Week 1 7 and 10 of July, 2008 (2 1/2 hours)
Topics: Epstein, R.L. Chapters 1 and 2
Week 2 14 and 17 of July 2008 (3 hours)
Epstein, R.L. Chapters 3 and 4
Week 3 21 and 24 of July 2008 (2 1/2 hours)
Epstein, R.L. Chapters 5 and 6
Week 4 28 and 31 of July 2008 (3 hours)
Epstein, R.L. Chapters 7 and 8
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Kumpulan 6: New Students
This is the name list for my PBET 2106 students
1. PEP 070001 Amaran Krishnan
2. PEP 070003 Azlina Bt Idris
3. PEP 070004 Aznor Bin Sulaiman
4. PEP 070006 Idris Bin Sulaiman
5. PEP 070007 Jaafar Bin Abdullah
6. PEP 070008 Johan Bin Hashim
7. PEP 070009 Khadijah Binti Udin
8. PEP 070012 Mohamad Radzi Bin Yusof
9. PEP 070015 Ng Kock Foey
10. PEP 070017 Norjalilah Binti Abdul Jalil
11. PEP 070020 Roslan Bin Abdul Latif
12. PEP 070022 Sulaiman Bukhari B Hj Amir
13. PEP 070029 Wong Poh Sim
14. PEP 070030 Yang Suan Chin
15. PEP 070031 Zunnurin B Abd Aziz
1. PEP 070001 Amaran Krishnan
2. PEP 070003 Azlina Bt Idris
3. PEP 070004 Aznor Bin Sulaiman
4. PEP 070006 Idris Bin Sulaiman
5. PEP 070007 Jaafar Bin Abdullah
6. PEP 070008 Johan Bin Hashim
7. PEP 070009 Khadijah Binti Udin
8. PEP 070012 Mohamad Radzi Bin Yusof
9. PEP 070015 Ng Kock Foey
10. PEP 070017 Norjalilah Binti Abdul Jalil
11. PEP 070020 Roslan Bin Abdul Latif
12. PEP 070022 Sulaiman Bukhari B Hj Amir
13. PEP 070029 Wong Poh Sim
14. PEP 070030 Yang Suan Chin
15. PEP 070031 Zunnurin B Abd Aziz
First Half Semester Timetable
Week 1 7 and 10 of July, 2008 (2 1/2 hours)
Week 2 14 and 17 of July 2008 (3 hours)
Week 3 21 and 24 of July 2008 (2 1/2 hours)
Week 4 28 and 31 of July 2008 (3 hours)
Week 2 14 and 17 of July 2008 (3 hours)
Week 3 21 and 24 of July 2008 (2 1/2 hours)
Week 4 28 and 31 of July 2008 (3 hours)
Announcement 1
Hi everybody,
Welcome to my lounge
This lounge is created to enable you to post, comment and to communicate with me
I will try to update this blog regularly and if possible I will also want you to visit this blog and look up for any announcement
My teaching schedule for this semester has already been changed. My new timetable follows: (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and Week 4)
Days/Time: Mondays( 11:00am to 12:30pm) and Thursdays ( 3:00pm-5:30pm)
Venue: BSD Bangunan SKET
7th of July, 2008 and
Welcome to my lounge
This lounge is created to enable you to post, comment and to communicate with me
I will try to update this blog regularly and if possible I will also want you to visit this blog and look up for any announcement
My teaching schedule for this semester has already been changed. My new timetable follows: (Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and Week 4)
Days/Time: Mondays( 11:00am to 12:30pm) and Thursdays ( 3:00pm-5:30pm)
Venue: BSD Bangunan SKET
7th of July, 2008 and
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Persuasive Language
Persuasive language
All use of language can act to persuade, and there are many other pages in the language section of this site that include persuasive elements. This page adds more focused and specific techniques to change the minds of other people.
Final impact: Put the impact at the end of the sentence.
Intensifiers: increasing the emotional impact of a statement.
Power words: Words that have special meaning.
Pronoun language: I, you and so on add power.
Sensory language: Language that evokes senses.
Short sentences: Like this. That work. Of course.
Temporal language: Changing time and hence meaning.
Trivializing words: Deflating what others say.
Using pauses: Adding power with very largely nothing.
Final impact
Method
To maximize the impact of a sentence, paragraph or speech, put the main impact at the end, such that you leave them thinking 'wow!' and in a state of desire (rather than being rather bored and wishing you would finish soon).
The final impact can be increased by building tension beforehand, hinting at wonders to come, creating allure and promise that keeps them hanging on until your last word.
Example
I am going to let you into a secret -- but not yet. First, I want you to know that I have been listening to a lot of people like you who have similar problems. And I also think you will be pleased to know I have been able to help them get over those problems. And the secret of solving their problems lay in the effective use of a proven learning and support package.
iscussion
When people get the idea of what you are saying (or even think that they have got the idea), they cognitively close, switching off from attentive listening. To keep them listening and
Jokes keep people hanging on until the punch-line at the end by building tension beforehand. Tension is also used in movies and stories. When people are
Speaking that makes a point and then
Intensifiers
Method
Amplify the effect of a verb by using an adverb that intensifies the meaning and particularly the emotional content.
Use the intensifier to subtly suggest to the other person what emotions they should feel.
In the same way, you can also use adverbs to reduce the natural emotional content of a verb.
Example
That is very interesting. (basic intensifier)That is very, very interesting. (repetition to increase effect)That is extremely interesting. (suggests extreme response)That is amazingly interesting. (suggests being amazed)That is scarily interesting. (suggests being scared)That is quite interesting. (reducing intensity)That is a bit interesting. (reducing intensity)
Discussion
The basic intensifier is 'very' and can be used with many verbs. Other intensifiers often have the same meaning as 'very' but use different forms Intensifiers include: very, really, extremely, remarkably, fantastically, etc.
Suggesting what to feel
Intensifiers often subtly suggest to the other person what to feel. By naming emotions within the adverb, the other person has to consider this emotion and hence begins to feel it.
As the adverb is not the subject, object or verb, it is not as noticed and hence such suggestions may slip past conscious (or even subconscious) filters.
De-intensification
Just as intensifiers increase emotion, the same effect can be done in reverse, where the natural level of emotion implied by a verb may be reduced. This can be done deliberately to cool down a situation. It also can appear in floppy language, where you are seeking to avoid saying anything that upsets the other person and hence end up making very weak statements that have a very low chance of changing anybody's mind.
Borrowing from the negative
There is a curious pattern of intensification that uses negative words to intensify positive verbs. These words include: Awfully, dreadfully, fearfully, terribly, ridiculously, insanely, disgustingly, hideously, etc.
Thus, for example:
She is dreadfully beautiful.What an insanely good idea!
What in effect is happening here is that many strong emotions are negative, so using them in a positive context borrows that intensity of emotion whilst the contextual cues show that the real meaning is positive. An additional effect is that combining negative and positive words in the same sentence creates confusion, which itself is also adds to the emotion.
A curious fact about this usage is that it is particularly popular with upper-class British people. What a ridiculously interesting thing!
De-intensification by intensification
Sometimes intensification is done deliberately but with the opposite intent. This use of sarcasm may be done against another person or used in a more ironic sense about the situation.
Oh, very clever! (actually meaning rather stupid)
All use of language can act to persuade, and there are many other pages in the language section of this site that include persuasive elements. This page adds more focused and specific techniques to change the minds of other people.
Final impact: Put the impact at the end of the sentence.
Intensifiers: increasing the emotional impact of a statement.
Power words: Words that have special meaning.
Pronoun language: I, you and so on add power.
Sensory language: Language that evokes senses.
Short sentences: Like this. That work. Of course.
Temporal language: Changing time and hence meaning.
Trivializing words: Deflating what others say.
Using pauses: Adding power with very largely nothing.
Final impact
Method
To maximize the impact of a sentence, paragraph or speech, put the main impact at the end, such that you leave them thinking 'wow!' and in a state of desire (rather than being rather bored and wishing you would finish soon).
The final impact can be increased by building tension beforehand, hinting at wonders to come, creating allure and promise that keeps them hanging on until your last word.
