Introduction into the Critical Path NIS Aktobe, 2013

The Critical Path The Critical Path is a teaching and learning process in the Global Perspectives and Independent Research programme, which places emphasis on skills development and which aims to produce independent, reflective learners.

What is the purpose of the Critical Path? The skills they develop in working through the steps of the Critical Path will help students to: • improve their level of work in other subjects • work well at university level • make life decisions • form judgements about important issues.

Deconstruction Deconstruction is a collection of skills that will help students to plan research and to judge the value of arguments, reasoning and opinions that they read. The skills of deconstructing argument and reasoning will allow students to tell the difference between facts (which can be cross-checked), opinions about the facts, conclusions that can reasonably be drawn from the facts. So for example, when students read a newspaper article, they will have the skills to help them decide how much of what they read they should believe.

Deconstruction

Deconstruction For example, a journalist might write: “Alcohol is good for you. Scientists have conclusively proven that we do not need to worry about the negative effects of alcohol. A study has shown that people who drink a little red wine every day are less likely to die of heart disease”.

Reconstruction Reconstruction is about setting an issue or a single argument into its context. This consists of: • researching the issue, using research and deconstruction skills • bringing the focus to the perspectives themselves rather than individual arguments or opinions • awareness that there may be more than two competing perspectives • awareness that some perspectives overlap in parts • establishing and evaluating the evidence base or different perspectives • considering the global aspects and consequences of the issue.

Reconstruction

Reflection Reflection is deep thought about issues, perspectives and consequences, and the student’s own position in relation to all of these. It: • builds on the analytic and evaluative thinking of deconstruction and reconstruction • can take place during deconstruction and reconstruction • responds to and follows from thinking about the strength of the evidence base for different perspectives • includes sympathetic and intellectual engagement with different perspectives • can include judgement, synthesis, solutions, plans of action, awareness of the need for more research and awareness of limitations.

Reflection

Presentation Presentation is the final stage of the Critical Path. In order to present well, students must review the deconstruction, reconstruction and reflection that they have done and begin to organise their ideas and their materials. The focus has shifted from a consideration of others’ ideas and perspectives to a communication of the student’s own ideas and perspective, as they are informed by the reading, discussions and thinking that have been done. Presentation can be written or spoken, formal or informal.