Happy 4th of July!

Have a fun celebration of Independence Day!

Watch the fireworks, have fun, and stay safe! 1

CS 113 Academic Strategies

CS 113 Academic Strategies

Unit 4 ~ Week 4

Critical ThinkingProf Linda Watson

2

Hello Everybody!

How is everyone’s week going? Any news you’d like to share?

3

The Importance of a Degree The Importance of a Degree

• Before moving on to our main topics for the evening, I want you to consider….

The Importance of a Degree

4

What is a degree worth?

5

Notice that people with a degree have a much lower unemployment rate than those without a degree!!

Source: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

Review of Unit 3…

LASSI

The 11 Scales…

Learning Styles…

Why should you know your learning style?

6

Benefits

• Greater success in school.

• Help achieve your goals.– Personal– Educational – Career

Knowing your learning style will help you find

strategies that will help you to retain information.

7

Remember that To-Do ListRemember that To-Do ListWrite it down – take the worry out of it!

To-Do lists and Calendars are great methods!

Template for To-Do lists at Mindtools Website: http://www.mindtools.com/prtodo.html

Free Desktop To Do List Download:

http://www.veedid.com/download.htm

88

What is Due for Unit 4???What is Due for Unit 4???

• Unit 4 Readings and Presentations on

Research and Kaplan Library• Discussion Question (spelling counts…!)

• Participation– Make first post by Saturday – Post on at least three different days– Respond to at least two others’ answers– Minimum 100 words for main answer– Minimum 2 to 3 sentences for responses to others

• Assignment to the Dropbox9

Discussion

• Describe a time when you made an important decision relative to school, work or a business transaction. – What elements of critical thinking did you use? – How might you improve your decision-making

strategies?

• No ‘Personal’ type decisions please…

• Incorporate unit concepts – use “According to…” to tie it together. Part of grade… 10

Elements of Critical Thinking

. Understanding

. Questioning

. Observing

. Analyzing

. Making judgments

11

Remember the 4 Steps to Improve Thinking:

Step 1:     Clarify your points Step 2:     Stick to the point

Step 3:     Question Questions

Step 4:     Be Reasonable

12

CLASS MOTTO

• PEPO power!!

– Post Early and Post Often!!

13

DQ GradingBased on the Grading Rubric in the Syllabus,

this is the breakdown reflected in the Discussion grades:

35/35 = Quality/Content, Clarity including Spelling & References, Professional

 

15/15 = Participation (responding to at least 2 others’ Discussion answers, posting by Sat., post at least 3 days, minimum word count)

•  

50/50

14

Unit 4 Assignment: Research & Evaluation Assignment

Carefully follow all guidelines under the Assignment link and those listed on the Unit 4 template…

Such as: Evaluate an online article or web page for academic worthiness. Why is this source suitable to use as a reference? Why will it be worthwhile for you to evaluate future sources?

15

Library ResearchLibrary Research

• Be sure to access the Library Research Presentation link and participate in the orientation. This information is imperative to your assignment.

COUPON ~ 2 points on Units 1-4 DQ or Assignments (Not to

exceed 50-60 pts., resp.)Expires: End of Unit 5

16

Assignment

Identify: Title and URL (Web address) of the online source. Remember, NO

Wiki sites, blogs, message boards or database sites!    

Evaluate: Carefully consider the five evaluation items listed on the document.

Explain how each evaluation item indicates the source may be appropriate for research, and provide a minimum of one complete explanatory sentence for each item.

Summarize Overall Suitability: Write at least two paragraphs (five complete sentences each)

summarizing why this source would be suitable and why it will be worthwhile to evaluate online sources in future. Make sure to use your own words!

1717

Assignment TemplateEvaluate: • Carefully consider the following five evaluation items:

 

Authority (who): Who is the author or sponsor and what are his/her credentials? Did the author/sponsor provide contact information?

 

Accuracy (where): Where did the information come from? Are there citations and links to other web sites?

 

Objectivity (what): What is the purpose of the site (inform, entertain, persuade, advertise, etc)? Is the discussion fact-based or opinion-based?