Example
I am going to let you into a secret -- but not yet. First, I want you to know that I have been listening to a lot of people like you who have similar problems. And I also think you will be pleased to know I have been able to help them get over those problems. And the secret of solving their problems lay in the effective use of a proven learning and support package.
iscussion
When people get the idea of what you are saying (or even think that they have got the idea), they cognitively close, switching off from attentive listening. To keep them listening and
Jokes keep people hanging on until the punch-line at the end by building tension beforehand. Tension is also used in movies and stories. When people are
Speaking that makes a point and then
Intensifiers
Method
Amplify the effect of a verb by using an adverb that intensifies the meaning and particularly the emotional content.
Use the intensifier to subtly suggest to the other person what emotions they should feel.
In the same way, you can also use adverbs to reduce the natural emotional content of a verb.
Example
That is very interesting. (basic intensifier)That is very, very interesting. (repetition to increase effect)That is extremely interesting. (suggests extreme response)That is amazingly interesting. (suggests being amazed)That is scarily interesting. (suggests being scared)That is quite interesting. (reducing intensity)That is a bit interesting. (reducing intensity)
Discussion
The basic intensifier is 'very' and can be used with many verbs. Other intensifiers often have the same meaning as 'very' but use different forms Intensifiers include: very, really, extremely, remarkably, fantastically, etc.
Suggesting what to feel
Intensifiers often subtly suggest to the other person what to feel. By naming emotions within the adverb, the other person has to consider this emotion and hence begins to feel it.
As the adverb is not the subject, object or verb, it is not as noticed and hence such suggestions may slip past conscious (or even subconscious) filters.
De-intensification
Just as intensifiers increase emotion, the same effect can be done in reverse, where the natural level of emotion implied by a verb may be reduced. This can be done deliberately to cool down a situation. It also can appear in floppy language, where you are seeking to avoid saying anything that upsets the other person and hence end up making very weak statements that have a very low chance of changing anybody's mind.
Borrowing from the negative
There is a curious pattern of intensification that uses negative words to intensify positive verbs. These words include: Awfully, dreadfully, fearfully, terribly, ridiculously, insanely, disgustingly, hideously, etc.
Thus, for example:
She is dreadfully beautiful.What an insanely good idea!
What in effect is happening here is that many strong emotions are negative, so using them in a positive context borrows that intensity of emotion whilst the contextual cues show that the real meaning is positive. An additional effect is that combining negative and positive words in the same sentence creates confusion, which itself is also adds to the emotion.
A curious fact about this usage is that it is particularly popular with upper-class British people. What a ridiculously interesting thing!
De-intensification by intensification
Sometimes intensification is done deliberately but with the opposite intent. This use of sarcasm may be done against another person or used in a more ironic sense about the situation.
Oh, very clever! (actually meaning rather stupid)
Student List as 9th of July 2008
Listed below are my students for PBET 2106. You are advised to take my slot as below-mentioned:
Days: Mondays-Wednesdays
Place: BSB 301(to be confirmed)
Time: 9:00am to 11:30am
These are two students who agreed to join this class ( amrsaifv and nurainsaid) and 7 more students yet to give me their names and ID #
1. PEK 070025
2. PEK 070027
3. PEK 070039
4. PEK 070009
5. PEK 070030
6. PEK 070033
7. PEK 070042
8. PEK 070026
9. PEK 070048
10. PEK 070012
11. PEK 070001
12. PEK 070035
13. PEK 070048
14. PEK 070006
15. PEK 070047
16. PEK 070046
17. PEK 070037
18. PEK 070029
19. PEK 070005
20. PEK 070021
21. PEK 070041
22. PEK 070032
23. PEK 070045
24. PEK 070018
Days: Mondays-Wednesdays
Place: BSB 301(to be confirmed)
Time: 9:00am to 11:30am
These are two students who agreed to join this class ( amrsaifv and nurainsaid) and 7 more students yet to give me their names and ID #
1. PEK 070025
2. PEK 070027
3. PEK 070039
4. PEK 070009
5. PEK 070030
6. PEK 070033
7. PEK 070042
8. PEK 070026
9. PEK 070048
10. PEK 070012
11. PEK 070001
12. PEK 070035
13. PEK 070048
14. PEK 070006
15. PEK 070047
16. PEK 070046
17. PEK 070037
18. PEK 070029
19. PEK 070005
20. PEK 070021
21. PEK 070041
22. PEK 070032
23. PEK 070045
24. PEK 070018
Ways to Enhance Your Non-Verbal Communication Skills
It is not only what you say in the classroom that is important, but it's how you say it that can make the difference to students. Nonverbal messages are an essential component of communication in the teaching process.
Teachers should be aware of nonverbal behavior in the classroom for three major reasons:
An awareness of nonverbal behavior will allow you to become better receivers of students' messages.
You will become a better sender of signals that reinforce learning.
This mode of communication increases the degree of the perceived psychological closeness between teacher and student.
Some major areas of nonverbal behaviors to explore are:
Eye contact
Facial expressions
Gestures
Posture and body orientation
Proximity
Paralinguistics
Humor
Eye contact:
Eye contact, an important channel of interpersonal communication, helps regulate the flow of communication. And it signals interest in others. Furthermore, eye contact with audiences increases the speaker's credibility. Teachers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth and credibility.
Facial expressions:
Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits:
Happiness
Friendliness
Warmth
Liking
Affiliation
Thus, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and students will react favorably and learn more.
Gestures:
If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring, stiff and unanimated. A lively and animated teaching style captures students' attention, makes the material more interesting, facilitates learning and provides a bit of entertainment. Head nods, a form of gestures, communicate positive reinforcement to students and indicate that you are listening.
Posture and body orientation:
You communicate numerous messages by the way you walk, talk, stand and sit. Standing erect, but not rigid, and leaning slightly forward communicates to students that you are approachable, receptive and friendly. Furthermore, interpersonal closeness results when you and your students face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided; it communicates disinterest to your class.
Proximity:
Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with students. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading students' space. Some of these are:
Rocking
Leg swinging
Tapping
Gaze aversion
Typically, in large college classes space invasion is not a problem. In fact, there is usually too much distance. To counteract this, move around the classroom to increase interaction with your students. Increasing proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for students to speak.
Paralinguistics:
This facet of nonverbal communication includes such vocal elements as:
Tone
Pitch
Rhythm
Timbre
Loudness
Inflection
For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six elements of your voice. One of the major criticisms is of instructors who speak in a monotone. Listeners perceive these instructors as boring and dull. Students report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to teachers who have not learned to modulate their voices.
Humor:
Humor is often overlooked as a teaching tool, and it is too often not encouraged in college classrooms. Laughter releases stress and tension for both instructor and student. You should develop the ability to laugh at yourself and encourage students to do the same. It fosters a friendly classroom environment that facilitates learning. (Lou Holtz wrote that when his players felt successful he always observed the presence of good humor in the locker room.)
Obviously, adequate knowledge of the subject matter is crucial to your success; however, it's not the only crucial element. Creating a climate that facilitates learning and retention demands good nonverbal and verbal skills. To improve your nonverbal skills, record your speaking on video tape. Then ask a colleague in communications to suggest refinements.
Teachers should be aware of nonverbal behavior in the classroom for three major reasons:
An awareness of nonverbal behavior will allow you to become better receivers of students' messages.
You will become a better sender of signals that reinforce learning.
This mode of communication increases the degree of the perceived psychological closeness between teacher and student.
Some major areas of nonverbal behaviors to explore are:
Eye contact
Facial expressions
Gestures
Posture and body orientation
Proximity
Paralinguistics
Humor
Eye contact:
Eye contact, an important channel of interpersonal communication, helps regulate the flow of communication. And it signals interest in others. Furthermore, eye contact with audiences increases the speaker's credibility. Teachers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth and credibility.
Facial expressions:
Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits:
Happiness
Friendliness
Warmth
Liking
Affiliation
Thus, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and students will react favorably and learn more.
Gestures:
If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring, stiff and unanimated. A lively and animated teaching style captures students' attention, makes the material more interesting, facilitates learning and provides a bit of entertainment. Head nods, a form of gestures, communicate positive reinforcement to students and indicate that you are listening.
Posture and body orientation:
You communicate numerous messages by the way you walk, talk, stand and sit. Standing erect, but not rigid, and leaning slightly forward communicates to students that you are approachable, receptive and friendly. Furthermore, interpersonal closeness results when you and your students face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided; it communicates disinterest to your class.
Proximity:
Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with students. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading students' space. Some of these are:
Rocking
Leg swinging
Tapping
Gaze aversion
Typically, in large college classes space invasion is not a problem. In fact, there is usually too much distance. To counteract this, move around the classroom to increase interaction with your students. Increasing proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for students to speak.
