Welcome! Academic Strategies Unit 4 Seminar

General Questions & Weekly News Please share your weekly news… and general questions!

Weekly Reminders & Announcements  Announcements  Unit 4 Task List

Why should we evaluate online sources?

Unit 4 Research & Evaluation Assignment  Select the Unit 4 tab on your Course Menu and then select the Assignment icon and pull up the assignment template.  Follow all guidelines listed on the Unit 4 template.  Recommendation: Search for topics related to business.  Carefully proofread your work and make necessary revisions! Submit your completed template to the Dropbox.

Unit 4 Website Evaluation  TIP: Make sure to carefully review the 5 W’s of Web Site Evaluation information, which is located at the end of the Unit 4 Reading.  The 5 W’s information will help you to determine the suitability of online resources by asking you to look closely at 5 items.

5 W’s of Website Evaluation  Authority (who): Who is the author or sponsor and what are his/her credentials? Did the author/sponsor provide contact information?  Accuracy (where): Where did the information come from? Are there citations and links to other web sites?  Objectivity (what): What is the purpose of the site (inform, entertain, persuade, advertise, etc)? Is the discussion fact-based or opinion-based?  Currency (when): When was the site originally created? Has it been recently updated? Are the links working?  Coverage (why): Why is this site worthwhile? Is the site easy to navigate and does the information seem logical?

5 W’s of Web Site Evaluation  1.Authority (who):  2.Accuracy (where):  3.Objectivity (what):  4. Currency (when):  5.Coverage (why): Let’s practice……………

Questions?

Critical Thinking  What is it?  Why should it matter to me?  How can I apply it in my own life?  Will it help me in my Kaplan courses?  How can I improve my critical thinking?

What is critical thinking?  Critical thinking is ongoing process of understanding, questioning, observing, analyzing, and making judgments.  “Critical thinking is the discipline of rigorously and skillfully using information, experience, observation and reasoning to guide your decisions, actions and beliefs.” Source: “Critical Thinking: Developing Skills for Successful Thinking”

A well cultivated critical thinker:  raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;  gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;  thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and  communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems. Source:

Attributes of a Critical Thinker Source: Strategies for Success: Critical Thinking Ferrett, S. Peak Performance (1997).  asks pertinent questions  assesses statements and arguments  is able to admit a lack of understanding or information  has a sense of curiosity  is interested in finding new solutions  is able to clearly define a set of criteria for analyzing ideas  is willing to examine beliefs, assumptions, and opinions and weigh them against facts  listens carefully to others and is able to give feedback  sees that critical thinking is a lifelong process of self- assessment  suspends judgment until all facts have been gathered and considered  looks for evidence to support assumption and beliefs  is able to adjust opinions when new facts are found  looks for proof  examines problems closely  is able to reject information that is incorrect or irrelevant

 Why do YOU think critical thinking skills, such as some of the “attributes” listed on the previous slide, will be important for you here at Kaplan and in other areas of your life as well?

Four Steps to Improve Your Thinking Step 1: Clarify your points Step 2: Stick to the point Step 3: Question Questions Step 4: Be Reasonable

Think… Think… Think…  THINK of critical thinking as a way to EXPAND your thinking--actively thinking, rather than passively going through the motions; being open-minded, rather than closed-minded; ready to question, rather than simply allowing information to stand on its own merit; exploring and testing, rather than accepting and digesting.

 If I fill a cup up with just enough water (enough so that it does not overflow), what happens to the cup?

 If I fill a balloon up with just enough water (enough so that it does not burst the balloon), what happens?

Active vs. Passive  Cup = Passive It just sits there and does what it needs to do. No real activity; it takes things in and does its job.  Balloon = Active The balloon changes, grows and EXPANDS! A great deal of activity takes place.

As a student, which way do YOU want to be? Cup-like or balloon-like?

Passive Thinking  Acts/thoughts that are automatic reactions or almost habit to us would involve passive thinking! Nothing needs to be analyzed or tested.  There are times when a little passive thinking is just what we need. Cup = passive, but it serves a definite purpose!  Some of our passive thinking originally started out as active thinking, but over time, we no longer needed to question or evaluate the decision or action anymore.

Passive Thinking  Offer us some examples of passive thinking from your own experience.

Active Thinking  Thinking, questioning, deciding, evaluating--this kind of thinking is like the balloon--it EXPANDS our minds?  Being an active thinker, then, means that you are taking an active role in the thinking process. You are analyzing, speaking up, taking a risk in voicing your opinion, testing, questioning, searching, staying open to other ways of looking at the concept—even opposing views.

YOUR Definition of Critical Thinking  In light of what we have said about passive and active thinking here, how would YOU define critical thinking at this point?

 How important is critical thinking? Does it have a place here in our seminars, in our course discussions or elsewhere in your lives? Explain your thoughts.

The ART of taking charge…  "We could define it [critical thinking] as the art of taking charge of your own mind. Its value is also at root simple: if we can take charge of our own minds, we can take charge of our lives; we can improve them, bringing them under our self-command and direction. Of course, this requires that we learn self- discipline and the art of self-examination…“ Source: “Our Concept of Critical Thinking”

Benefits of Critical Thinking  It's like building a house. If you build a firm foundation and do the framing right (test it out and double-check it), you know the structure will stand for a long, long time.  The same goes for your thinking. If you think things through logically and carefully, maybe test and double-check your thinking, your decisions will be sound and you will gain greater confidence in yourself.

Assumption: A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof: "they made certain assumptions about the market.“ Something taken for granted or accepted as true without proof; a supposition. A thing assumed to be true in the absence of positive proof. Sources:

The Case of Mark  Mark has always wanted a career in marketing, and after being out of school for a few years, is happy to be back learning great things. Now in his second term, he really likes his coursework and is getting good grades.  He thinks, though, that his next term might be too hard for him because friends said the next set of courses will be “more advanced.” Mark guesses that he might need a tutor but doesn’t feel he knows any marketing professionals to turn to for help. Generally, Mark doesn’t panic, but he is getting worried and as this fear overwhelms him, his current quarter grades are starting to slip.

 What assumptions does Mark make and on what does Mark base his assumptions?  Why do you think it might not be such a good idea to base decisions on assumptions?  How might Mark use some of these critical thinking skills (understanding, questioning, observing, analyzing, and making judgments) to make a better decision for himself in this case? In other words, instead of panicking, what could he do?

Thanks for attending! Please post any final questions...