Currency (when): When was the site originally created? Has it been recently updated? Are the links working?

Coverage (why): Why is this site worthwhile? Is the site easy to navigate and does the information seem logical?

 18

Assignment Template (cont)Explain how each evaluation item indicates that your source may be appropriate for research

(minimum one complete sentence for each item).

 

– Example: Authority: The author of this website is John Q. Smith, a professor at Cornell University.

– Example: Accuracy: Several sources were listed and there were working links to related web sites as well.

– Example: Objectivity: The website provided helpful information and several supporting facts and examples. This indicates that this source is appropriate for use in a research paper because it is not just opinion; it is supported with facts and examples.

1. Authority:      

 

2. Accuracy:      

 

3. Objectivity:  

4. Currency:      

 

5. Coverage:

19

This is where you type your answers to these five evaluation items…

Be a Detective!

• You must always determine if your article or website is academically suitable!

20

Assignment Naming Convention

Hint:• Don’t forget to rename the document

as • YourName-Unit4-CriticalThinking

• i.e. LindaWatson-Unit4-CriticalThinking

21

22

Provided title of Source 3.0Provided URL of Source 3.0Evaluate the authority 6.0Evaluate the accuracy 6.0Evaluate the objectivity 6.0Evaluate the currency 6.0Evaluate the coverage 6.0explain Suitability 12.0Explain why it is worthwhile to evaluate sources 12.0

Style (spelling, grammar, sentence structure) worth 20% as outlined in assignment/project grading rubric in the syllabus

Total points 60.0

UNIT 4Critical Thinking: Research and Evaluation Assignment

Questions?

23

Onward and Upward! Onward and Upward!

• Ok. Let’s move on to the other topics Ok. Let’s move on to the other topics for this week based on the Unit 4 for this week based on the Unit 4 readings.readings.

2424

Life Lesson Life Lesson

No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking. 

~ Voltaire

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

• What is it?• Why should it matter to me?• How can I apply it in my own life?• Will it help me in my Kaplan courses?• How can I improve my critical thinking?

What is Critical Thinking?What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is best understood as the ability of thinkers to take charge of their own thinking. This requires that they develop sound criteria andstandards for analyzing and assessing their ownthinking and routinely use those criteria andstandards to improve its quality.

27

Attributes of a Critical ThinkerSource: Strategies for Success: Critical Thinking Ferrett, S. Peak Performance (1997).

Attributes of a Critical ThinkerSource: Strategies for Success: Critical Thinking Ferrett, S. Peak Performance (1997).

• asks pertinent questions• assesses statements and

arguments• is able to admit a lack of

understanding or information• has a sense of curiosity• is interested in finding new

solutions• is able to clearly define a set

of criteria for analyzing ideas• is willing to examine beliefs,

assumptions, and opinions and weigh them against facts

• listens carefully to others and is able to give feedback

• sees that critical thinking is a lifelong process of self-assessment

• suspends judgment until all facts have been gathered and considered

• looks for evidence to support assumption and beliefs

• is able to adjust opinions when new facts are found

• looks for proof• examines problems closely• is able to reject information

that is incorrect or irrelevant

28

• Critical thinking is really an ongoing process of understanding, questioning, observing, analyzing, and making judgments.  

• Why do YOU think these skills will be important for you—here at Kaplan and in other areas of your life as well?

29

Four Steps to Improve Your Thinking

Four Steps to Improve Your Thinking

Step 1:     Clarify your points Step 2:     Stick to the point

Step 3:     Question Questions

Step 4:     Be Reasonable

30

I THINK, I BELIEVE, I FEELI THINK, I BELIEVE, I FEEL

Another important consideration in critical thinking is the use of a phrase like “I feel,” “I think” or “I believe.” Many people use these terms interchangeably. However, they are not interchangeable. Which involves the strongest degree of critical thinking?

Which of the three phrases will more likely involve opinions and biases?

