Unit 2: Critical Reading
Number of Lectures: 6
Total Length of Lectures: 1:38:49
Welcome back to the course. In Unit 2 we focus on the first learning goal for our course, and our subject is critical reading. There are four learning outcomes in this unit, and the lectures address them two at a time. Two lectures are devoted to the first two outcomes, and three to the remaining two outcomes.
Outcomes (a) and (b): Content and Structure
The first lecture in this unit introduces you to outcomes (a) and (b):
(a) Summarize the explicit content of a text
(b) Describe the structure of a paper or book’s argument
It explains what we mean by content and stucture, and also addresses the difference between a summary and a description. (Lecture title: CR 1a)
Movie (13:34)
The concepts are fairly straightforward, but since they may be new to some of you, the next lecture gives two practical examples of how these concepts can be applied in actual cases, each considered in some detail. (Lecture title: CR 1b)
Movie (20:31)
Outcomes (c) and (d): Inferences
For the next two learning outcomes, our strategy is basically the same as above. One lecture introduces the basic concepts, with inference being the most important. (Lecture title: CR 2a)
Movie (15:43)
(c) Describe the grounds for drawing an inference from a text or an argument
(d) Incorporate content from footnotes/endnotes, bibliography, and other features of academic writing to state the explicit meaning of, or predictable inferences from, a text
Since outcome (d) requires you to be familiar with some of the conventions of academic writing, the second lecture introduces you to these conventions. (Lecture title: CR 2b)
Movie (14:37)
Again, once you've introduced to the underlying ideas, we offer a lecture that provides short examples to illustrate the concepts. In this case the examples come mostly from music history. (Lecture title: CR 2c)
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Homework Exercise
The reading assignment for this unit is interestingly multidisciplinary. It should be of interest to students with interests in education, history, and Christian missions. You'll want to read it before you go on to the next lecture:
Reading
Here's a discussion of the reading, which shows the application of a few of the course's learning goals (Lecture Title: CR Assign Lecture):
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Unlike the last unit, which was purely introductory, in this unit you'll actually have to produce and turn in a writing assignment. The directions on what you'll need to do are given here:
Assignment
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the instructor. Remember to turn in your assignment on time.