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Introduction | |
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Glossary | |
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Acknowledgements | |
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What is critical thinking? | |
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Introduction | |
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What is critical thinking? | |
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Reasoning | |
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Why develop critical thinking skills? | |
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Underlying skills and attitudes | |
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Self-awareness for accurate judgement | |
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Personal strategies for critical thinking | |
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Critical thinking in academic contexts | |
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Barriers to critical thinking | |
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Critical thinking: Knowledge, skills and attitudes | |
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Priorities: Developing critical thinking abilities | |
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Summary | |
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How well do you think? Develop your thinking skills | |
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Introduction | |
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Assess your thinking skills | |
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Scoring sheet | |
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Focusing attention | |
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Focusing attention: Identifying difference | |
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Focusing attention: Recognising sequence | |
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Categorising | |
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Activity: Categorising text | |
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Close reading | |
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Information about the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 2 | |
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What's their point? Identifying arguments | |
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Introduction | |
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The author's position | |
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Activity: Capturing the author's position | |
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Argument: Persuasion through reasons | |
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Identifying the argument | |
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Activity: Identifying simple arguments | |
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Activity: Reasons and conclusions | |
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Hunting out the conclusion | |
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Summary of features | |
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Summary | |
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Information about the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 3 | |
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Is it an argument? Argument and non-argument | |
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Introduction | |
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Argument and disagreement | |
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Activity: Argument and disagreement | |
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Non-arguments: Description | |
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Non-arguments: Explanations and summaries | |
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Activity: What type of message? | |
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Distinguishing argument from other material | |
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Activity: Selecting out the argument | |
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Summary | |
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Information about the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 4 | |
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How well do they say it? Clarity, consistency and structure | |
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Introduction | |
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How clear is the author's position? | |
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Internal consistency | |
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Activity: Internal consistency | |
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Logical consistency | |
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Activity: Logical consistency | |
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Independent reasons and joint reasons | |
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Activity: Independent reasons and joint reasons | |
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Intermediate conclusions | |
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Intermediate conclusions used as reasons | |
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Activity: Intermediate conclusions | |
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Summative and logical conclusions | |
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Activity: Summative and logical conclusions | |
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Logical order | |
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Activity: Logical order | |
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Summary | |
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Information about the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 5 | |
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Reading between the lines: Recognising underlying assumptions and implicit arguments | |
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Introduction | |
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Assumptions | |
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Activity: Identify the underlying assumptions | |
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Identifying hidden assumptions | |
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Implicit assumptions used as reasons | |
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Activity: Implicit assumptions used as reasons | |
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False premises | |
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Activity: False premises | |
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Implicit arguments | |
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Activities: Implicit arguments | |
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Denoted and connoted meanings | |
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Activities: Associations and stereotypes | |
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Activity: Denoted and connoted meanings | |
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Summary | |
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Information about the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 6 | |
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Does it add up? Identifying flaws in the argument | |
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Introduction | |
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Assuming a causal link | |
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Correlations and false correlations | |
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Activity: Identify the nature of the link | |
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Not meeting the necessary conditions | |
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Not meeting sufficient conditions | |
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Activity: Necessary and sufficient conditions | |
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False analogies | |
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Activity: False analogies | |
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Deflection, complicity and exclusion | |
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Other types of flawed argument | |
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Unwarranted leaps and castle of cards | |
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Emotive language; Attacking the person | |
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More flaws | |
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Misrepresentation and trivialisation | |
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Tautology; Two wrongs don't make a right | |
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Summary | |
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Information on the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 7 | |
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Where's the proof? Finding and evaluating sources of evidence | |
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Introduction | |
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Primary and secondary source materials | |
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Searching for evidence | |
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Literature searches | |
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Reputable sources | |
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Authenticity and validity | |
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Currency and reliability | |
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Selecting the best evidence | |
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Relevant and irrelevant evidence | |
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Activity: Relevant and irrelevant evidence | |
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Representative samples | |
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Activity: Representative samples | |
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Certainty and probability | |
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Sample sizes and statistical significance | |
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Over-generalisation | |
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Controlling for variables | |
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Facts and opinions | |
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Eye-witness testimony | |
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Triangulation | |
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Evaluating a body of evidence | |
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Summary | |
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Information on the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 8 | |
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Critical reading and note-making: Critical selection, interpretation and noting of source material | |
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Introduction | |
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Preparing for critical reading | |
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Identifying the theoretical perspective | |
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The relation of theory to argument | |
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Categorising and selecting | |
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Accurate interpretation when reading | |
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Making notes to support critical reading | |
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Reading and noting for a purpose | |
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Concise critical notes: Analysing argument | |
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Concise critical notes: Books | |
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Concise critical notes: Articles and papers | |
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Critical selection when note-making | |
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Activity: Critical selection | |
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Commentary on critical selection activity | |
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Note your source of information | |
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Summary | |
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Information on the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 9 | |
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Critical, analytical writing: Critical thinking when writing | |
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Introduction | |
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Characteristics of critical, analytical writing | |
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Setting the scene for the reader | |
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Activity: Setting the scene for the reader | |
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Writing up the literature search | |
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Words used to introduce the line of reasoning | |
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Signposting alternative points of view | |
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Words used to signpost conclusions | |
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Words and phrases used to structure the line of reasoning | |
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Drawing tentative conclusions | |
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Activity: Writing conclusions | |
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Critical analysis for essays: essay titles | |
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Academic keywords used in titles | |
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Critical analysis for essays: reading | |
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Critical analytical essays: introductions | |
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Structured argument: the body of the essay | |
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Essays: Bringing the argument together | |
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Citing and referencing your sources | |
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What do I include in a reference? | |
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Summary | |
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Information on the sources | |
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Answers to activities in Chapter 10 | |
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Where's the analysis? Evaluating critical writing | |
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Introduction | |
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Checklist for evaluating Essay 1 | |
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Evaluate Essay 1 | |
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Evaluation of Essay 1 | |
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Commentary for Essay 1 | |
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Checklist for evaluating Essay 2 | |
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Evaluate Essay 2 | |
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Evaluation of Essay 2 | |
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Commentary on Essay 2 | |
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Evaluating your writing for critical thinking | |
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Summary | |
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Critical reflection | |
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Introduction | |
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What is critical reflection? | |
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Why engage in critical reflection? | |
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Decide your approach and purpose | |
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Approach: outcome, focus, model, method | |
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Approach: method and audience | |
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Approach: relating experience and theory | |
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Decide your approach: summary | |
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Resource: Outline approach to reflection | |
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Reflection phases 1 and 2 | |
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Examples of phase 1 reflection | |
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Examples of phase 2 reflection | |
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Models of reflection | |
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Deciding on your model for reflection | |
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The Core Model for critical reflection | |
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Applying reflection to professional practice | |
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Reflection and professional judgement | |
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Good and bad critical reflection | |
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Presenting your reflection to others | |
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Summary | |
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Information about the sources | |
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Texts for Activities in Chapters 8, 9 and 11 | |
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Texts for activities in Chapters 8, 9 and 11 | |
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Practice activities on longer texts | |
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Features of an argument | |
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Features of an argument | |
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Finding flaws in the argument | |
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Finding flaws in the argument | |
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Features of an argument | |
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Features of an argument | |
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Finding flaws in the argument | |
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Finding flaws in the argument | |
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Appendix: Selected search engines and databases for on-line literature searches | |
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Bibliography | |
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Index | |