3131

I THINK, I BELIEVE, I FEEL

Always when answering questions, respond with “I think” or even “I believe” rather than “I feel.” The first two phrases will be more apt to be based on at least some critical thinking skills. “I ***feel***” often brings out personal ***feelings*** and biases which of course are not as reliable as facts and figures.  I recall one professor I knew many years ago that was a department head in communications really stressing this point…  Using the phrase "I feel" is a more recent occurrence. We didn’t use it in academia in the past. Definitely avoid it if you can! 

I THINK, I BELIEVE, I FEEL

Always when answering questions, respond with “I think” or even “I believe” rather than “I feel.” The first two phrases will be more apt to be based on at least some critical thinking skills. “I ***feel***” often brings out personal ***feelings*** and biases which of course are not as reliable as facts and figures.  I recall one professor I knew many years ago that was a department head in communications really stressing this point…  Using the phrase "I feel" is a more recent occurrence. We didn’t use it in academia in the past. Definitely avoid it if you can! 

32

FACT

• What is fact?

33

FACTFACT

Facts can be proven. They are incontrovertible truths. For instance, research studies have proven to be true that having a college degree has the potential of greatly increasing your earnings.

34

OPINION

• What is opinion?

35

OPINIONOPINION

Opinions are really personal beliefs about something that may or may not be based on fact. Thus, opinions may or may not be true.

36

THINK LIKE A VULCAN!THINK LIKE A VULCAN!

Sometimes it pays to think of things the way Mr. Spock from the Star Trek series thinks of things. He and his Vulcan logic - “Is it logical or not?”

37

Any questions?

3838

The Case Study: MarkThe Case Study: Mark

• Mark has always wanted a career in marketing, and Mark has always wanted a career in marketing, and after being out of school for a few years, is happy to be after being out of school for a few years, is happy to be back learning great things.   Now in his second term, he back learning great things.   Now in his second term, he really likes his coursework and is getting good grades.   really likes his coursework and is getting good grades.  

• He thinks, though, that his next term might be too hard He thinks, though, that his next term might be too hard for him because friends said the next set of courses will for him because friends said the next set of courses will be “more advanced.” Mark guesses that he might need be “more advanced.” Mark guesses that he might need a tutor but doesn’t feel he knows any marketing a tutor but doesn’t feel he knows any marketing professionals to turn to for help. Generally, Mark doesn’t professionals to turn to for help. Generally, Mark doesn’t panic, but he is getting worried and as this fear panic, but he is getting worried and as this fear overwhelms him, his current quarter grades are starting overwhelms him, his current quarter grades are starting to slip. to slip.

3939

Assumption:Assumption:

“Taking the information for granted, supposing it’s just the way it is supposed to be.   Example: We can assume that since Bob was hired as a computer expert, he will know the answers to our questions. This may or may not be true.”

Source: Unit 4 Reading: Critical Thinking

4040

• Based on the information you have in the case study, what assumptions does Mark make and on what does Mark base his assumptions?  

• Why do you think it might not be such a good idea to base decisions on assumptions?

• How might Mark use some of these critical thinking skills (understanding, questioning, observing, analyzing, and making judgments) to make a better decision for himself in this case?

• In other words, instead of panicking, what could he do?

4141

Think… Expand…Think… Expand…

• THINK of critical thinking as a way to EXPAND your thinking--actively thinking, rather than passively going through the motions; being open-minded, rather than closed-minded; ready to question, rather than simply allowing information to stand on its own merit; exploring and testing, rather than accepting and digesting.

42

• If I fill a cup up with just enough water (enough so that it does not overflow), what happens to the cup?

4343

• If I fill a balloon up with just enough water (enough so that it does not burst the balloon), what happens?

4444

45

Active vs. PassiveActive vs. Passive

• Cup = Passive. It just sits there and does what it needs to do. No real activity; it takes things in and does its job.

• Balloon = Active. The balloon changes, grows and EXPANDS! A great deal of activity takes place.

46

As a student, which way do YOU want to be? Cup-like or balloon-like?

4747

Passive ThinkingPassive Thinking

• Acts/thoughts that are automatic reactions or almost habit to us would involve passive thinking! Nothing needs to be analyzed or tested.

• There are times when a little passive thinking is just what we need. Cup = passive, but it serves a definite purpose!

