CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Theoretical introduction
Due to the mis- and disinformation overload that we are provided with every day, the ability to form an objective and unbiased opinion based on facts and evidence might seem very challenging. Therefore, being able to perform a critical analysis, which is rational and open-minded, appears to be of crucial importance nowadays. It is still a common occurrence that students lack critical thinking skills and take it for granted that various written and spoken texts are true. Regular practice of critical analysis might greatly improve their ability to skillfully evaluate and interpret various information.
Critical analysis can be divided into critical reading, writing and listening, and can be included at any time during the course or the semester. Analysing various texts critically (not only scientific articles, but also blogs, social media posts, etc.) allows students to develop a deeper understanding of a given topic and have greater clarity on processed issues or information.
Exercise I: THE POWER OF CAPTION
Any communicator (Google Meet, Zoom, etc.)
- at any time
- introduction/main body/sum-up
Online/face-to-face
Synchronous
- to introduce a new topic/problem
- to improve critical thinking skills
- to provoke a lively discussion on a given issue
STEP I
The teacher searches for a picture that illustrates the issue they are planning to focus on with their students (The exercise works best when the discussed issue is a bit controversial).
STEP II
The teacher divides the students into two groups and provides them with the picture he has found. The students should be aware of the fact that they are all given the exact same picture.
One of the groups receives the picture with its original caption, whereas the second one gets a fake caption the teacher comes up with. (It works best when the fake caption gives an opposing view compared to the original one.) It is essential to mention that the students must not be told that the captions are different.
STEP III
The teacher asks the students to describe and interpret the picture. When they are ready, they present their interpretations.
STEP IV
If the interpretations differ between the groups, the teacher initiates a discussion and asks the students to present arguments that support their interpretations.
STEP V
When the discussion is over, the teacher reveals to the students that they were provided with different captions and asks them to interpret the picture again.
- Students realise that words may highly affect our thoughts and interpretations.
- Students improve their critical thinking skills.
- Students develop a deeper understanding of a given topic.
– It might be a challenge to come up with a fake caption that would provoke a heated discussion.
+ It is usually easier to create fake captions when discussing issues that involve a great deal of polarization in public discourse.
Exercise II: LETTER FROM AN OLD FAMILY FRIEND
Any communicator (Google Meet, Zoom, etc.)
- at any time
- main body
Online/face-to-face
Synchronous
- to improve critical thinking skills
- to be able to recognize fake news
STEP I
The teacher prepares a letter which reflects a current political or social issue and includes misinformation (e.g. conspiracy theories, links to disinformation websites, non-existent quotations, etc.). Ideally, the teacher uses a text that circulates online.
STEP II
Each student has time to read the text and think about its content.
STEP III
Subsequently, the students are divided into pairs or small groups, discuss the content of the letter, and try to find as much false information as possible. They must also find proof that the information in the letter is fake.
STEP IV
The letter is read out loud. All the students participate, pinpoint the false information and prove that it is fake.
- The existence of fake news is emphasized.
- The students are familiarized with various fake news techniques (e.g. specific rhetoric, references to unreliable sources, using capital letters).
- The activity determines if the students are capable of thinking critically about emails from an “old family friend”.
- Everybody participates equally.
– The students who have never been exposed to fake news techniques might find this activity a bit too challenging.
+ The teacher ought to divide the students into pairs or groups that reflect their knowledge and experience related to fake news.
Exercise III: CRITICAL LISTENING
Audio recordings, Mentimeter
- during the semester
- main body
Online/face-to-face
Synchronous
- to improve listening comprehension
- to improve critical thinking skills (including evaluating or forming an opinion)
STEP I
Before class, all needed audio recordings and activities (e.g. multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, etc.) are prepared by the teacher using Mentimeter.
STEP II
In class: Provided with the title of the audio recording, the students try to predict its content. They may therefore answer a few open-ended questions (e.g. What do you think the content of a recording relates to?) and share their opinions on a virtual bulletin board.
STEP III
During the first listening, the students note their areas of interest (i.e. fragments they consider interesting or intriguing) in the material they are listening to. They might use a Word cloud on Mentimeter to share their areas of interest with everybody.
STEP IV
The listening is followed by a classroom discussion; the students compare the words in the Word cloud and explain their choices.
STEP V
Mentimeter application: During/after the second listening, the students:
- answer multiple-choice questions
- answer open-ended questions on the subject and contents of the audio material
Answering prepared questions helps the students mentally summarize and review what is said, organize information, and find connections to what they already know.