Paralinguistics:
This facet of nonverbal communication includes such vocal elements as:
Tone
Pitch
Rhythm
Timbre
Loudness
Inflection
For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six elements of your voice. One of the major criticisms is of instructors who speak in a monotone. Listeners perceive these instructors as boring and dull. Students report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to teachers who have not learned to modulate their voices.
Humor:
Humor is often overlooked as a teaching tool, and it is too often not encouraged in college classrooms. Laughter releases stress and tension for both instructor and student. You should develop the ability to laugh at yourself and encourage students to do the same. It fosters a friendly classroom environment that facilitates learning. (Lou Holtz wrote that when his players felt successful he always observed the presence of good humor in the locker room.)
Obviously, adequate knowledge of the subject matter is crucial to your success; however, it's not the only crucial element. Creating a climate that facilitates learning and retention demands good nonverbal and verbal skills. To improve your nonverbal skills, record your speaking on video tape. Then ask a colleague in communications to suggest refinements.
How to Analyse Information Critically?
INTRODUCTION
You can begin evaluating a physical information source (a book or an article for instance) even before you have the physical item in hand. Appraise a source by first examining the bibliographic citation. The bibliographic citation is the written description of a book, journal article, essay, or some other published material that appears in a catalog or index. Bibliographic citations characteristically have three main components: author, title, and publication information. These components can help you determine the usefulness of this source for your paper. (In the same way, you can appraise a Web site by examining the home
I. INITIAL APPRAISAL
A. Author
What are the author's credentials--institutional affiliation (where he or she works), educational background, past writings, or experience? Is the book or article written on a topic in the author's area of expertise? You can use the various Who's Who publications for the U.S. and other countries and for specific subjects and the biographical information located in the publication itself to help determine the author's affiliation and credentials.
Has your instructor mentioned this author? Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? Respected authors are cited frequently by other scholars. For this reason, always note those names that appear in many different sources.
Is the author associated with a reputable institution or organization? What are the basic values or goals of the organization or institution?
B. Date of Publication
When was the source published? This date is often located on the face of the title page below the name of the publisher. If it is not there, look for the copyright date on the reverse of the title page. On Web pages, the date of the last revision is usually at the bottom of the home page, sometimes every page.
Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic? Topic areas of continuing and rapid development, such as the sciences, demand more current information. On the other hand, topics in the humanities often require material that was written many years ago. At the other extreme, some news sources on the Web now note the hour and minute that articles are posted on their site.
C. Edition or Revision
Is this a first edition of this publication or not? Further editions indicate a source has been revised and updated to reflect changes in knowledge, include omissions, and harmonize with its intended reader's needs. Also, many printings or editions may indicate that the work has become a standard source in the area and is reliable. If you are using a Web source, do the pages indicate revision dates?
D. Publisher
Note the publisher. If the source is published by a university press, it is likely to be scholarly. Although the fact that the publisher is reputable does not necessarily guarantee quality, it does show that the publisher may have high regard for the source being published.
E. Title of Journal
Is this a scholarly or a popular journal? This distinction is important because it indicates different levels of complexity in conveying ideas.
II. CONTENT ANALYSIS
Having made an initial appraisal, you should now examine the body of the source. Read the preface to determine the author's intentions for the book. Scan the table of contents and the index to get a broad overview of the material it covers. Note whether bibliographies are included. Read the chapters that specifically address your topic. Scanning the table of contents of a journal or magazine issue is also useful. As with books, the presence and quality of a bibliography at the end of the article may reflect the care with which the authors have prepared their work.
A. Intended Audience
What type of audience is the author addressing? Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience? Is this source too elementary, too technical, too advanced, or just right for your needs?
B. Objective Reasoning
Is the information covered fact, opinion, or propaganda? It is not always easy to separate fact from opinion. Facts can usually be verified; opinions, though they may be based on factual information, evolve from the interpretation of facts. Skilled writers can make you think their interpretations are facts.
Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it questionable and unsupported by evidence? Assumptions should be reasonable. Note errors or omissions.
Are the ideas and arguments advanced more or less in line with other works you have read on the same topic? The more radically an author departs from the views of others in the same field, the more carefully and critically you should scrutinize his or her ideas.
Is the author's point of view objective and impartial? Is the language free of emotion-arousing words and bias?
C. Coverage
Does the work update other sources, substantiate other materials you have read, or add new information? Does it extensively or marginally cover your topic? You should explore enough sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints.
Is the material primary or secondary in nature? Primary sources are the raw material of the research process. Secondary sources are based on primary sources. For example, if you were researching Konrad Adenauer's role in rebuilding West Germany after World War II, Adenauer's own writings would be one of many primary sources available on this topic. Others might include relevant government documents and contemporary German newspaper articles. Scholars use this primary material to help generate historical interpretations--a secondary source. Books, encyclopedia articles, and scholarly journal articles about Adenauer's role are considered secondary sources. In the sciences, journal articles and conference proceedings written by experimenters reporting the results of their research are primary documents. Choose both primary and secondary sources when you have the opportunity.
D. Writing Style
Is the publication organized logically? Are the main points clearly presented? Do you find the text easy to read, or is it stilted or choppy? Is the author's argument repetitive?
E. Evaluative Reviews
Locate critical reviews of books in a reviewing source, such as Book Review Index, Book Review Digest, OR Periodical Abstracts. Is the review positive? Is the book under review considered a valuable contribution to the field? Does the reviewer mention other books that might be better? If so, locate these sources for more information on your topic.
Do the various reviewers agree on the value or attributes of the book or has it aroused controversy among the critics?
Taken from:
http://www.library.cornell.edu/
You can begin evaluating a physical information source (a book or an article for instance) even before you have the physical item in hand. Appraise a source by first examining the bibliographic citation. The bibliographic citation is the written description of a book, journal article, essay, or some other published material that appears in a catalog or index. Bibliographic citations characteristically have three main components: author, title, and publication information. These components can help you determine the usefulness of this source for your paper. (In the same way, you can appraise a Web site by examining the home
I. INITIAL APPRAISAL
A. Author
What are the author's credentials--institutional affiliation (where he or she works), educational background, past writings, or experience? Is the book or article written on a topic in the author's area of expertise? You can use the various Who's Who publications for the U.S. and other countries and for specific subjects and the biographical information located in the publication itself to help determine the author's affiliation and credentials.
Has your instructor mentioned this author? Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? Respected authors are cited frequently by other scholars. For this reason, always note those names that appear in many different sources.
Is the author associated with a reputable institution or organization? What are the basic values or goals of the organization or institution?
B. Date of Publication
When was the source published? This date is often located on the face of the title page below the name of the publisher. If it is not there, look for the copyright date on the reverse of the title page. On Web pages, the date of the last revision is usually at the bottom of the home page, sometimes every page.
Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic? Topic areas of continuing and rapid development, such as the sciences, demand more current information. On the other hand, topics in the humanities often require material that was written many years ago. At the other extreme, some news sources on the Web now note the hour and minute that articles are posted on their site.
C. Edition or Revision
Is this a first edition of this publication or not? Further editions indicate a source has been revised and updated to reflect changes in knowledge, include omissions, and harmonize with its intended reader's needs. Also, many printings or editions may indicate that the work has become a standard source in the area and is reliable. If you are using a Web source, do the pages indicate revision dates?
D. Publisher
Note the publisher. If the source is published by a university press, it is likely to be scholarly. Although the fact that the publisher is reputable does not necessarily guarantee quality, it does show that the publisher may have high regard for the source being published.
E. Title of Journal
Is this a scholarly or a popular journal? This distinction is important because it indicates different levels of complexity in conveying ideas.
II. CONTENT ANALYSIS
Having made an initial appraisal, you should now examine the body of the source. Read the preface to determine the author's intentions for the book. Scan the table of contents and the index to get a broad overview of the material it covers. Note whether bibliographies are included. Read the chapters that specifically address your topic. Scanning the table of contents of a journal or magazine issue is also useful. As with books, the presence and quality of a bibliography at the end of the article may reflect the care with which the authors have prepared their work.
A. Intended Audience
What type of audience is the author addressing? Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience? Is this source too elementary, too technical, too advanced, or just right for your needs?