• Some of our passive thinking originally started out as active thinking, but over time, we no longer needed to question or evaluate the decision or action anymore.

48

Active ThinkingActive Thinking

• Thinking, questioning, deciding, evaluating--this kind of thinking is like the balloon--it EXPANDS our minds?

• Being an active thinker, then, means that you are taking an active role in the thinking process. You are analyzing, speaking up, taking a risk in voicing your opinion, testing, questioning, searching, staying open to other ways of looking at the concept—even opposing views.

49

Another Definition…Another Definition…

• “Critical thinking is the discipline of rigorously and skillfully using information, experience, observation and reasoning to guide your decisions, actions and beliefs.”

Source: “Critical Thinking: Developing Skills for Successful Thinking” http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_95.htm

50

The ART of taking charge…The ART of taking charge…

• "We could define it [critical thinking] as the art of taking charge of your own mind. Its value is also at root simple: if we can take charge of our own minds, we can take charge of our lives; we can improve them, bringing them under our self-command and direction. Of course, this requires that we learn self-discipline and the art of self-examination…“

Source: “Our Concept of Critical Thinking”

51

• You can actually use aspects of critical thinking to have greater CONFIDENCE in your own decisions and opinions.

5252

Confidence & CTConfidence & CT

• It's like building a house. If you build a firm foundation and do the framing right (test it out and double-check it), you know the structure will stand for a long, long time.

• The same goes for your thinking. If you think things through logically and carefully, maybe test and double-check your thinking, your decisions will be sound and you will gain greater confidence in yourself.

53

Critical Reading StrategiesCritical Reading StrategiesMastering these strategies will help you handle

difficult material with confidence. Annotating: Fundamental to each of these strategies is annotating directly on

the page:

• underlining key words, phrases, or sentences• writing comments or questions in the margins• bracketing important sections of the text• constructing ideas with lines or arrows• numbering related points in sequence and making note of

anything that strikes you as interesting, important, or questionable. 

54

Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)

Previewing: Learning about a text before really reading it. Previewing enables readers to get a sense of what the text is about and how it is organized before reading it closely.

Contextualizing: Placing a text in its historical, biographical, and cultural contexts. When you read a text, you read it through the lens of your own experience.

55

Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)

Questioning to understand and remember: Asking questions about the content. As students, you are accustomed to teachers asking you questions about your reading.

• Each question should focus on a main idea, not on illustrations or details, and each should be expressedin your own words, not just copied from parts of theparagraph.

56

Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)

Reflecting on challenges to your beliefs and values: Examining your personal responses. The reading that you do for this class might challenge your attitudes, your unconsciously held beliefs, or your positions on current issues.

Outlining and summarizing: Identifying the main ideas and restating them in your own words.

57

Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)

Summarizing

Begins with outlining, but instead of merely listing the main ideas, a summary recomposes them to form a new text. Whereas outlining depends on a close analysis of each paragraph, summarizing also requires creative synthesis. Putting ideas together again -- in your own words and in a condensed form -- shows how reading critically can lead to deeper understanding of any text. 

58

Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)Critical Reading Strategies (cont’d)

Evaluating an argument means testing the logic of a text as well as its credibility and emotional impact. All writers make assertions they want you to accept as true.

Comparing and contrasting related readings Exploring likenesses and differences between texts tounderstand them better.

59

Any questions?

60

• Two hours per week dedicated to AIM. AIM Office Hours are generally Wednesdays 2-3 pm and Thursdays 6-7 pm ET.

• I am often online and logged into AIM. Feel free to take aim at me! Also available through MEEBO through the classroom, Virtual Office, email, phone, texting…

• Phone: 616 516-9780 (10am-8pm ET)

• Tech Support: 866 522-7747

• AIM: PurpleLinWBe sure to include your name when AIM or text!

• Email: LWatson@kaplan.edu

How can you reach me?

61

The July 4th holiday takes place during Unit 4!

Celebrate Independence Day, but plan ahead.

All Unit 4 work is still due by Tuesday, July 5. 62

Don’t Forget!

It’s been a pleasure!Have a great day!