EB MB lesson 4 - Lecture notes 4 PDF

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Session 4

Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing [Part 2]

OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit you should be able to: • Make important distinctions • Respond critically to an article

Making Important Distinctions Now that you have an idea on how to analyze questions – we move on how to read critically the resources that help you answer the assignment questions. Don’t take that everything printed and found on the net are valid. You need to be able to evaluate what you read carefully. A fundamental requirement for critical reading is making distinctions. The most important ones are as follows:

1. Distinction between Person and Idea Activity 1 Which of the following words would best describe your reaction when you read about the opinions coming from the following people? Anger

Compassion

1. Adolf Hitler

Suspicion

Pride

_______________________

2. An ex-child abuser

_______________________

3. Mother Theresa

_______________________

4. Nelson Mandela

_______________________

Note that a critical thinker does not allow the tendency to accept or reject ideas on the basis of who expresses them. Guard against confusing the person and the idea.

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2. Distinction between Facts and Inference Activity 2 Read the following scenario carefully before attempting to answer the questions which follow. Chris Stevenson is the supervisor of a customer telephone help desk in a computer software company. Chris has been asked to go into the manager’s office. Chris is accused of failing to deal with an ineffective team member. Colleagues and customers are complaining about a lack of understanding of customers’ enquiries. Chris is told that the solutions being offered are based on inadequate knowledge of the software system and that the failure to listen properly is suspected as a symptom of this inadequacy. An hour later, in the cafeteria, Chris is seen to be uncharacteristically rude and angry, complaining about the standard of the food (which has always been regarded by management as offering excellent value) and the sloppy hygiene standards. A tray of food is dumped in the cashier’s lap as company security staff arrive on the scene. Chris bursts into tears. Answer the following questions: Please answer True (T) False (F) Note: When there isn’t adequate evidence, the statement is (F) 1. Chris has been interviewed by a manager. 2. An interview took place in the manager’s office. 3. Chris is a woman. 4. The ineffective team member is thought to be covering up inadequate knowledge of the software system. 5. At least one person is unhappy about the standard of service offered by at least one member of the help desk team. 6. The accusations are so unfair that, an hour later, Chris is venting pent-up anger on innocent cafeteria staff. 7. Chris’s complaints about food standards are unfounded. 8. Chris has thrown a tray of food at the cashier in anger. 9. The arrival of company security personnel signals an unpleasant escalation of the situation. 10. As the security personnel arrive, Chris realises that the situation has got out of hand, and breaks down. Adapted from : 50 activities for Interpersonal Skills Training, Sue Bishop and David Taylor, Gower, Aldershot, 1991.

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What were your conclusions? Were they based on facts or assumptions? When we interpret the meaning of facts, we draw inferences about them. Often, we make inferences based on our own observations or on the observations of others as they are presented to us through speech or print. These observations often consist of facts, i.e. information that can be verified. For example, Susan is wearing a red hairpin today. John is wearing a pair of Adidas track shoes. Facts come in a variety of formsstatistics, names, events-and are distinguished by their ability to be verified. Conclusions are drawn from the inferences we make from facts presented to us. We have to note that the greater the number of possible interpretations, the less reliable the inference. For example, a friend of yours has not called you for a few months. This is a fact. You can verify it. You can infer that she is angry with you. However, your friend may not have called you for a number of other reasons: she is busy with a school project, she has met with some crisis in her life, she is out of town. All these other explanations weaken the reliability of the original inferences. The more evidence you have to support your inference and the fewer the possible interpretations, the more we can trust its accuracy.

One way to check the reliability of your inference is to constantly check them against facts. Do not fall into the trap of building inference on top of inference (which some of you might be guilty while doing Activity 5). This can lead different people to entirely different conclusions based on the same set of facts. In this situation, the conscious person is alert to check each inference against available evidence, while the unconscious person sinks deeper into illusion at each step.