B. Objective Reasoning
Is the information covered fact, opinion, or propaganda? It is not always easy to separate fact from opinion. Facts can usually be verified; opinions, though they may be based on factual information, evolve from the interpretation of facts. Skilled writers can make you think their interpretations are facts.
Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it questionable and unsupported by evidence? Assumptions should be reasonable. Note errors or omissions.
Are the ideas and arguments advanced more or less in line with other works you have read on the same topic? The more radically an author departs from the views of others in the same field, the more carefully and critically you should scrutinize his or her ideas.
Is the author's point of view objective and impartial? Is the language free of emotion-arousing words and bias?
C. Coverage
Does the work update other sources, substantiate other materials you have read, or add new information? Does it extensively or marginally cover your topic? You should explore enough sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints.
Is the material primary or secondary in nature? Primary sources are the raw material of the research process. Secondary sources are based on primary sources. For example, if you were researching Konrad Adenauer's role in rebuilding West Germany after World War II, Adenauer's own writings would be one of many primary sources available on this topic. Others might include relevant government documents and contemporary German newspaper articles. Scholars use this primary material to help generate historical interpretations--a secondary source. Books, encyclopedia articles, and scholarly journal articles about Adenauer's role are considered secondary sources. In the sciences, journal articles and conference proceedings written by experimenters reporting the results of their research are primary documents. Choose both primary and secondary sources when you have the opportunity.
D. Writing Style
Is the publication organized logically? Are the main points clearly presented? Do you find the text easy to read, or is it stilted or choppy? Is the author's argument repetitive?
E. Evaluative Reviews
Locate critical reviews of books in a reviewing source, such as Book Review Index, Book Review Digest, OR Periodical Abstracts. Is the review positive? Is the book under review considered a valuable contribution to the field? Does the reviewer mention other books that might be better? If so, locate these sources for more information on your topic.
Do the various reviewers agree on the value or attributes of the book or has it aroused controversy among the critics?
Taken from:
http://www.library.cornell.edu/
A Critical Thinking Problem Solving Model
A Critical Thinking Problem Solving Model
Problem Solving Content Issues
Description of Problem
Factors: Constructive vs Limiting
Ownership
Scope of Problem
Consequence of Problem
Alternative Solutions
Rank Ordered Solutions
Process Issues in Problem Solving
Self-awareness of the problem solver
Motivation of the problem solver
Decision making involved in selecting solution by solver
Execution of the solution decided upon
Components of Problem
Visceral Components of the Problem
Size of Problem - costs, risks, losses
Sensory Input
How’s it look?
How’s it sound?
How’s it taste?
How’s its smell?
How’s it feel?
Personal Components of the Problem
Inside perspective of problem solver of the problem
If on Team other members as problem solvers & their perspective
Low self-esteem of problem solver is the hidden component in problem solving which must be addressed to insure productive solutions
What is Needed to Improve Problem Solving Process
Unconditional acceptance & non-judgmental attitude of fellow solvers
Respect for each participant’s input
Freedom to openly express emotional response to the problem & solutions
Defined limits and boundaries on problem solving process
Ways of Encouraging Creativity in Problem Solving
Create the desire to be creative-you must want it
Expand Knowledge & Skills of language by reading more to be creative thinker
It takes effort to create-genius is 1% inspiration & 99% perspiration-Edison
Ferment creativity-give it time
Evaluate and validate creative ideas
Use Brainstorming
Use Starbursting
Rules for Brainstorming
Set a time frame to be completed
Be clear what problem you are trying to solve
All ideas should be heard.
No idea is too wild to be expressed.
Quantity is wanted; each idea coming to mind should be expressed.
Combining ideas for improvement is highly desirable.
Criticism or negative discussion regarding ideas is absolutely forbidden.
Starbursting
Focuses on a topic and radiates outward with questions
Here anything goes
Any questions are legitimate
More the questions the better
Begin by asking: “What are the Questions?”
Problem Solving through Intimate Engagement
Engager’s have a history of success with similar problems
Dismisser’s had history of failure with similar problems-captive of the past
Rather than dismiss, engage the problem intimately by getting into it
Be willing to take the time to deal with the problem
Engagement Takes:
Effort to deal with it
Time to mull it over
Looking at and not averting or looking away
Rules of Engagement with Problems
Become sensitive to your own confusion with a problem
Do not permit yourself to be confused-do not tolerate confusion
Use visual imagery to remember facts
Relate the information to people, animals or situations
Make your visualization vivid, dynamic, interactive, & unusual
Reality Testing of Possible Solutions to Problem
Critical Path Analysis
Decision Trees
Force Field Analysis
PMI Plus – Minus – Interesting
SWOT Analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Critical Path Analysis
Calculate length of time to complete project
List all activities in plan by: start date, duration, if parallel or sequential
If dependent on what do they depend
Graph it out, Plot tasks on graph
Schedule Activities
Critical path-longest sequence of dependent activities that lead to completion of plan
Decision Trees
Start with the decision which needs to be made draw a box
Draw to right possible solutions on lines
At End of each line if result is uncertain draw circle if other decision draw box
From the other decisions draw lines for options which can be taken
Calculate decision which has greatest worth to you and give it a value
Estimate probability of each uncertainty
Force Field Analysis
List all forces for change in one column
List all forces against change in other
Assign a score to each force 1(weak)-5(strong)
Draw diagram showing forces for & against and size of forces
Helps weigh importance of factors as to if pursue or not the plan
PMI- Plus/Minus/Interesting
Plus Column: all positive points of taking the action
Negative Column: all negative effects
Interesting Column: extended implications of taking action, whether positive or negative
Assign positive or negative scores
SWOT Analysis
Strengths: advantages, what you do well
Weaknesses: could be improved, done badly, should be avoided
Opportunities: good chances, interesting trends
Threats: obstacles, competition, are required specifications changing
Problem Solving Content Issues
Description of Problem
Factors: Constructive vs Limiting
Ownership
Scope of Problem
Consequence of Problem
Alternative Solutions
Rank Ordered Solutions
Process Issues in Problem Solving
Self-awareness of the problem solver
Motivation of the problem solver
Decision making involved in selecting solution by solver
Execution of the solution decided upon
Components of Problem
Visceral Components of the Problem
Size of Problem - costs, risks, losses
Sensory Input
How’s it look?
How’s it sound?
How’s it taste?
How’s its smell?
How’s it feel?
Personal Components of the Problem
Inside perspective of problem solver of the problem
If on Team other members as problem solvers & their perspective
Low self-esteem of problem solver is the hidden component in problem solving which must be addressed to insure productive solutions
What is Needed to Improve Problem Solving Process
Unconditional acceptance & non-judgmental attitude of fellow solvers
Respect for each participant’s input
Freedom to openly express emotional response to the problem & solutions
Defined limits and boundaries on problem solving process
Ways of Encouraging Creativity in Problem Solving
Create the desire to be creative-you must want it
Expand Knowledge & Skills of language by reading more to be creative thinker
It takes effort to create-genius is 1% inspiration & 99% perspiration-Edison
Ferment creativity-give it time
Evaluate and validate creative ideas
Use Brainstorming
Use Starbursting
Rules for Brainstorming
Set a time frame to be completed
Be clear what problem you are trying to solve
All ideas should be heard.
No idea is too wild to be expressed.
Quantity is wanted; each idea coming to mind should be expressed.
Combining ideas for improvement is highly desirable.
Criticism or negative discussion regarding ideas is absolutely forbidden.
Starbursting
Focuses on a topic and radiates outward with questions
Here anything goes
Any questions are legitimate
More the questions the better
Begin by asking: “What are the Questions?”
