Effective Learning Programme Reading Critically

1
Effective LearningProgramme Reading
Critically

• Materials by Gill Burgess (slightly adapted)

2
Critical Reading

• ???

3
A critical reader

• attempts to understand and analyse the reasoning
  in the text
• evaluates the evidence offered
• recognises assumptions
• takes a challenging and questioning attitude
  towards the text

4
A critical reader doesnt

• accept the authority of the text without question
• take a passive and purely receptive role towards
  the text
• write off the text immediately if the writers
  meaning is not immediately clear
• quickly dismiss the text because the views do not
  match his/her own

5
To what extent do these everyday reading tasks
require a critical reading approach?

• reading the instructions to set the thermostat on
  your heating boiler
• reading a local newspaper report about an attack
  on an Asian shopkeeper
• reading a primary school prospectus for your
  child
• reading a course outline
• reading descriptions of 2 sofas in different
  furniture catalogues
• finding out the train times on a website

6
Critical Reading

• So all texts, to a certain extent require
  critical reading. It is not about criticising
  everything you read but its about asking
  questions about the text its purpose, the claims
  made and the evidence presented.

7
Some general questions to think about

• Can I believe everything I read?
• Are experts always right?
• What makes me take more notice of one academic
  writer and less of another?
• What makes a scholarly, rigorous piece of
  research, and what makes research findings weak
  or strong?
•  

8
Some questions to think about when surveying a
text

• Who is the writer writing for?
• Who is the publisher?
• Is it in the interests of the author/publisher to
  make a particular claim?
• Which sources has the writer cited?
• What sort of adjectives are used?
• How does the writer rely on authority?
• What does the writer present as fact?
• How does the writer select evidence?

9
Some questions you can use to interrogate the
text
Does this follow? How do you know? Where is your
evidence? Who exactly said this and when? Is this
a fact or an opinion? Why? Why not? What
exactly? Are you assuming x is true here? Where
can I check this out? Whats been missed out?
10
Applying critical reading strategies

• Before you read the short extract entitled The
  Nuclear Solution by Tony Ryan, briefly discuss
  your own views on the topic with the person next
  to you.
• Now read the extract and interrogate the text

11
The Nuclear Solution by Tony Ryan

• Nuclear energy is the bridging solution between a
  fossil powered past and a solar future. The
  French generate 80 per cent of their electricity
  from nuclear power, but are now running it down
  due to public pressure. However, world famous
  ecologist, James Lovelock, says that nuclear
  power is the most environmentally friendly
  option. It has zero emissions and a minimal waste
  problem. For example, a teraWatt hour of
  electricity yields 20 tonnes of nuclear waste as
  opposed to 10 million tonnes of CO2 from fossil
  fuels. The one real fear with nuclear energy is
  the potential for terrorist intervention. To
  mitigate that we need better security and a means
  to localise any release.
• http//www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2005/Febr
  uary/Thenuclearsolution.asp

12
Interacting with the text

• You dont have to fully agree or disagree with
  what the writer is saying but you can raise
  questions about the claims that s/he makes based
  on the evidence there is to support you.
• Examine the following statements that Professor
  Ryan makes

13
How did you react to these?

• Nuclear energy is the the bridging solution
• It has zero emissions and a minimal waste
  problem.
• The one real fear with nuclear energy is the
  potential for terrorist intervention.

14
Reading Critically

• In what ways has this short reading exercise
  been similar or different to the way you have
  read academic texts in the past?

15
Further Reading

• Critical Thinking An Introduction Alec Fisher
  CUP 2001 an easy- to-read overview
• Critical Reading Checklist http//unilearning.uo
  w.edu.au/critical/2b.html
• from the Unilearning site (an Australian
  website) academic skills) a useful list of
  questions
• Critical reading questions to ask of yourself
  and the text Romy Clark 1993 www.lancs.ac.uk/dept
  s/celt/sldc/materials/reading/critical.htm -
• questions to think about before, after and
  during reading (focus on linguistic analysis of
  texts)
• Reading Academically University of Southampton
  2003 Section 5 Being a Critical Reader