STEP VI
The students assess the strengths and weaknesses of the content by answering a few open-ended questions. They also indicate if they agree or disagree with certain aspects of the recording’s content.
This is followed by a classroom discussion.
Critical listening is an activity that requires students to move beyond superficial engagement with and analysis of a text or speaker.
– When students are too tired or distracted, they are unable to give their full attention to the ideas in a spoken text.
+ It is recommended that step 5 should be omitted. Instead, students can listen to the recording once again and prepare their own listening comprehension tests within small groups whose form is determined by the teacher. This may increase the students’ engagement.
Exercise IV: DIRECTED CRITICAL READING
Any communicator (Google Meet, Zoom, etc.)
- during the semester
- main body
Online/face-to-face
Synchronous/asynchronous
- to practise critical analysis of scholarly texts
- to emphasize the importance of proper critical analysis
- to provoke a discussion on a given issue
- to contextualize new information
Chosen steps (step 1 and step 2) can be performed asynchronously (homework). The lesson then begins by evaluation and summarization of the homework (steps 1 and 2), and is then followed by steps 3 and 4 (whole-class or group discussions).
The activity is suitable for groups of up to 10 students. If given to a larger group, it is suggested that it is divided into breakout rooms (if taught online) or cooperating groups (if taught on site). The discussion takes place within the groups, and the teacher supervises and comments on their work. This is followed by an overall summary.
STEP I
The first reading of the scholarly text: attention is focused on the structure of the text and its key passages. Each student scans the pages, and focuses on the headings of sections and the overall text structure.
The abstract, which is a standard part of any scholarly text, is read first. If there is no abstract, the students can focus on the introduction and/or conclusion.
Then, the students quickly go through the text and mark keywords; they also note down or underline key passages. They look up the meaning of unknown key terms and try to define the basic research question of the given text.
STEP II
The students (in cooperation with the teacher) characterize the author of the scholarly text (e.g. a member of a school of thought, a representative of a certain direction of research, etc.).
If they do not know the author, they search the internet and characterize the author using the gathered information (e.g. when the text was created, for whom, for what purpose, etc.).
STEP III
The second reading of the text is focused on interpretation.
(Note: If the given text is lengthy, the teacher determines how large a part of the text will be discussed).
First, a certain amount of time is allotted to the students to read the relevant passage; then, questions about the text are asked. The questions are focused on the following topics (among others):
What do we need the text for? Is it a fundamental study? Is the text a suitable factual source? What problem does the author deal with? What research questions do they ask? What conclusions did they reach and how?
What arguments are their claims based on?
The teacher does not respond or correct the answers in the first phase. He or she lets the students speak freely.
STEP IV
The third reading of the text is an evaluation. The students and teacher evaluate the logic and credibility of the arguments; they can also point out references to other authors and possible controversies.
- Students improve their critical thinking skills.
- Students develop a deeper understanding of a scholarly text and learn how to work with it.
- Students understand the author’s logic and broad context.
– The questions (steps 3 and 4) are answered by the same students; the others only observe passively.
+ All the students can write answers to the questions anonymously on a sheet of paper. The teacher then collects the answers, reads the selected ones out loud, and comments on them. In the case of a synchronous class, it is possible to use an online tool for anonymous replies (e.g. Google Forms).
Exercise V: FEEDBACK BY STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS
Worksheet/Google Forms
- during the class (after students’ presentations)
Online/blended/face-to-face
Synchronous
- to hold the attention of students giving feedback
- to learn how to give feedback
- to be able to assess a presentation critically
STEP I
Before a presentation is given by a student, another student is chosen to provide feedback and is given a special evaluation form to be filled out. The form includes various feedback questions, e.g. whether the presentation was spoken freely or read; whether the sources were mentioned; whether the level of formality was appropriate; whether the content was understandable, etc.
STEP II
During the presentation, the ”feedback-giver” takes notes about the presentation, its form and content, and the presenter’s performance.
STEP III
The feedback is given to the presenter, who can then react to various comments.
- Students (”feedback-givers”) can learn how to give structured and constructive feedback.
- The presenters can improve their presentation skills. (Feedback from other students is usually better received than that from the teacher).
- The students who will present during another class know what to be aware of and where special attention should be paid.
– Not all students may feel comfortable “criticizing” fellow students.
+ It is good to present the feedback as a benefit to the presenter.
– Some students’ feedback might be too vague.
+ The evaluation form should provide specific guidelines for well-structured feedback.