Problem Solving through Intimate Engagement
Engager’s have a history of success with similar problems
Dismisser’s had history of failure with similar problems-captive of the past
Rather than dismiss, engage the problem intimately by getting into it
Be willing to take the time to deal with the problem
Engagement Takes:
Effort to deal with it
Time to mull it over
Looking at and not averting or looking away
Rules of Engagement with Problems
Become sensitive to your own confusion with a problem
Do not permit yourself to be confused-do not tolerate confusion
Use visual imagery to remember facts
Relate the information to people, animals or situations
Make your visualization vivid, dynamic, interactive, & unusual
Reality Testing of Possible Solutions to Problem
Critical Path Analysis
Decision Trees
Force Field Analysis
PMI Plus – Minus – Interesting
SWOT Analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Critical Path Analysis
Calculate length of time to complete project
List all activities in plan by: start date, duration, if parallel or sequential
If dependent on what do they depend
Graph it out, Plot tasks on graph
Schedule Activities
Critical path-longest sequence of dependent activities that lead to completion of plan
Decision Trees
Start with the decision which needs to be made draw a box
Draw to right possible solutions on lines
At End of each line if result is uncertain draw circle if other decision draw box
From the other decisions draw lines for options which can be taken
Calculate decision which has greatest worth to you and give it a value
Estimate probability of each uncertainty
Force Field Analysis
List all forces for change in one column
List all forces against change in other
Assign a score to each force 1(weak)-5(strong)
Draw diagram showing forces for & against and size of forces
Helps weigh importance of factors as to if pursue or not the plan
PMI- Plus/Minus/Interesting
Plus Column: all positive points of taking the action
Negative Column: all negative effects
Interesting Column: extended implications of taking action, whether positive or negative
Assign positive or negative scores
SWOT Analysis
Strengths: advantages, what you do well
Weaknesses: could be improved, done badly, should be avoided
Opportunities: good chances, interesting trends
Threats: obstacles, competition, are required specifications changing
Valid versus Invalid Arguments
Valid vs Invalid Arguments
Hypothetical syllogisms (conditional arguments) can have two valid and two invalid structures
Structures of Syllogism: Valid; Antecedent: Affirming (modus poen); Consequent: Denying (modus tellens)
Structures of Syllogism: Invalid; Antecedent: Denying; Consequent: Affirming
5 Most Common Fallacies
Non Sequitur-irrelevant reason-premise no relationship to conclusion
Ad hominum-person’s character attacked to discredit arguer rather than argument
Post hoc ergo propter hoc-generalization-one event which follows was caused by 1st
Slippery slope-black & white-no gray or middle ground-argues against 1st step since eventually follow through to the last one
Appeal to Emotion-emotional appeals rather than logical reasons to persuade
Logic Problems
The Premise – establishes the setting of the problem, subjects, how subjects are related, number of subjects (4-10)
The Conditions- rules which impose specific restrictions upon relationship among subjects (2-10 conditions)
The Question-questions about relationship-require deductive analysis
Hypothetical syllogisms (conditional arguments) can have two valid and two invalid structures
Structures of Syllogism: Valid; Antecedent: Affirming (modus poen); Consequent: Denying (modus tellens)
Structures of Syllogism: Invalid; Antecedent: Denying; Consequent: Affirming
5 Most Common Fallacies
Non Sequitur-irrelevant reason-premise no relationship to conclusion
Ad hominum-person’s character attacked to discredit arguer rather than argument
Post hoc ergo propter hoc-generalization-one event which follows was caused by 1st
Slippery slope-black & white-no gray or middle ground-argues against 1st step since eventually follow through to the last one
Appeal to Emotion-emotional appeals rather than logical reasons to persuade
Logic Problems
The Premise – establishes the setting of the problem, subjects, how subjects are related, number of subjects (4-10)
The Conditions- rules which impose specific restrictions upon relationship among subjects (2-10 conditions)
The Question-questions about relationship-require deductive analysis
Logic in Critical Thinking
Logic in Critical Thinking
Deduction versus Induction Logic=Scientific Method
DEDUCTION
Draw a conclusion that follows know facts stated in premises
Relies on certainty based on connection of premises & conclusion
Valid Argument vs Sound Argument
Deductive reasoning can be used when the premises (reasons, facts, evidence, etc.) prove with absolute certainty that the conclusion is true, assuming the premises are true
INDUCTION
Derives probable conclusion from observation of diverse facts
Learning from experience
Argument by analogy
Hypothetical Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning is required when you cannot ascertain the absolute certainty of the conclusion based on given evidence, but you can establish probability
Terminology
Inductive strength: Deductive validity, truth of premises, sound
Probability: certainty
Reasoning from diverse facts: reasoning from known facts or assumed known facts
Types of Logical Arguments:
Generalization arguments
Hypothesis arguments
Analogical arguments
Conditional arguments
Syllogisms
Venn Diagrams
Deduction versus Induction Logic=Scientific Method
DEDUCTION
Draw a conclusion that follows know facts stated in premises
Relies on certainty based on connection of premises & conclusion
Valid Argument vs Sound Argument
Deductive reasoning can be used when the premises (reasons, facts, evidence, etc.) prove with absolute certainty that the conclusion is true, assuming the premises are true
INDUCTION
Derives probable conclusion from observation of diverse facts
Learning from experience
Argument by analogy
Hypothetical Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning is required when you cannot ascertain the absolute certainty of the conclusion based on given evidence, but you can establish probability
Terminology
Inductive strength: Deductive validity, truth of premises, sound
Probability: certainty
Reasoning from diverse facts: reasoning from known facts or assumed known facts
Types of Logical Arguments:
Generalization arguments
Hypothesis arguments
Analogical arguments
Conditional arguments
Syllogisms
Venn Diagrams
Role of Language in Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Role of Language in Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Language is used for three purposes
• To describe
• To inform
• To persuade
Persuasion is the manner by which we attempt to convince others to "our way of thinking" about a subject therefore:
• logic
• fallacious reasoning
• problem solving all involve persuasion
Language Forms:
• Emotionally charged language-cognitive vs emotional meanings
• Manipulative language: cons, doublespeak, jargon & bureaucrats
• Rhetorical devices
o Slanting
o weasel words
o fine print disclaimers
o obfuscation
• Emotional appeal-Advertising
Language is used for three purposes
• To describe
• To inform
• To persuade
Persuasion is the manner by which we attempt to convince others to "our way of thinking" about a subject therefore:
• logic
• fallacious reasoning
• problem solving all involve persuasion
Language Forms:
• Emotionally charged language-cognitive vs emotional meanings
• Manipulative language: cons, doublespeak, jargon & bureaucrats
• Rhetorical devices
o Slanting
o weasel words
o fine print disclaimers
o obfuscation
• Emotional appeal-Advertising
Value of Critical Thinking
Value of Critical Thinking
Why is Critical Thinking of Value?
You can answer—why of value to you?
What’s value of cognitive skills?
What’s value of the critical spirit?
Would these mean more success at what you do?
Would it mean better grades for students?
Grades – Yes!
1,100 college students
Significant correlation between Critical Thinking scores & college GPA
Critical Thinking skills can be learned
Significant correlation between Critical Thinking and reading comprehension
Main Purpose of College Experience
Achievement of liberal (liberated) education. It’s about
Learning to learn
Learning to think for one’s self
Leads away from naïve acceptance of authority
Leads above self-defeating relativism
Beyond ambiguous contextualism
Culminates in principled, reflective judgment
All of Us Need Critical Thinking and Thinkers
Critical Thinking is fundamental, if not essential for, “a rational and democratic” society
Electorate
Judiciary
International commerce
Business and civic leaders maybe more interested in Critical Thinking than even educators
Necessary condition for the success of democratic institutions and free market society
Why is Critical Thinking of Value?
You can answer—why of value to you?
What’s value of cognitive skills?
What’s value of the critical spirit?
Would these mean more success at what you do?
Would it mean better grades for students?
Grades – Yes!
1,100 college students
Significant correlation between Critical Thinking scores & college GPA
Critical Thinking skills can be learned
Significant correlation between Critical Thinking and reading comprehension
Main Purpose of College Experience
Achievement of liberal (liberated) education. It’s about
Learning to learn
Learning to think for one’s self
Leads away from naïve acceptance of authority
Leads above self-defeating relativism
Beyond ambiguous contextualism
Culminates in principled, reflective judgment
All of Us Need Critical Thinking and Thinkers
Critical Thinking is fundamental, if not essential for, “a rational and democratic” society
Electorate
Judiciary
International commerce
Business and civic leaders maybe more interested in Critical Thinking than even educators
Necessary condition for the success of democratic institutions and free market society
Requirements for Effective Critical Thinking
Requirements for Effective Critical Thinking
Six Cognitive Skills
Interpretation
Analysis
Evaluation
Inference
Explanation
Self-regulation
Affective Dispositions “a critical spirit”
Several
Interpretation
Comprehend & express meaning or significance of wide variety of experiences, situations, data, events, judgments, conventions, beliefs, rules, procedures, or criteria.
