there existing research to support your ideas? - Are there experiments you could design to test your theories? - If your theories are not supported, how will you revise them and continue researching?- If your theories are supported, what are your recommendations, if any? - What actions could you take to contribute your ideas to public dialogue? - What incentives do you see for people to change opinions about gender differences?- What incentives do you see for people to hold on to the claims?(There are endless additional questions you could brainstorm.)- If you need to write a short paper, which part of this material could be the focus? What would be the thesis statement?

48. How can critical thinking apply to my future goals? See “Top Jobs for Critical Thinking”(a Pearson Blog)

49. A well-cultivated critical thinker: • Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely • Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively • Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards • Thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as needs be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences • Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problemsSource: CriticalThinking.org http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-concept-of-critical-thinking/411 What kinds of work require these activities?

50. . QUESTIONS?