Learning Critical Aapproach

A critical approach to learning Much academic work in the UK draws on a tradition of debate and argument, reasoning and evidence. In this tradition, 'knowledge' is viewed as provisional and contestable. We accept that 'knowledge' represents our best understanding of something at this time; however, we may have to change our perceptions if new, more convincing evidence or theories are produced. Although we may be able to disprove certain things, there is often not one absolute 'right' or 'wrong' answer, or one correct interpretation. This leads to an approach to learning where people explore, test and ask questions: a tradition where scholars tend to build on the work of others by evaluating and critically examining it and then adding their own contributions, which they expect to be critically evaluated also. provisional contestable Therefore, in many academic papers, books and journal articles, writers take a position and put forward an argument to justify it. In simple terms, that means the authors address a particular issue or pose a particular problem and offer their own answer or interpretation, which they hold as a result of their reading, thinking, discussion and research. In challenging or agreeing with the work of others, and in stating their own position, authors attempt to support what they say with reasoning and evidence. They also acknowledge what remains problematic or unresolved. Of course, ways of constructing and writing about knowledge vary considerably from one subject area to another. That is why it is important to be alert to ways of talking and writing in your field. One thing that can be helpful for your own writing is to find a few articles from respected journals in your field that are clearly written and easy to follow. Pay attention to: • how the paper's argument has been structured o Can you make an outline of it? o Can you identify the evidence or reasoning that supports it? • how the authors discuss or refer to the work of others o Are they supporting it, challenging it or simply stating it? o What sort of language do they use? • how diagrams and other non-verbal elements (if any) have been used Then compare these articles with others (on the same topics) that you find difficult to read. Can you identify why some articles are easier to read than others? You may want to use the easy-to-read articles as models for the way you write. Textbooks – that is, books written specifically for students – are often not good models for other kinds of academic writing because they tend to have a more friendly, informal style and focus more on presentation/explanation, rather than putting forward an argument.