Analysis
Identify the intended & actual inferential relationships among statements, questions, concepts, descriptions, or other forms of representation intended to express belief, judgment, experiences, reasons, information, or opinion
Evaluation
Assess the credibility of statements or other representations which are accounts or descriptions of a person’s perception, experience, situation, judgment, belief, or opinion; and to assess the logical strength of the actual or intended inferential relationships among statements, descriptions, questions, or other forms of representation
Inference
Identify and secure elements needed to draw reasonable conclusions; to form conjectures and hypotheses; to consider relevant information & to educe the consequences flowing from data, statements, principles, evidence, judgments, beliefs, opinions, concepts, descriptions, questions, or other forms of representation
Explanation
State the results of one’s reasoning; justify that reasoning in terms of evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, and contextual considerations upon which one’s results were based; and to present one’s reasoning in the form of cogent arguments.
Self-regulation
Self consciously to monitor one’s cognitive activities, the elements used in those activities, and the results educed, particularly by applying skills in analysis and evaluation to one’s own inferential judgments with a view toward questions, confirming, validation, or correcting either one’s reasoning or results.
Affective Dispositions
Something else is needed
More to Critical Thinking than just cognitive skills
Human beings more than just thinking machines
“the Critical Spirit” (affective dispositions)
A probing inquisitiveness
A keenness of mind
A zealous dedication to reason
A hunger or eagerness for reliable information
Critical Thinking is . . .
How you approach
Problems
Questions
Issues
The best way we know to get to the truth.
Experts conclude: Critical Thinking is pervasive, purposeful human phenomenon
Ideal critical thinker characterized also by how he or she approaches life and living in general
Approaches to life characterizing good Critical Thinking:
Inquisitiveness about wide range of issues
Concern to become and stay well-informed
Alertness to opportunities to use Critical Thinking
Self confidence in one’s abilities to reason
Open-mindedness about divergent world views
Flexibility in considering alternatives & opinions
Understanding the opinions of other people
Fair-mindedness in appraising reasoning
Honesty in facing one’s own biases, prejudices, stereotypes, egocentric, and socio-centric tendencies
Prudence in suspending, making, altering judgments
Willingness to reconsider and revise views
Clarity in stating question or concern
Orderliness in working with complexity
Diligence in seeking relevant information
Reasonableness in selecting & applying criteria
Care in focusing attention on the concern at hand
Persistence through difficulties
Precision to the degree permitted by subject & circumstances
Six Cognitive Skills
Interpretation
Analysis
Evaluation
Inference
Explanation
Self-regulation
Affective Dispositions “a critical spirit”
Several
Interpretation
Comprehend & express meaning or significance of wide variety of experiences, situations, data, events, judgments, conventions, beliefs, rules, procedures, or criteria.
Analysis
Identify the intended & actual inferential relationships among statements, questions, concepts, descriptions, or other forms of representation intended to express belief, judgment, experiences, reasons, information, or opinion
Evaluation
Assess the credibility of statements or other representations which are accounts or descriptions of a person’s perception, experience, situation, judgment, belief, or opinion; and to assess the logical strength of the actual or intended inferential relationships among statements, descriptions, questions, or other forms of representation
Inference
Identify and secure elements needed to draw reasonable conclusions; to form conjectures and hypotheses; to consider relevant information & to educe the consequences flowing from data, statements, principles, evidence, judgments, beliefs, opinions, concepts, descriptions, questions, or other forms of representation
Explanation
State the results of one’s reasoning; justify that reasoning in terms of evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, and contextual considerations upon which one’s results were based; and to present one’s reasoning in the form of cogent arguments.
Self-regulation
Self consciously to monitor one’s cognitive activities, the elements used in those activities, and the results educed, particularly by applying skills in analysis and evaluation to one’s own inferential judgments with a view toward questions, confirming, validation, or correcting either one’s reasoning or results.
Affective Dispositions
Something else is needed
More to Critical Thinking than just cognitive skills
Human beings more than just thinking machines
“the Critical Spirit” (affective dispositions)
A probing inquisitiveness
A keenness of mind
A zealous dedication to reason
A hunger or eagerness for reliable information
Critical Thinking is . . .
How you approach
Problems
Questions
Issues
The best way we know to get to the truth.
Experts conclude: Critical Thinking is pervasive, purposeful human phenomenon
Ideal critical thinker characterized also by how he or she approaches life and living in general
Approaches to life characterizing good Critical Thinking:
Inquisitiveness about wide range of issues
Concern to become and stay well-informed
Alertness to opportunities to use Critical Thinking
Self confidence in one’s abilities to reason
Open-mindedness about divergent world views
Flexibility in considering alternatives & opinions
Understanding the opinions of other people
Fair-mindedness in appraising reasoning
Honesty in facing one’s own biases, prejudices, stereotypes, egocentric, and socio-centric tendencies
Prudence in suspending, making, altering judgments
Willingness to reconsider and revise views
Clarity in stating question or concern
Orderliness in working with complexity
Diligence in seeking relevant information
Reasonableness in selecting & applying criteria
Care in focusing attention on the concern at hand
Persistence through difficulties
Precision to the degree permitted by subject & circumstances
What is Critical Thinking
What is Critical Thinking
Critical thinking consists of three steps:
1. Becoming aware that assumptions exist
2. Making assumptions explicit
3. Assessing their accuracy
Do these assumptions make sense?
Do these assumptions fit reality as we understand and live it?
Under what conditions do these assumptions seem to hold true? Under what conditions do they seem false?
Misconceptions about critical thinking
It is wholly a negative process-it tears down ideas and puts nothing in their place (rather it is a positive process to put things in a more realistic perspective)
It will lead to relativistic freeze-the inability to make commitments to people, ideas, and structures. (rather commitments are informed ones.)
It seems to involve traumatic change-one is expected to abandon old assumptions continually. (rather: Some beliefs stay the same-they are simply more informed)
It is dispassionate and cold. (rather: it is highly emotive and liberating to be free of past assumptions and the anxiety of self-scrutiny)
Why is critical thinking important?
All actions, decisions, and judgments spring from assumptions - if they are unchecked or inappropriate, we will make poor decisions and wrong judgments
In personal relationships we learn to keep our lines of communications open-we avoid uncritically reproducing patterns of the modeled interactions we learned from our parental interaction
In the workplace we avoid stagnation and atrophy and are willing to challenge the current paradigms which are uncritically accepted and may have come down in the workplace from a time and thinking which is no longer relevant to our current reality.
What does the absence of thinking critically look like?
We blindly reproduce the damaging reactions we have learned
We blindly accept at face value all justifications given by organizations and political leaders
We blindly believe TV commercials
We blindly trust political commercials
We blindly accept and say that if the textbook says it it must be so
We blindly accept and say that if the organization does it it must be right
What does Critical Thinking look like?
Contextual sensitivity - being sensitive to stereotypes about people from a particular group and trying to accept others at face value unconditionally
Perspective thinking - trying to get into the other person's head, or walking in the other person's shoes so as to see the world the way that person sees and perceives the world.
Tolerance for ambiguity - ability to accept multiple interpretations of the same situation
Alert to premature ultimatums - invoking a powerful idea or concept which inspires such reverence that any further debate is forestalled. e.g. a politician invokes "democracy"
Characteristics of People who Excel at Critical Thinking
Truth seeking: A courageous desire for the best knowledge, even if such knowledge fails to support or undermines one's preconceptions, beliefs or self interests.
Open-mindedness: Tolerance to divergent views, self-monitoring for possible bias.
Analyticity: Demanding the application of reason and evidence, alert to problematic situations, inclined to anticipate consequences.
Systematicity: Valuing organization, focus and diligence to approach problems of all levels of complexity.
Critical Thinking Self-Confidence: Trusting of one's own reasoning skills and seeing oneself as a good thinker.
Inquisitiveness: Curious and eager to acquire knowledge and learn explanations even when the applications of the knowledge are not immediately apparent.
Cognitive Maturity: Prudence in making, suspending, or revising judgment. An awareness that multiple solutions can be acceptable. An appreciation of the need to reach closure even in the absence of complete knowledge.
What are the Major Components in Critical Thinking?
Perception
Assumptions
Emotion
Language
Argument
Fallacy
Logic
Problem Solving
Perception
The way we receive and translate our experience
Also a significant filtering system
How we perceive defines how we think
Assumptions
Central to Critical Thinking
Implied, not conscious of them
Not always bad
Rest on notion some ideas are obvious
Make us comfortable with present beliefs & shut out alternatives
Emotion
Trying to “Leave emotion out of it!” is Impossible.
