COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:

CRITICAL READING, WRITING, AND

THINKING

Critical thinking is becoming more challenging in this generation with the advent of
social media and the internet in general, leading to the prevalence of fake news, unverified
sources, and self-published materials. This subsequently makes critical reading and critical
writing more challenging to students who are often presented with a myriad of information from
random sources, some of which are not meant for academic reading and writing. Hence, it is a
must for students to be guided to upgrade their thinking habits and develop their reading and
writing skills from purely creative to analytical and persuasive.

Critical reading and writing, in this course, will serve as the foundation in developing
critical thinking as a habit and not merely as an academic task. In turn, this is aimed to improve
the students’ perception and prepare them for the challenges in real work settings in the future.

This course summarizes the goals and mechanics of critical thinking in relation to critical
reading and critical writing, as well as the items to be aware of when learning how to think
critically, raise arguments and locate logical fallacies. The course also covers strategies in
practicing analytical reading and writing that aims to challenge the presented information (in
reading) and convince readers with facts and interpreted data (in writing).

This course is intended for those who are interested in gaining a basic sense of thinking
and developing their cognitive abilities, to better their lives as individuals, and to make them
better and stronger students, employees, team members, and leaders in the future. This
course does not provide in-depth analyses regarding critical thinking or creative thinking, nor
should it be considered the definitive volume on such topics. Rather, the course allows a
beginner to discover the foundation they need in order to develop themselves towards more in-
depth texts.

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

1. Describe the nature, elements, and functions of critical reading and critical writing in
academic and professional settings;
2. Understand the nature of text used in critical reading;
3. Determine the systematic steps in performing critical reading as an advance learner;
4. Apply the different reading strategies in critical thinking in the chosen texts;
5. Analyze and interpret data to be used for critical writing both in the academe and in
work settings;
6. Convey analytical ideas in academic and work settings;
7. Raise strong arguments based on facts and interpreted data;
8. Appreciate and apply critical thinking as the new thinking habit;
9. Adapt to the challenges posed by critical thinking in the 21st century;
10. Integrate critical thinking and critical reading in one seamless process; and
11. Understand the basics of logic as part of critical thinking strategies.
COURSE
WEEK COURSE UNIT (CU)
MODULE (CM)
CM1-CU1: Orientation
A. University Vision
1
B. University Mission
C. University Core Values
CM1 2 CM1-CU2: Introduction to Critical Reading
3 CM1-CU3: The Nature of the Text
4 CM1-CU4: Steps in Critical Reading
5 CM1-CU5: Reading Strategies for Critical Thinking
6 PRELIM EXAMINATION
7 CM2-CU6: The Nature of Critical Writing
8 CM2-CU7: Critical Writing in the Academe
9 CM2-CU8: Critical Writing in the Workplace
CM2
10 CM2-CU9: Strategies in Critical Writing
11 CM2-CU10: Arguments in Critical Writing
12 MIDTERM EXAMINATION
13 CM3-CU11: The Nature of Critical Thinking
14 CM3-CU12: Characteristics of a Critical Thinker
15 CM3-CU13: The Challenges and Barriers in Critical Thinking in the 21st Century
CM3
16 CM3-CU14: Critical Thinking and Critical Reading
17 CM3-CU15: Critical Thinking and Logic
18 FINAL EXAMINATION

Access to Canvas Learning Management System

Participation to the Discussion Board
Class attendance
Class participation
Submission/compliance to Weekly Assessment Tasks
Examinations
Critical Reading and Summary Writing (n.d.). University of Manitoba. Retrieved July 15, 2020,
from https://www.umanitoba.ca/student/elc/media/CRSW_Overview.pdf

Kurland, D. (2000). Critical Reading, At Its Core, Plain and Simple. Critical Reading. Retrieved
from http://www.criticalreading.com/critical_reading_core.htm

Our Concept and Definition of Critical Thinking (n.d.). The Foundation of Critical Thinking.
Retrieved July 18, 2020, from https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-conception-of-critical-
thinking/411

Reading Critically (n.d.). University of Toronto Scarborough. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc/sites/utsc.utoronto.ca.twc/files/resource-
files/CriticalReading.pdf