CRITICAL READING FOR COLLEGE AND BEYOND: CH 14 EVALUATING INTERNET RESOURCES

CRCB: CH 14 INTERNET RESOURCES

Seven-step internet source evaluation system:

2RCA- RELEVANCE, RELIABILITY, CREDIBILITY, ACCURACY

1. Know your purpose (relevance)

· Know what you are looking for. Have a plan.

2. Double-check your facts and sources (reliability, C, A)

3. Consider the source ( reliability, C)

4. Evaluate the look and content of the site (C, A)

5. Consider the intended audience (2R)

· Can save you time

6. Evaluate the writing (A, C, reliability)

· Bad grammar, misspelled words, and other typographical errors can show that a source is unreliable

7. Compare the content with what you already know (2RCA)

Useful internet vocabulary words:

· Bookmarks: personal list of interesting website

· Browser: the software that lets you “surf” the internet

· Directory: website that organizes and offers collection of links to other sites

· Download: the process of transferring computer files from internet to computer

· HTML: hypertext markup language- computer language of the world wide web

· Search engine: site that lets you search for specific information or websites

· URL: uniform source locater- address on the internet

CRITICAL READING FOR COLLEGE AND BEYOND: CH 13 READING BEYOND THE WORDS

CRCB: CH 13 READING BEYOND THE WORDS

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

SIX LEVELS OF THINKING

I: The knowledge level: the most literal level. You can recall facts and recognize the correct answer.

II: the comprehension level: you are able to paraphrase, draw conclusions, and make predictions about what you are reading.

III: The application level: requires you to solve problems by using correct concepts, principles and theories.

IV: the analysis level: you take difficult and complex concepts and break them down into smaller parts.

V: the synthesis level: you arrive at a understanding of the “big picture” by combining individual elements.

VI: the evaluation level: you make value judgments, ask questions, evaluate answers, develop or acknowledge criteria.

CRITICAL READING FOR COLLEGE AND BEYOND: CH 12 IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING ARGUMENTS

CRCB: CH 12 ARGUMENTS

An argument is logical structures used to persuade others. An argument is one or more statement that includes a conclusion and reasons that support it. There are two parts of an argument which are reasons and conclusion. Reasons are statements that explain, justify and support the conclusion. The conclusion is the judgment, decision, or opinion you reach after thinking about an issue. When identifying an argument you should search for word clues and recognizing what and where the main argument is. There are two types of arguments deductive arguments and inductive arguments. Deductive arguments begin with a general statement then supported by premises. Inductive arguments begin with specific observations and conclude with a generalization that logically follows. When evaluating an argument you can use different strategies to decide whether an argument is sound by:

Determining dependability of an argument:

· Check date of publication

· Check source of publication

· Check authorship

Distinguishing fact from opinion:

· Facts: statement that can be proven to be true.

· Opinions: expression of personal perspectives.

Detecting fallacies:

Fallacies are errors in reasoning.

· Either/or thinking: only two options when there are more

· Hasty generalizations/ overgeneralizations: using too few or weak reasons to support aa conclusion

· Red herring: irrelevant material

· False cause: unclear connection between conclusion and reasons

· Slippery slope: one event will lead to another, then to another, and so on.

· Ad hominem: ignore true issue by attacking the person they disagree with

· Circular reasoning: stating the same conclusion and reason in different ways

THINKING FOR YOURSELF: CH 12 DEDUCTIVE REASONING

TFY: CH 12 DEDUCTIVE REASONING

Deductive reasoning is when you infer from a general principle in order to apply that principle to a specific instance. Deduction is taught through the study of good logic, inductive and deductive logic, or the science of good reason. The basic vocabulary of logic is:

· Argument: both deductive and inductive

· Reasoning: arguments use reasoning to arrive to a conclusion

· Syllogism: logic arranges deductive arguments in standardized forms that make the structure of the argument clearly visible for study and review.

· Validity: the conclusion has been correctly inferred from the premises.

· Soundness: argument in which the reasoning is valid and the premises are both true.

Six standardized forms in syllogisms are:

1. All____are___.

2. All___are not___.

3. No___are___.

4. Some___are___.

5. Some­­­___are not___.

6. If___, then___.

What syllogisms do:

1. Clarify the claims of the premises

2. Discover and expose any hidden premises

3. Find out if one thought follows logically from another