Part of everything we do and think
Personal barriers are a given
Critical thinker don’t ignore or deny emotions; accept and manage them
Language
Thinking can’t be separated from
Three primary purposes:
Inform
Persuade
Explain
Language denotes and connotes
Metaphors
For more information on this site about language see:
Metaphors
Metaphors are powerful language tools which influence how we think and problem solve. Metaphors are figures of speech which can give great color and depth to our language. Metaphors can be short phrases, stories, or poems. A metaphor is a verbal message which can be easily visualized by the reader or listener.
Argument
Claim, used to persuade that something is (or not) true or should (or not) be done
Contains three basic elements
Issue
One or more reasons (premises)
One or more conclusions
Can be valid or invalid based on structure
Only premises & conclusions true or false
Goal of Critical Thinking is sound arguments
Valid (proper structure)
With true premises
Sound argument has both: so the conclusion must be true
Therein the beauty and usefulness of logic
Fallacy
Reasoning that doesn’t meet criteria for sound argument is fallacious
Valid
True premises
Complete (all relevant information)
Fallacy is incorrect pattern of reasoning
Does not always mean conclusion is false
Ads & editorials
Logic
Two methods of reasoning
Deductive
Facts, certainty, syllogisms, validity, truth of premises sound arguments & conclusions
Inductive
Diverse facts, probability, generalizations, hypotheses, analogies inductive strength
Logic problems Problem Solving
Logic problems like any problem
Techniques:
Understand the problem. Read & heed
ID unknowns & knowns
Relationships between these (visual aids)
Generate strategy from step above
Apply and solve. Repeat if necessary
Critical thinking consists of three steps:
1. Becoming aware that assumptions exist
2. Making assumptions explicit
3. Assessing their accuracy
Do these assumptions make sense?
Do these assumptions fit reality as we understand and live it?
Under what conditions do these assumptions seem to hold true? Under what conditions do they seem false?
Misconceptions about critical thinking
It is wholly a negative process-it tears down ideas and puts nothing in their place (rather it is a positive process to put things in a more realistic perspective)
It will lead to relativistic freeze-the inability to make commitments to people, ideas, and structures. (rather commitments are informed ones.)
It seems to involve traumatic change-one is expected to abandon old assumptions continually. (rather: Some beliefs stay the same-they are simply more informed)
It is dispassionate and cold. (rather: it is highly emotive and liberating to be free of past assumptions and the anxiety of self-scrutiny)
Why is critical thinking important?
All actions, decisions, and judgments spring from assumptions - if they are unchecked or inappropriate, we will make poor decisions and wrong judgments
In personal relationships we learn to keep our lines of communications open-we avoid uncritically reproducing patterns of the modeled interactions we learned from our parental interaction
In the workplace we avoid stagnation and atrophy and are willing to challenge the current paradigms which are uncritically accepted and may have come down in the workplace from a time and thinking which is no longer relevant to our current reality.
What does the absence of thinking critically look like?
We blindly reproduce the damaging reactions we have learned
We blindly accept at face value all justifications given by organizations and political leaders
We blindly believe TV commercials
We blindly trust political commercials
We blindly accept and say that if the textbook says it it must be so
We blindly accept and say that if the organization does it it must be right
What does Critical Thinking look like?
Contextual sensitivity - being sensitive to stereotypes about people from a particular group and trying to accept others at face value unconditionally
Perspective thinking - trying to get into the other person's head, or walking in the other person's shoes so as to see the world the way that person sees and perceives the world.
Tolerance for ambiguity - ability to accept multiple interpretations of the same situation
Alert to premature ultimatums - invoking a powerful idea or concept which inspires such reverence that any further debate is forestalled. e.g. a politician invokes "democracy"
Characteristics of People who Excel at Critical Thinking
Truth seeking: A courageous desire for the best knowledge, even if such knowledge fails to support or undermines one's preconceptions, beliefs or self interests.
Open-mindedness: Tolerance to divergent views, self-monitoring for possible bias.
Analyticity: Demanding the application of reason and evidence, alert to problematic situations, inclined to anticipate consequences.
Systematicity: Valuing organization, focus and diligence to approach problems of all levels of complexity.
Critical Thinking Self-Confidence: Trusting of one's own reasoning skills and seeing oneself as a good thinker.
Inquisitiveness: Curious and eager to acquire knowledge and learn explanations even when the applications of the knowledge are not immediately apparent.
Cognitive Maturity: Prudence in making, suspending, or revising judgment. An awareness that multiple solutions can be acceptable. An appreciation of the need to reach closure even in the absence of complete knowledge.
What are the Major Components in Critical Thinking?
Perception
Assumptions
Emotion
Language
Argument
Fallacy
Logic
Problem Solving
Perception
The way we receive and translate our experience
Also a significant filtering system
How we perceive defines how we think
Assumptions
Central to Critical Thinking
Implied, not conscious of them
Not always bad
Rest on notion some ideas are obvious
Make us comfortable with present beliefs & shut out alternatives
Emotion
Trying to “Leave emotion out of it!” is Impossible.
Part of everything we do and think
Personal barriers are a given
Critical thinker don’t ignore or deny emotions; accept and manage them
Language
Thinking can’t be separated from
Three primary purposes:
Inform
Persuade
Explain
Language denotes and connotes
Metaphors
For more information on this site about language see:
Metaphors
Metaphors are powerful language tools which influence how we think and problem solve. Metaphors are figures of speech which can give great color and depth to our language. Metaphors can be short phrases, stories, or poems. A metaphor is a verbal message which can be easily visualized by the reader or listener.
Argument
Claim, used to persuade that something is (or not) true or should (or not) be done
Contains three basic elements
Issue
One or more reasons (premises)
One or more conclusions
Can be valid or invalid based on structure
Only premises & conclusions true or false
Goal of Critical Thinking is sound arguments
Valid (proper structure)
With true premises
Sound argument has both: so the conclusion must be true
Therein the beauty and usefulness of logic
Fallacy
Reasoning that doesn’t meet criteria for sound argument is fallacious
Valid
True premises
Complete (all relevant information)
Fallacy is incorrect pattern of reasoning
Does not always mean conclusion is false
Ads & editorials
Logic
Two methods of reasoning
Deductive
Facts, certainty, syllogisms, validity, truth of premises sound arguments & conclusions
Inductive
Diverse facts, probability, generalizations, hypotheses, analogies inductive strength
Logic problems Problem Solving
Logic problems like any problem
Techniques:
Understand the problem. Read & heed
ID unknowns & knowns
Relationships between these (visual aids)
Generate strategy from step above
Apply and solve. Repeat if necessary
What is Thinking?
Week 1
What is Thinking
What is Thinking Process?
Sensation- Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue, Skin provide our bodies with sensations which they pick up from the outside world. These sensations are transmitted by nerves to the biological structures which will translate them.
Biological-the sensations provided by the senses (eyes, ears, hands, fingers & skin, nose, tongue) are inputted by nerves to the Brain which then translates, decodes, and encodes messages and sends them out through the nervous system
Psychological-Takes the messages from the brain and translates them into perceptions and reactions.
Cognitive-Translations through the biological and psychological dimensions of the thinking process of the perceptions and reactions into concepts, ideas, assumptions, suppositions, inferences, hypotheses, questions, beliefs, premises, logical arguments, etc...
Communications-Takes the messages from the brain and translates them into verbal, non-verbal, and written language to communicate the thoughts and ideas which were generated.
Stages of Cognitive Development as defined by Jean Piaget:
1 Birth to 2 years old - no thinking structures (called schemas) and starts to develop such schemas through exploration of senses and experimentation with environment
2. Preoperational Stage: 2-7 years old - develop language skills and more sophisticated cognitive structures but still is pre-logical.
Not capable of conservation-ability to understand that substance does not change although it changes shape or form
Incapable of de-centering-ability to see things from another perspective
3. Concrete Operational Stage: 7 years to Adolescence - begin to grasp conservation and de-centering. Begins to question life. Solves problems but haphazardly.
4. Formal Operations Stage: Adolescence and onward - now capable of sophisticated logical thought. Can think in abstract. Can think hypothetically and solve problems using the logic of combinations
Note: Many theorists postulate a fifth Stage:
5. Dialectical Reasoning - stage beyond logic where critical thinking lies. Ability to perceive the frequent paradoxes in life and question and analyze the assumptions that underlie logic.
What is Thinking
What is Thinking Process?
