STUDENT ORIENTATION 2012
Critical thinking skills
Sara Steinke
Aims of the session
• Recognise the value of your everyday critical
reasoning skills for academic studies (known
as a study skills audit)
• Identify what is meant by analytical thinking
at university
• Reflect on the ways to translate your everyday
critical reasoning skills into analytical thinking
for your academic studies
Why consider everyday critical
reasoning skills?
• Adult learners process a range of experiences,
and skills that involve critical reasoning
• These current qualities are of great value for
university studies
Tip: Everyday decisions are rarely
straightforward. Similarly, analytical
thinking at university is ‘messy’, topics are
not seen as ‘black or white’.
Think about the following
a) Job opportunities
/promotion
What factors were
involved in your
decision to study a
particular course at
Birkbeck?
b) Desire to return to
learning
c) Financial concerns
d) Time constraints
e) Course subject
f) Other reasons
Analytical thinking at university
• Takes place across a variety of study skills
– reading, note-taking, writing essays
/reports, exams, revision, presentations
• Involves thinking analytically about yours and
other peoples work/ideas
Tip: Actively engage with these activities.
You will be constantly updating your study
skills.
Think about the following
You have been asked
to read an article in
preparation for a
lecture.
What questions might
you ask in order to
undertake a critical
reading of the article?
1. What is the main
argument of the article?
2. What are the reasons
given to justify the
argument?
3. What evidence has been
used?
4. What do you know about
the author?
5. What audience is the
author addressing?
6. What sources has the
author used?
Creating a critical thinking
action plan
1.
Write down the three most important
aspects of critical thinking skills that you
have learnt/thought about in this session?
Why are they important to you?
2.
Are there any areas for improvement in
your critical thinking skills? If so, what are
you doing to do to improve this aspect of
your learning?
Recap of the session
• Undertaken a study skills audit of your everyday
critical reasoning skills, and recognised their
importance for your university studies
• Introduced what is meant by analytical thinking at
university
– identify key arguments, awareness of reasoning,
consider the evidence, knowledge about the author,
think about the audience, knowledge of sources
• Reflected on ways to translate your everyday critical
reasoning into analytical thinking for your academic
studies
Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills
Handbook, 3rd Edition (London,
Palgrave) chapter 12 ‘Critical
analytical thinking’ pp.275-292
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/getahead-stay-ahead/skills/critical-thinking
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/
mp3s.asp#Critical
studyskills/course_timetable
5 minute interactive tutorial
supporting this Student
Cottrell, S. (2005) Critical Thinking Orientation programme
Skills (London, Palgrave)
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/
12 minute audio file based on
Cottrell’s Critical Thinking Skills
book
study skills workshops which deal
with critical thinking skills – and
other study skills – in greater
detail
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/
services/facilities/support/criticalthinking
http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/
studyskills/thinking/index.asp
online resources on critical
thinking skills available on the
Birkbeck Library website
helpful information on critical
thinking skills on the Skills4Study
website