Lecture 1: Critical Reading and Writing (CRW)

Flashcards covering the fundamentals of critical thinking, metacognition, and the substantive nature of academic writing based on the lecture notes.

Metacognition

Thinking about thinking.

Objective

A type of thinking that is factual.

Subjective

A type of thinking that is biased.

Socrates

The philosopher associated with the quote: "The unexamined life is not worth living."

The Blind Man & the elephant story

A story used to illustrate the importance of having multiple perspectives.

Critical Thinking

The process of understanding logical connections, evaluating arguments, detecting inconsistencies in reasoning, and solving problems systematically.

Tenacity

The quality of not giving up.

Problem-solving loop

A systematic process consisting of the steps: Identify, Explore, Select Best Idea, Build & Test Idea, and Evaluate.

John Simmons

An author who argues that better writing is substantive (meat, important, and meaningful) rather than cosmetic, and should use stories and feelings to connect with readers.

Disciplinary Difference Risk

The risk that excessive narration in fields like physics or social science can reduce precision and invite interpretation.

Critical writing

The act of protecting claims from valid criticism.

Ambiguity

According to Simmons, this should not be feared as it can make writing more interesting, create curiosity, and help the reader think deeply instead of being 100% obvious.

Academic Writing Balance

The practice of making writing feel human by using stories and feelings while maintaining accuracy.