Sensation- Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue, Skin provide our bodies with sensations which they pick up from the outside world. These sensations are transmitted by nerves to the biological structures which will translate them.
Biological-the sensations provided by the senses (eyes, ears, hands, fingers & skin, nose, tongue) are inputted by nerves to the Brain which then translates, decodes, and encodes messages and sends them out through the nervous system
Psychological-Takes the messages from the brain and translates them into perceptions and reactions.
Cognitive-Translations through the biological and psychological dimensions of the thinking process of the perceptions and reactions into concepts, ideas, assumptions, suppositions, inferences, hypotheses, questions, beliefs, premises, logical arguments, etc...
Communications-Takes the messages from the brain and translates them into verbal, non-verbal, and written language to communicate the thoughts and ideas which were generated.
Stages of Cognitive Development as defined by Jean Piaget:
1 Birth to 2 years old - no thinking structures (called schemas) and starts to develop such schemas through exploration of senses and experimentation with environment
2. Preoperational Stage: 2-7 years old - develop language skills and more sophisticated cognitive structures but still is pre-logical.
Not capable of conservation-ability to understand that substance does not change although it changes shape or form
Incapable of de-centering-ability to see things from another perspective
3. Concrete Operational Stage: 7 years to Adolescence - begin to grasp conservation and de-centering. Begins to question life. Solves problems but haphazardly.
4. Formal Operations Stage: Adolescence and onward - now capable of sophisticated logical thought. Can think in abstract. Can think hypothetically and solve problems using the logic of combinations
Note: Many theorists postulate a fifth Stage:
5. Dialectical Reasoning - stage beyond logic where critical thinking lies. Ability to perceive the frequent paradoxes in life and question and analyze the assumptions that underlie logic.
Announcement 9.July.2008.
Dear Students,
At present our class (Bilik Fikir, Mondays-Wednesdays, 8:00 to 9:30am) is not able to be running smoothly. The reason is because at the same time and day, I have another class at BSEA206. After the discussion this morning, I have decided to change to another time. This is the new schedule:
Days: Mondays and Wednesdays
Time: 9:30-11:00am
Place: BSB 301 ( to be confirmed)
I hope that those in my class can either come to my slot(above-mentioned) or change it to other classes. The other instructors and classes available according to the official time table are:
1. Mondays-Wednesdays 1230 to 200pm BSEA201 Mrs Wong
2. Tuesdays-Thursdays 8oo-930am BSEA201 Mrs Norini
3. Mondays-Wednesdays 930-1100am
Happy resheduling
MRMS
At present our class (Bilik Fikir, Mondays-Wednesdays, 8:00 to 9:30am) is not able to be running smoothly. The reason is because at the same time and day, I have another class at BSEA206. After the discussion this morning, I have decided to change to another time. This is the new schedule:
Days: Mondays and Wednesdays
Time: 9:30-11:00am
Place: BSB 301 ( to be confirmed)
I hope that those in my class can either come to my slot(above-mentioned) or change it to other classes. The other instructors and classes available according to the official time table are:
1. Mondays-Wednesdays 1230 to 200pm BSEA201 Mrs Wong
2. Tuesdays-Thursdays 8oo-930am BSEA201 Mrs Norini
3. Mondays-Wednesdays 930-1100am
Happy resheduling
MRMS
Monday, July 7, 2008
Marking Scheme
PBET 2106;Thinking and Communication Skills
Semester 1 2008/2009
Assignment 1: Public Speaking (10%)
Each student is required to speak on any topic of their own choice. The talk should last for 10 minutes. The presentation will be assessed based on the guidelines below which is to be used appropriately.
Assignment 2: Forum (10%)
Students work in groups and identify a topic on a current issue based on a newspaper report. Each group will demonstrate the ability to conduct a forum/discussion based on the topic selected. They should also be able to answer questions from the audience (peers).
Presentation Guidelines:
Presentation time 20 minutes: Speaking- 15 minutes
Question and answer – 5 minutes
Content: (10 marks)
State clearly points of issue in discussion
Demonstrate knowledge of contents to be delivered
Able to answer questions satisfactorily
Language: (10 marks)
Good voice modulation (appropriate intonation, emphasis)
Speak clearly and at an understandable pace
Good language proficiency
Establish contact with audience
Use appropriate body language
Contents delivered within time limit
Full Marks =20 (convert into 10%)
Assignment 3: Mini Research Project (15%)
Students work in groups. Students conduct a mini research on issue or topic of their choice. Background of problem, objectives of research, description of subjects, methodology, data and findings are to be incorporated into a 10 –15 page written assignment (exclusive of appendices).
Assignment will be assessed as follows:
Project Assessment Checklist (Written Assignment : 15%)
Name of Group:_______________________
Topic : __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name of Student
Information
1 2 3 4 5
Argumentation
1 2 3 4 5
Organisation
1 2 3 4 5
Total
Guidelines:
Information (5 marks)
Argumentation (5 marks)
Organisation (5 marks)
accurate facts
appropriate statistics, graphics
relevant and salient examples
clarity in argument
analytical interpretation of evidence
justifies assumptions and reasons
sees implications and consequences
draws warranted conclusions
structured introduction, body and conclusion
appropriate signposting
Presentation of Mini Research: (15%)
Student work in groups as they present their research findings to the class. Students will have the opportunity to discuss significant aspects of the research project. This will be followed by a 10-minute question and answer session.
Presentation Skills Checklist: (15%)
Name
Date
Reasoning
1 2 3 4 5
Organisation
1 2 3 4 5
Delivery
1 2 3 4 5
Visual Aids
1 2 3 4 5
Q & A
1 2 3 4 5
Total
Allocation of Marks:
Assignment 1 :Public Speaking -10%
Assignment 2 :Forum - 10%
Assignment 3 : Mini Research Project -15%
Presentation of Mini Research Project - 15%
Class Participation - 10%
Examination - 40%
TOTAL: 100%
Semester 1 2008/2009
Assignment 1: Public Speaking (10%)
Each student is required to speak on any topic of their own choice. The talk should last for 10 minutes. The presentation will be assessed based on the guidelines below which is to be used appropriately.
Assignment 2: Forum (10%)
Students work in groups and identify a topic on a current issue based on a newspaper report. Each group will demonstrate the ability to conduct a forum/discussion based on the topic selected. They should also be able to answer questions from the audience (peers).
Presentation Guidelines:
Presentation time 20 minutes: Speaking- 15 minutes
Question and answer – 5 minutes
Content: (10 marks)
State clearly points of issue in discussion
Demonstrate knowledge of contents to be delivered
Able to answer questions satisfactorily
Language: (10 marks)
Good voice modulation (appropriate intonation, emphasis)
Speak clearly and at an understandable pace
Good language proficiency
Establish contact with audience
Use appropriate body language
Contents delivered within time limit
Full Marks =20 (convert into 10%)
Assignment 3: Mini Research Project (15%)
Students work in groups. Students conduct a mini research on issue or topic of their choice. Background of problem, objectives of research, description of subjects, methodology, data and findings are to be incorporated into a 10 –15 page written assignment (exclusive of appendices).
Assignment will be assessed as follows:
Project Assessment Checklist (Written Assignment : 15%)
Name of Group:_______________________
Topic : __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name of Student
Information
1 2 3 4 5
Argumentation
1 2 3 4 5
Organisation
1 2 3 4 5
Total
Guidelines:
Information (5 marks)
Argumentation (5 marks)
Organisation (5 marks)
accurate facts
appropriate statistics, graphics
relevant and salient examples
clarity in argument
analytical interpretation of evidence
justifies assumptions and reasons
sees implications and consequences
draws warranted conclusions
structured introduction, body and conclusion
appropriate signposting
Presentation of Mini Research: (15%)
Student work in groups as they present their research findings to the class. Students will have the opportunity to discuss significant aspects of the research project. This will be followed by a 10-minute question and answer session.
Presentation Skills Checklist: (15%)
Name
Date
Reasoning
1 2 3 4 5
Organisation
1 2 3 4 5
Delivery
1 2 3 4 5
Visual Aids
1 2 3 4 5
Q & A
1 2 3 4 5
Total
Allocation of Marks:
Assignment 1 :Public Speaking -10%
Assignment 2 :Forum - 10%
Assignment 3 : Mini Research Project -15%
Presentation of Mini Research Project - 15%
Class Participation - 10%
Examination - 40%
TOTAL: 100%
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