Critical Thinking Workshop - Home ELRAH

1 Critical Thinking Workshop Aim: To encourage students to become Critical Thinkers - Critical Thinking is a skill that can be learned, and improved upon, and polished with practice. Objectives: At the end of the activity students should be able to; To understand why Critical Thinking is important To understand what Critical Thinking means and identify differing Critical Thinking models To use a Critical Thinking model to identify key terms and arguments from an example paper Materials: Power Point Presentation trainer PC and projector/smartboard. Diagrams showing two different Critical Thinking models. Activity Material (Essay Extract and blank paper for students to write on). Student Handout.

2 Workshop Evaluation Form Participants: Variable depending on situation: 4 - 20. Objective Methods Time Resources Introduction Tutor to introduce themselves and give overview of the Workshop (aim & Objectives). 5 minutes Power Point Presentation Explain what Critical Thinking is and why it is important. Tutor asks the students what they think Critical Thinking is and why they think it is important. Use example of Flat. Tutor then uses the Power Point Slides to Explain see power point notes. 10 minutes Power Point Presentation Examples of Critical Thinking Models Tutor to explain using Power Point Slide 4 minutes Hand out to students diagrams showing two different Critical Thinking Models Activity students to practice using one of the models on an essay extract.

3 Students to Feedback on Activity Tutor to have website on screen and explain activity, handout copies of essay extract. Students have to use one of the Critical Thinking models and apply it to the essay extract. Students can choose whether they would work in a team. Answers to be given, taking turns, around the groups and to be typed into the online activity answers explained and matched back to correct answers which appear online. Tutor to encourage feedback using a selection of Feedback Questions. 20 minutes 5 minutes One copy of the essay extract per student/team. Blank paper for students to write on. Close Tutor to sum up the Workshop and provide the students with good reasons for practicing Critical Thinking .

4 Provide Critical Thinking handout explain that this is for future reference and definitions of essay/ Critical Thinking terms are included. 2 minutes Power Point Slide listing benefits of Critical Thinking . Critical Thinking handout. Evaluation Tutor to distribute evaluation form. 5 minutes Workshop Evaluation Form Thank you and close Total 51 minutes Background Information Why is Critical Thinking important? Critical Thinking is relevant to all aspects of learning at degree level. It can be used in a wide range of situations, from identifying and correcting problems in academic work, to solving problems in everyday life. The ability to recognise an argument, evaluate and provide a critique of arguments in order to formulate your own stance is an essential skill that all university students require.

5 What s more many lecturers believe that the use of Critical Thinking can greatly improve a student s grades. What is Critical Thinking ? Critical Thinking is the attempt to ask and answer questions systematically. This means asking the most useful questions in the most productive sequence in order to yield a coherent and credible story . Instead of accepting at face value what you read or hear, Critical thinkers look for evidence and for good reasons before believing something to be true. Whatever you are studying, Critical Thinking is the key to learning as it helps you to develop an argument through imagining and exploring the alternatives. The common question words: what, who, where, when, how, and why will help you to get started; along with the phrases: what if, what next, and so what.

6 The handout provided in this session brings to attention a few other related areas. It provides another example of a Critical Thinking model How do I become a Critical thinker? Critical Thinking is a skill that can be learned, and improved upon, and polished with practice. Trainer Notes for Power Point Slides Slide 2: Explain that presentation will be followed by a related Workshop activity. Slide 3: Ask the students What is Critical Thinking Before showing slide 2 (to show it is not something to fear, or about criticising or changing the way you think - free up your thoughts What was your experience at school? Slide 5: Discuss the decision making process involved when choosing a flat.)

7 A Critical process is involved here. You would take all points into consideration, location, size, condition, furnished, proximity to transport links? You critically evaluate on a daily basis developing these skills in a certain way for university study. Slide 6: Link back to Flat example. Critical Thinking is a skill that can be learned, improved upon and requires discipline. To help you require the discipline here are some Critical Thinking Models. Slide 8 & 9: Click image on slide 9 for Activity - Tutor to have website on screen and explain activity, hand out copies of essay extract. Students have to use one of the Critical Thinking models and apply it to the essay extract. Students can choose whether they would work in a team.

8 Answers to be given, taking turns, around the groups and to be typed into the online activity answers explained and matched back to correct answers which appear online. Tutor to encourage feedback using a selection of Feedback Questions. If you haven t used a model before what are the benefits to you of using one? How have you addressed this in the past? Why? How would you address it now after studying/experiencing this? Why? How can you transfer this learning into different contexts? Slide 10: Acquiring Critical Thinking skills helps you to develop more reasoned arguments and draw conclusions to be used in your assignments, projects and examinations. Critical Thinking helps to ensure that you make the correct judgements backed up with the understanding of the evidence and should ensure that you don t jump to the wrong conclusions!

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