Critical thinking skills: critical reading, analysis, interpretation and open-mindedness

This week’s topics

Critical thinking skills: critical reading, analysis, interpretation and open-mindedness

1. Critical reading
2. Analysis and interpretation
3. Being open-minded
4. Self-regulation

What you will be able to do

• 3.2 Explain different critical thinking skills.

Activity

Start with this week’s 4 videos, then discuss how they apply to this week’s topic and note one example from a real business.

Study materials

Videos

• Identifying and analysing a writer’s perspective · Oak National Academy, Key Stage 3 (lower secondary level) · plays on Oak’s website · for registered students
• Targeted Reading and Use of Evidence · YouTube · University of Reading Library · 7 min · for registered students
• Critical note taking · YouTube · University of Reading Library · 5 min · for registered students
• How to Read a Journal Article in 10 Minutes or Less · YouTube · David Taylor · 12 min · for registered students

Further resources

• College Success, 5.2: Effective Reading Strategies · PDF · OpenStax College Success (2020, updated 2023), 5.2: active and critical reading, pp. 141–151 · for registered students
• Writing Guide with Handbook, ch. 1.3: Critical response – rhetoric and critical thinking · PDF · OpenStax (2021), section 1.3 on identifying purpose, audience and argument in a text; pp. 13–16 · for registered students
• College Success, 7.6: Metacognition · PDF · OpenStax College Success (2020, updated 2023), 7.6: thinking about how you learn (metacognition), pp. 216–218 · for registered students
• Scaffolding Critical Reading · Open-access article · Corrigan (2023), Teaching & Learning Inquiry. Step-by-step templates for finding a writer's purpose, main argument and evidence, with classroom results. · for registered students
• How to read a paper · Open-access article · Keshav (2007), ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review. The 'three-pass' method for reading academic papers. · for registered students