Welcome to this video tutorial brought to you by HELPS. It’s designed to assist you
in understanding how critical thinking skills can be applied to academic reading and writing.
At university, critical thinking is an extremely important skill to cultivate and develop.
This is because it is all about asking questions, then analysing and making evaluations or judgements
based on the information presented. It is considered a fundamental part of scholarly
studies. University students are expected to adopt this critical approach.
Critical thinking is a skill which can be challenging for students to do because it
involves questioning ideas, theories, assumptions, or the validity of information. However, it
is this healthy scepticism that is encouraged in an academic context. Through critical thinking,
the student can demonstrate that they’ve thought deeply about the topic.
Critical thinking can be approached in three simple steps.
First, by ANALYSING - asking questions of the material you are studying or researching.
Secondly, by MAKING JUDGEMENTS or evaluations; The reason you do this is to then finally
DEVELOP YOUR OWN POSITION or ARGUMENT in your assignments based on your readings, lectures,
tutorials and extensive research. Different disciplines may have different approaches
to critical thinking but all disciplines require you to: relate theory to practice, ask questions,
find and use evidence, evaluate the arguments, find links between the arguments, and categorise
the main lines of thinking. Reading can be a daunting task. It’s a great
idea to think about the main points of a text and consider how you might put them into your
own words. Think about bias, schools of thought or even information that you feels is missing
or irrelevant. Ensure you understand the stages of the argument and check that it’s logical.
Ask yourself if the ideas presented are supported by reliable evidence. Are there connections
between what you see and other texts you have read? What are the wider implications? Most
importantly, state whether you agree or disagree with the arguments presented.
When you take notes, divide your notepad into two columns. Jot down the main ideas in the
left hand column, and the supporting comments in the right hand column. Add your own comments
in another colour, or in brackets. Talk to other people about what you’ve read. Relate
and compare this text to others by looking for similar or contrasting themes. Think of
how you might explain what the text means to a general educated reader. What would you
have to add to make it intelligible? Think about whether it is possible to disagree with
the arguments presented and how you can convince your reader.
Critical thinking applies to writing, too. In order to improve the standard of our writing
we need to think about what the lecturer is looking for and work out what sort of critical
thinking will be involved—comparing? Problem solving? Looking for cause and effect? Evaluating?
Make sure everything you say is backed up by sufficient evidence and references. Link
what you’re saying into the overall field of the discipline. Think about why this essay
topic is worth writing about—what makes it particularly significant. Most importantly,
we need to look at different sides of an argument. Let’s recap the key points discussed in
this video! For your writing to be critical in the broadest sense, it should categorise
the issues/arguments involved, establish cause-effect chains, make comparisons and contrasts, point
It should also point out problems and suggest solutions, evaluate theories and relate them to practice.
Your writing must be rational, balanced, well-argued, and based on evidence, examples and extensive
reading using a wide range of literature. It must be insightful and thought-provoking.
The skills that you develop at university in critical thinking will support you in your
future professional lives. That’s because professionals are always being asked to make
decisions based on evaluating information, processes and outcomes and to continually
reflect on their practice. If you need help with your academic studies
or assistance at any stage of completing your assignments, you can access the services at
the HELPS Unit at UTS. For details on our location, operating hours,
services and programmes, including a wealth of self-help resources, visit us in person
or online. We’re at your service! Thanks for watching and thanks for listening.