1 This resource contains example(s) of critical evaluation in Education-related disciplines. Follow the steps below to customise the slides for your course: 1.Choose an appropriate example extract from a student assignment (graded A) 2.Copy the extract into the example slide (slides 4&5) 3.Highlight words and phrases that illustrate effective use of critical evaluation 4.Provide the full version of the assignment  students identify further examples (slide 6) 5.Encourage the students to bring in their own writing (slide 6) 6.Delete guidance slide 1 in this resource before using in your sessions Guidance on customising this resource How to demonstrate critical evaluation in assignments PAD team for further guidance In this resource: Critical evaluation is demonstrated by providing evidence for both (or more) sides of the argument; a conclusion is then drawn based on the evidence and factors proven to be most significant.

Write to attract a higher grade: How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing 2

Discussion: How do we demonstrate critical evaluation in academic writing? How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing 3 o What do we mean by critical evaluation in academic writing? o Why would your lecturers want to see this in your work? o Think of instances/ parts of assignments - where would it be most suitable to demonstrate critical evaluation? o How can you best incorporate critical evaluation into your writing?

Example 1. How does the author demonstrate critical evaluation in the following extract? 4 Although behaviourism may seem dated, and have little consideration for the needs of learners, it can still be seen within the education systems of today. From the media accusations of teachers 'teaching to the test' through to how learning is broken down into small tightly specified components, for example, within the UK's National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ). See Wolf (2011) for a critical review of current vocational education and Hyland (1994) for an early critique of aspects of the NVQ system. How knowledge is presented to learners is an important consideration for this study. Source: Procter, R. (2014) Teaching as an Evidence Informed Profession: Knowledge Mobilisation with a Focus on Digital Technology, PhD thesis, University of Bedfordshire (p.81) Teaching as an evidence informed profession: knowledge mobilisation with a focus on digital technology How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing

Example 2. How does the author demonstrate critical evaluation in the following extract? 5 This idea of people collaborating by using mediating artefacts and mediating processes to develop artefacts and practices may be a useful way to consider both teacher's professional development and how research knowledge, generated by researchers, can be translated for teacher's professional development. Thus the use of researchers explicit knowledge generated from their research, and teacher's tacit knowledge generated from their practice will produce translations that will be research based but also informed by the tacit knowledge of a professional practitioner. In Hargreaves' work on the knowledge-creating school one of his suggested strategies “...involves the changing of tacit knowledge of teachers into explicit knowledge” (Hargreaves, 2003 cited in McCormick et al., 2011 p.11). Source: Source: Procter, R. (2014) Teaching as an Evidence Informed Profession: Knowledge Mobilisation with a Focus on Digital Technology, PhD thesis, University of Bedfordshire (p.87) Teaching as an evidence informed profession: knowledge mobilisation with a focus on digital technology How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing

Task 1: Can you identify other examples of critical evaluation in the text provided? Justify your answer. 6 Task 2: Identify examples of critical evaluation in both your own and your peers’ writing. Alternatively, establish where you could demonstrate critical evaluation in your text. How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing