Tag: guidance

#crit101 v2 Twitter Discussion – Tonight 7PM – 8PM (GMT)

Twitter BirdThe first Twitter discussion of #crit101 v2 takes place this evening between 7:00PM and 8:00PM (GMT).

As mentioned in the opening lecture, sharing and discussing ideas encountered in the course is an important aspect of learning to become an in(ter)dependent learner. I hope that you will all be able to join in.

In this first discussion we will be turning our attention to the idea of learning to become a more independent learner. What did you make of the learner survey and reading materials from week one? Do you agree with everything you have read? Are there ideas or concepts that you disagree with or are unsure about? Can you become a more in(ter)dependent learner? Tonight’s discussion is a chance to explore, test and debate ideas.

Joining in with a discussion on Twitter for the first time, with multiple participants, can be a bit daunting.

First and foremost, remember to include the hashtag #crit101 in all of your tweets.

Secondly, prepare yourself. It is best participate using a computer or laptop rather than a mobile phone. You want to be able to see the stream of #crit101 tweets and be able to tweet/reply at the same time. There are a couple of ways to do this…

You could use the Twitter web interface. Search the hashtag and away you go. This has limitations, and works best if you have two windows open side by side. The first window includes the stream of #crit101 tweets. The second is your @ replies, so that you can see if anyone has tweeted you directly.

Alternatively, you could use TweetDeck. Available for both MAC OSX and Windows, TweetDeck is a Twitter client that  works perfectly for following and participating in a discussion on Twitter as it allows you to have multiple columns, including your tweets, @ replies, DMs and hashtags you are following.

See you in the Twitterverse, very soon. 🙂

#crit101 v2 begins tomorrow at 8:00PM (GMT)

Version Two of Critical Skills 101 officially begins tomorrow at 8:00PM (GMT) with a live meet and greet on Twitter. Join in, introduce yourself to your fellow participants, and ask me any questions that you have about the course. Don’t forget to include #crit101 in your tweets.

The ‘Week One‘ page has been updated to include the introductory video lecture, reading material, and assignments. Please take the time to watch the video lecture before joining in with the Twitter meet and greet.

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Based on feedback from previous participants, it is recommended that you do the reading at the beginning of the week prior to the weekly Twitter discussion.

This week’s Twitter discussion will take place on Wednesday 13th March between 7:00PM and 8:00PM (GMT).

Assignments are due in by 10:00AM on Sunday, leaving time later in the day for you to read and comment on responses from participants in your comment group. You will recieve an email shortly, letting you know who is in your comment group.

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If you have friends or classmates who might be interested in participating in the course, there is still time for them to sign up. Enrolment will remain open until Saturday 16th March.

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James Michie

#crit101 Course Leader

@jamesmichie

http://jamesmichie.com/criticalskills

#crit101 – Week Four – Critical Review

What Came First

As one or two people have asked me questions about the this week’s task I thought I should post a little clarification. The task is to complete a critical review of your given article. There is no specific question. It requires you to read and analyse the article, formulating a critical opinion of the text. Before you begin this process please review the slides from Monday’s lecture and the reading material I have posted on week four page.

Your critical review should…

  • be between 750 – 1000 words
  • be written and submitted as a Google document
  • show evidence of critical analysis
  • offer an opinion on the article
  • adhere to the Harvard referencing system

This is *technically* an independent task. However, given the interdependent nature of the course, I have openly shared who has which article (slide 30) so that you can share and discuss your ideas with one another. Moreover, you can support each other in the writing process.

The three articles continue a theme that began with eggs and now turns its attention to chickens (see what I did there?). They represent three different types of writing; draw upon different types of sources and data; and pose varying challenges in terms of critical analysis.

If you have additional questions ask a fellow participant or send me a tweet.

Image cc. Kyle Bean

#crit101 #egg Research – Advice and Guidance

With the tomorrow’s 6PM deadline being just around the corner, I thought it would be pertinent to offer some advice and guidance to help you complete your research and get it written up.

Today, you should continue collecting data and write up your introduction and methodology.

  • In the introduction you should discuss the ambiguity of the question and what you settled on in terms of your chosen line of enquiry.
  • In the methodology section you should explain your research approach and chosen methods. Do not discuss any findings.

Tomorrow, you should analyse and evaluate the data collected, then write up your findings and conclusion.

  • In the findings section you should present your analysis of your findings, triangulating your data sources.
  • In your conclusion you should reflect on and evaluate what you have learned.

Remember, I am just an email or tweet away. Your finished article needs to be published and a link to it included in your individual blog posts.