16T1 G1TM1 Week 01 - Introduction, Critical Thinking

8/18/2019 16T1 G1TM1 Week 01 - Introduction, Critical Thinking

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G TM Tertiary Studies

Trimester 1, 2016

LECTURE

Introduction to course

Critical thinking

Why do we need to teach you about academic

writing?

• It demonstrates academic integrity.

• It teaches you to be both persuasive and professional

in your writing (useful for the rest of your life).

•

It helps you achieve your degree, and any futuredegrees.

Introduction

1. Oral-presentation analysis

Due Sunday in Week 4

2. Literature review with annotated bibliography

Due Sunday in Week 8.

3. Five-paragraph essay

Due Sunday in Week 12

All the details are in your EUO.

Assessments



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•

Assessment 1 is an analysis of two oralpresentations.

• This task is designed to teach you how to

think critically – how to do more than just

accept what is said at face value. This

skill will be crucial during the entire time

you’re at AIM, and beyond.

Assessments

Assessment 2 is a literature review and

annotated bibliography for one of the topics

listed in the EUO.

•

A literature review is a discussion about the

sources that you have found to support your

research or essay.

•

These are often used in applications for

postgraduate study and are academic works

of their own right.

Assessments

•

An annotated bibliography is a brief

summary of all the sources you have looked at

to find information indicating what is in each

source, and why it's relevant to your research.

•

This works hand in hand with the literature

review to determine and refine the resources

and previous research you will be relying on

for your essay (assessment 3).

Assessments



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Assessment 3 is five-paragraph essay of1,500 words, based on the material you

found for assessment 2.

Assessments

•

The Head of Academic Studies is Liz Jones. You may contact her about

all things Academic Studies. Her office is Level 4, Building D (Sydney);

her email is [email protected].

•

You may apply for a deferred assessment if you think you may not be

able to make a deadline or an exam sitting due to a serious unexpected

event or illness, or if you are offered a significant performance

opportunity that coincides with your assessment due date/exam sitting.

You can access the application form on the AIM Website at:

Student Life Current Students Forms and Handbooks

•

You may appeal a result if you feel you have been unfairly marked or ifyou believe your result is incorrect by submitting an appeal form

(Student Life Current Students Forms and Handbooks) with

appropriate reasoning and documentation (i.e. include a copy of your

assignment with comments if appealing an assignment mark).

Introduction

•

Know when assessments are due from DAY ONE!!!Write up a list and put it where you’ll see it. DO NOT

just try and remember them. You won’t.

•

Plan NOW when you will work on your assessments.

Trying to do them all in one night means their quality

will be abysmal.

•

For some of you, this might be the first time you are

totally self-directed in life and study. You need to makethe decision to either do this course or go to the pub.

Your choice.

Study skills



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•

Take notes during EVERY class. This makes your

brain think about what you are learning. The act of

writing it is learning it.

• Most lecture notes are available online through

MyAIM.

•

Summarise your notes in writing at the end of each

day; this has been shown to increase retention by up

to 60%.

Study skills

NEVER EVER USE WIKIPEDIA

IN YOUR REFERENCES OR

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

EVER.

(However, there are limited circumstances in which it might be useful forgiving yourself an overview or finding legitimate sources.)

A word to the wise

•

Not just thinking and accepting things passively.

• Thinking actively !

•

Asking questions about what you hear and see,

constantly evaluating, categorising and finding

relationships in the world around you,

questioning assumptions.

• Looking not just at what is said, but who is

saying it, how and why.

Critical thinking



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Critical thinking

•

Out in the world, many people and institutionsare wary of critical thinking:

–

Governments

– Ruling classes/monarchies

– Large companies

•

WHY?

There are two main aspects to critical

thinking:

1. Developing a thorough understanding of the

topic/information

2. Evaluating and questioning the assumptions,

information and standpoint of all aspects ofthe topic, and of the people writing or

speaking about it.

Critical thinking

•

Some questions that show critical

thinking:

– What factors have been included/excluded?

– Is there a bias or framework that is not clearly

stated?

– Is the idea/writing/speech logical? Are there

false assumptions?

– Could the same information paint a di#erent

picture?

Critical thinking



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Are the main ideas supported by credible evidence?Look for:

–

Research (this is good)

– Emotive language (this is bad)

– Logic (this must be sound, not flawed)

•

Do the ideas make sense?

•

Is there a connection to other, clearer ideas?

• Is the argument/idea new or di#erent?

• Are there wider implications?

Critical thinking

•

Some ways to investigate:

– How would you explain the concept to

someone who has no idea about it?

– Is it possible to disagree with any of this?

– What have other people said about it?

Critical thinking

We’ll watch two oral presentations in class. Your

job is not just to understand what the speakers

say, but HOW they say it and WHY they say it.

This will require you to spend a bit of time

researching who each of the speakers is. How

much influence do they have? What is important

to them? What do they want you, the listener, to

believe?

Your first assessment



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You will write a report of between 500 and 1,000words that ANALYSES the two talks.

Note: the assessment requires you to

ANALYSE. Analysis is NOT description or

summary. If your report just summarises the two

talks, YOU WILL FAIL.


We’ll watch the two talks now, and again next week.While you’re watching, keep asking questions:

• What is the speaker’s main point in giving the talk –

what is their THESIS STATEMENT ?

•

What evidence do they give to support their main

point? Examples? Data? Experiments?

•

Do they present their information e#ectively? Can I

understand it? Does it make sense?

• Why is their topic important to them?


• https://www.ted.com/talks/ meklit_hadero_the_unexpected_beauty_of_everyday

_sounds

• Meklit Hadero is an Ethiopian-born, American-based

singer-songwriter.

Talk 1



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https://www.ted.com/talks/ charles_limb_your_brain_on_improv

•

Charles Limb is is a doctor and a musician who

researches the way musical creativity works in the

brain.

Talk 2

Next week we’ll watch them again, and have adiscussion in class about the sorts of things you will

need to write about in your assessment, as well as howto format it and use the AIM Style Guide.

Meanwhile, you may want to watch them again on your

own time, AND start finding out about each speaker.

You will get a much, much better mark on theassessment if you show you have done some research.

And NOT FROM WIKIPEDIA – remember what happens

if you cite Wikipedia:


DEVASTATION AND DISMAY



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And now...

any questions?

Documents

16T1 G1TM1 Week 01 - Introduction, Critical Thinking