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The following example will illustrate the point. Note the different chains of inference drawn by the two different neighbours from the same set of facts: Neighbour 1: Facts: I see my neighbour sitting on the front steps of his house. It is Monday morning. He usually is at work at this time. Inferences: He must be taking the day off. He probably called work to say he was sick. If he were really sick, he’d be in bed. Conclusion: He’s pretending to be sick. Inference: If he is pretending, he’s a loafer. Conclusion: He is a loafer. Inferences: If this keeps up, he’ll lose his job. If he’s unemployed, his property will deteriorate and that will affect the value of my property. Maybe he’s unemployed already. Conclusion: I had better sell my house now.

Neighbour No. 2: Facts: I see my neighbour sitting on the front steps of his house It is Monday morning. He usually is at work at this time. Inference: Either he is sick or on vacation or he’s lost his job. In any case, I don’t think he’d mind talking to me. Conclusion: I’ll go over and ask him what’s up.

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Activity 3 Questions for Discussion: 1. Why do the inferences drawn by neighbour 1 and neighbour 2 go in such different directions? 2. What is the difference between the way neighbour 1 and neighbour 2 work with their facts and inferences? 3. Is it all right to build inferences on inferences? Activity adapted from : Thinking for Yourself : Developing Critical Thinking Skill through Writing Marlys Mayfield, 1991.

3. Distinction between Idea’s Validity and Quality of Its Expression Activity 4 Compare the two passages and state which of the passages offer a valid idea: Passage 1 Ain’t right to treat some good folks good and others bad. If a man don’t treat all equal, he ain’t much of a man.

Passage 2 To achieve success in a competitive world, you must honour the first principle of success. Treat well those who can benefit you and ignore the others.

Note that a critical thinker makes a special effort to separate form from content before judging. Critical thinkers are able to appraise the passages correctly because they are aware that expressions can deceive.

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Responding Critically to an Article With reference to the two modes of reading (Pg 29) 1. Understanding the author's perspective 2. Engaging the author in a dialogue

Please read the article a few times to understand the writer’s perspectives. Making notes of the main points will help identify areas for critical responses and engaging the author’s points of view. It would be helpful to list the critique in terms of strengths and weaknesses. The following are articles used for critical responses in the individual assignments (CA2). The recommended approach, as well as suggested answers, should provide more clarity on how to handle the individual assignment.

Educational Benefits of Social Networking Sites Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered the educational benefits of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. The same study found that low-income students are in many ways just as technologically proficient as middle- and upper-income students, going against what results from previous studies have suggested. The study found that, of the students observed, 94 percent used the Internet, 82 percent go online at home, and 77 percent had a profile on a social networking site. When asked what they learn from using social networking sites, the students listed technology skills as the top lesson, followed by creativity, being open to new or diverse views, and communication skills. Data were collected over six months from students, ages 16 to 18, in 13 urban high schools in the Midwest. Beyond the surveyed students, a follow-up, randomly selected subset was chosen. Students in this group were asked questions about their Internet activity as they navigated MySpace, an online forum that provides users with e-mail, web communities, and audio and video capabilities. "What we found was that students using social networking sites are actually practicing the kinds of 21st-century skills we want them to develop to be successful today," says Christine Greenhow, a learning technologies researcher in the University's College of Education and Human Development and principal investigator of the study. "Students are developing a positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing and customizing content, and thinking about online design and layout. They're also sharing creative original work like poetry and film, and practicing safe and responsible use of information and technology. The Web sites offer tremendous educational potential."

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Greenhow says that the study's results, while proving that social networking sites offer more than just social fulfillment or potential job contacts, also have implications for educators, who now have a vast opportunity to support what students are learning on the Web sites. "Now that we know what skills students are learning and what experiences they're being exposed to, we can help foster and extend those skills," says Greenhow. "As educators, we always want to know where our students are coming from and what they're interested in so we can build on that in our teaching. By understanding how students may be positively using these networking technologies in their daily lives and where the as-yet-unrecognized educational opportunities are, we can help make schools even more relevant, connected, and meaningful to kids."

