Critical Skills 101 (#crit101) is an open online course with the purpose of developing skills that are integral to the development of in(ter)dependent learning and for successful study in Further Education and Higher Education.
The course offers an introduction to the following skills:
- Research and enquiry
- Evaluation of validity and reliability
- Critical reading and analysis
- Synthesis and evaluation
- Collaboration
- Reflection/meta-cognition
The course lasts for six weeks and consists of video lectures, reading, blogging, assessment, and reflection; as well as a range of collaborative activities including the co-authoring of assessments and a weekly discussion via Twitter.
In order to participate on the course you need to have a Twitter account, Google account and your own blog where you can publish completed assignments and posts reflecting on your progress through the course.
Lead and facilitated by James Michie, the course is a case study, forming part of a Masters level research project. More information about this can be found in the FAQ. While each week will begin with input from the course leader, the course is built on conectivist principles, encouraging the participants to work in(ter)dependently, developing their own learning path, as they complete each week’s reading and assignments.
Accreditation for participation in the course is offered in the form of digital badges, which are awarded for successful completion of the specified weekly assignments.
You can find out more in this blog post: What is #crit101 v2?
The course ran successfully for the first time from Monday 21st January to Sunday 3rd March 2013.
The course is currently running for a second time. It began on Monday 11th March and will conclude on Sunday 21st April.