Title: Academic Skills:
1Academic Skills
- The Nuts and Bolts, and the Big Picture
Chris Hays, Writing Counselor
2Coming sessions on writing skills
- (all at 630 p.m.)
- 9/18 From Thought to Paper
- 9/25 Cleaning up your Papers
- 10/16 Taking Your Research Papers to the Next
Level
3The Process of Learning
4Sources of Information for Test Preparation
5Review The Four Stages of Reading
- Elementary
- Inspectional
- Analytical
- Syntopical
6Review Analytical Reading Questions
- What kind of writing is it?
- What is the unity of the writing (in a sentence
or two)? - What is the structure of the writing?
- What was the authors problem?
7Review Analytical Reading Questions
- What are the key terms?
- What are the major propositions?
- What are the major arguments?
- What are the authors solutions?
8Review Making a book your own
- Underlining / vertical lines
- Stars / asterisks
- Numbering points
- Page numbers for reference
- Circling key terms or phrases
- Writing in the margins
9Processing information for tests
- Two primary types of test questions
- Factual/Definitional
- Essay
10Factual / Definitional Examples
- Some of these are very brief
- Languages vocabulary quizzes
- What year did Luther post his 95 Theses?
- After the death of Solomon, who were the kings of
Israel and Judah?
11Factual / Definitional Examples
- Slightly longer
- List the undisputed Pauline letters in order of
their likely historical sequence. - What were the names and approximate dates of
the Pentateuchal sources, according to Julius
Wellhausen?
12Approaching factual tests
- Term- and date-lists
- Flashcards
- Maps
13Essay question examples
- Shorter
- Describe Luthers doctrine of consubstantiation.
- Explain the nature of trickster characters
with reference to the book of Genesis.
14Essay question examples
- Longer
- Compare and contrast the beliefs and practices
of the Pharisees with those of the Sadducees - Identify and compare the covenants found the Old
Testament.
15Approaching essay tests
- Outlines, outlines, outlines
- Term- and date-lists (Take 2)
16Four Phases of a Paper
- Summarize
- Criticize and assess
- (Synthesize)
- (Extend)
17Criticism and Assessment Questions
- Is it true? Does the author make his or her case?
- So what? What is the significance, the payoff?
18Review Analytical Reading Questions
- What kind of writing is it?
- What is the unity of the writing (in a sentence
or two)? - What is the structure of the writing?
- What was the authors problem?
19Review Analytical Reading Questions
- What are the key terms?
- What are the major propositions?
- What are the major arguments?
- What are the authors solutions?
20Francis Bacon on critical reading
Read not to contradict and confute nor to
believe and take for granted nor to find talk
and discourse but to weigh and consider.
21Types of possible flaws
- Lack of information
- Misinformation
- Flawed Reasoning
- Incomplete Analysis
22Example Flawed reasoning
- The fastest-growing Christian churches in the
world are Spanish-speaking Pentecostal Churches
in South America. - We would like to have a fast-growing church in
Alpharetta. - Therefore if we found a Pentecostal church there
and call a Spanish-speaking pastor, the church
will likely grow quickly.