The ability to think critically is a vital skill for academic success.
Without realising it we use critical thinking skills every day. It means not believing or accepting what you hear or read is true but using your critical abilities to examine the evidence and consider what the speaker or writer is saying before accepting that something is true.
As a student, you need to be able to think critically about the resources and information you use in your assignments. You need to ask questions when reading the work of others; your writing needs to show that you can assess different arguments and viewpoints and use evidence to help you form your own arguments and ideas.
Critical thinking is about questioning and learning with an open mind.
► interpret data, arguments, evidence etc. and be capable of identify significance to your assignments
► develop your own well-reasoned arguments for your assignments
► use evidence to justify your arguments and ideas
► synthesise your thoughts and the thoughts of other writers
