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Hello. Welcome to the STUDYSmarter screencast "Be a good critical thinker".
In the course of your study you will have been asked to analyse something you have read,
- or seen...
or listened to.
Or...
you may have been asked to compare and contrast,
to criticise or discuss something.
All of these tasks require you to think critically about what you have read,
watched or heard.
And you may be wondering what you need to do to be a critical thinker,
or how to analyse something.
Here are three top tips you can follow:
Let's start by asking some questions about the text...
...and remember that texts can be non-print- as well as print
- and films and tv shows, advertisements and documentaries are all types of text.
Our next top tip
is to examine the text closely,
looking not just at what the text tells you but also at how it's constructed.
Our third and final top tip is to evaluate the text,
weighing up its strengths and weaknesses...
and forming your own conclusions about its credibility.
So what kinds of question could you ask yourself about the text?
Firstly, you could ask what its purpose is.
For example, does it seek to inform you or to argue a point?
... to persuade or convince you of something?
Or maybe it aims to entertain or inspire you?
Once you recognise what it aims to do,
you can assess how well it achieves its purpose.
Secondly, you could ask what kind of text it is:
Is it print or non-print - and what genre is it?
Is it fiction,
e.g. a feature film or novel?
Or is it non-fiction, e.g. a documentary or newspaper article?
Fiction and non-fiction texts use different conventions and techniques...
..so knowing the genre of the text will help you to assess
how effectively it employs these.
Thirdly, you could ask who the intended audience is.
If that's hard for you to determine, then you might ask...
...who is definitely NOT the intended audience.
An example might be a scientific journal article.
The target or intended audience is likely to be other scientists and science students,
rather than a general reader.
Of course, there are many more questions you could ask,
depending upon the type of text, its purpose and its intended audience.
You could ask about the author and their credentials,
the ideas they're presenting
and the techniques they've used.
For example,
if you're examining a scientific journal article you might ask...
"What's the thesis or main argument?"
Is the argument logically presented and rational?
And what evidence does the writer present to support their argument?
Also, have they presented all aspects of the issue,
or have they just given the information that supports their argument?
We can apply some of these questions to this passage...
...which comes from a controversial book about global warming.
By asking these questions you are challenging the text
rather than just accepting its claims.
Remember, you don't have to have answers to all these questions.
Just by asking the questions and thinking about them you are actively engaging
with the text, showing that you're thinking critically.
The next tip is to examine the text closely:
All texts are constructed -
in other words, they have been crafted, using language and techniques
to create particular effects and to position the audience.
It's important to think about how a text is constructed -
what techniques have been used to craft it?
How is it structured?
And and how has language been used?
Once you can see how a text is constructed,
you can assess the effects it creates, and that will help you
to evaluate the text's effectiveness.
Here's an extract from a film review.
You can see how the reviewer has used descriptive language and humour to engage you.
The review begins with superlatives
like 'stunning',
and 'impressive'...
...then the reviewer signals a change of direction
with 'but' and 'despite'.
'Shallow' and 'self-important' are strong criticisms which are made less serious
by the reviewer joking about it being a "shaggy tiger story".
By starting with the positive comments and then moving to the criticisms...
the reviewer seeks to give an impression of balance,
but his conclusion is that the film is over-rated.
This is the argument he presents.
Whether or not you agree with him will depend on whether you've seen the film.
But by examining the language and structure of his argument,
and being aware of how the reviewer seeks to engage you,
you can make a balanced judgement
about how effectively the argument is presented.
To make a balanced judgment about something,
you need to weigh up
all the information you have
and then give your considered opinion.
This is how you evaluate a text.
By asking questions about the text and examining how it's constructed...
...you are assessing its effectiveness.
This will allow you to assess both the strengths and the weaknesses
of the text.
Notice how the film review presented the positive comments first...
... and then moved into the criticisms.
You can do this with your evaluation,
acknowledging the text's strengths and then outlining its weak points.
Or you could do it the other way around.
The film reviewer concludes that the weaknesses of the film
outweighed its strengths.
This is the argument he presents.
When you present your evaluation
you do need to come to a conclusion.
You're presenting an argument about whether the text was effective or not.
And remember that you need to provide reasons and examples
as well as opinions.
Let's just recap these three top tips
for being a good critical thinker:
1. Remember to ask questions.
2. Examine the text closely to see how it's constructed.
3. Evaluate the text, giving your considered judgment
about its effectiveness.
For more resources on critical thinking you can go to the STUDYSmarter website.
You will find our 'Critical Thinking Corner' and many other online resources to help you!