Interestingly, researchers found that very few students in the study were actually aware of the academic and professional networking opportunities that the Web sites provide. Making this opportunity more known to students, Greenhow says, is just one way that educators can work with students and their experiences on social networking sites.

(Adapted from an article written for the University of Minnesota eNews website) References: Educational benefits of social networking sites. (2008, July 10).Retrieved from University of Minnesota website: http://www1.umn.edu/news/features/2008f/UR_191308_REGION1.html

Prewriting Activity 1. Reading with the author - read a few times, to a point where we understand the writer’s main points. 2. To help prepare and organize your critical responses, create a list of strengths and weaknesses. 3. As you draft out your main points, make sure to elaborate or expand on each of your critique.

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Responding Critically to an Article – A Suggested Answer Thesis The article stated that social network sites (SNS) provide educational benefits. It further implied that low-income students are as computer savvy as their higher income counterparts because of SNS. It went on to provide statistics to support its statement and, even identified the types of important skills that the users learn.

Critical Response The evidence provided is certainly encouraging. Besides being a source of communication and entertainment, SNS is also equipping students with essential life skills. Furthermore, it seems that social status or economic well-being is no longer barriers to learning in the virtual world. The writer followed up on how skills such as creativity and communication are sharpened on SNS such as Myspace.

However, there are some concerns regarding the article itself. In the first paragraph, the writer undermined his/her own work when it stated that the results of this study went against the results from previous studies. Although it is common to have studies with conflicting results, it seems like the studies against SNS being an educational tool outnumber the single study that supports the positive findings. As if that wasn’t enough, there was only one expert cited in the whole article. Speaking of the solitary study, there were only brief and vague descriptions of the main researcher’s, Christine Greenhow, qualifications and credentials. There were no details of her expertise and previous work or research. If there were some details on the researcher’s background, it would have given the article and the figures stated more credibility. If that was done, it would have been much more persuasive. Furthermore, details on how the evidence is gathered are also suspect. If there had been more elaboration and explanation on the method(s) of gathering data, it would have been more convincing. Examples of some of the questions used in the study would also add substance to the article. English for Business

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As for the identity of the writer of this article, there was literally no information. All that was mentioned was that it had been contributed to eNews at the University of Minnesota. The writer is completely anonymous. Without this vital information, critical readers would have further doubts on the validity of this article. The overall tone was one-sided and consequently, biased. The paper spoke on all things positive about the Social Media. It did not acknowledge any possible dangers and blind-spots of SNS. When a writer only discussed one aspect of the issue, the natural response would be whether it was written in an objective manner. Even introducing one negative element would have made it a more balanced argument.

Overall, the intention of the writer was focus on yet another positive aspect of a modern phenomenon. However, it has fallen short in terms of the evidence presented. It only based its views on one research, and with one expert. We do not even know who wrote this article. This fact is made even more apparent when we consider the length (all 485 words) of the article.

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The following are some additional pointers on writing a critical response Content •

The student’s critical responses should be directly linked to the main points in the article. They should highlight the problems / issues directly related to some of the author’s views. Examples include statements that might be biased, not well-supported or subjective.

•

This also means avoid discussing the topic generally. Providing your views on the topic alone is NOT responding critically to an article.

•

It is not necessary to respond to every point made in the article.

•

Students are also encouraged to look beyond the content of the article. Researching on the writer’s background or credentials , and the sources used are other avenues for critical responses.

•

You may even critique the tone or unsuitable phrases used in the article. Naturally, please suggest suitable replacements so that your response is credible and convincing.

Language •

The general tone of your critical response should still be respectful and formal.

•

Using ‘I’ statements makes the responses personal and less convincing. Therefore, when editing, students should rephrase their sentences and remove ‘I agree / I disagree’, ‘I believe’, ‘I think’ and etc.

•

Please use linking words / signposts within each paragraph, as well as transitioning from one segment to another.

Watch out for grammatical basics such as singular/plural, sentence fragment and subject verb agreement. These 3 are the most common types of errors made.

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