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This resource contains example(s) of critical evaluation in Education-related disciplines. Follow the steps below to customise the slides for your course:

1. Choose an appropriate example extract from a student assignment (graded A)2. Copy the extract into the example slide (slides 4&5) 3. Highlight words and phrases that illustrate effective use of critical evaluation4. Provide the full version of the assignment students identify further examples

(slide 6)5. Encourage the students to bring in their own writing (slide 6) 6. Delete guidance slide 1 in this resource before using in your sessions

Guidance on customising this resourceHow to demonstrate critical evaluation in assignments

Email PAD team for further guidance pad@beds.ac.uk

In this resource: Critical evaluation is demonstrated by providing evidence for both (or more) sides of the argument; a conclusion is then drawn based on the evidence and factors proven to be most significant.

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Write to attract a higher grade:

How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing

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Discussion:

How do we demonstrate critical evaluation in academic writing?

How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing

o What do we mean by critical evaluation in academic writing?

o Why would your lecturers want to see this in your work?

o Think of instances/ parts of assignments - where would it be most suitable to demonstrate critical evaluation?

o How can you best incorporate critical evaluation into your writing?

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Example 1. How does the author demonstrate critical evaluation in the following extract?

Although behaviourism may seem dated, and have little consideration for the

needs of learners, it can still be seen within the education systems of today. From

the media accusations of teachers 'teaching to the test' through to how learning

is broken down into small tightly specified components, for example, within the

UK's National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ). See Wolf (2011) for a critical

review of current vocational education and Hyland (1994) for an early critique of

aspects of the NVQ system. How knowledge is presented to learners is an

important consideration for this study.

Source: Procter, R. (2014) Teaching as an Evidence Informed Profession: Knowledge Mobilisation with a Focus on Digital Technology, PhD thesis, University of Bedfordshire (p.81)

Teaching as an evidence informed profession: knowledge mobilisation with a focus on

digital technology

How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing

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Example 2. How does the author demonstrate critical evaluation in the following extract?

This idea of people collaborating by using mediating artefacts and mediating

processes to develop artefacts and practices may be a useful way to consider both

teacher's professional development and how research knowledge, generated by

researchers, can be translated for teacher's professional development.

Thus the use of researchers explicit knowledge generated from their research,

and teacher's tacit knowledge generated from their practice will produce

translations that will be research based but also informed by the tacit knowledge

of a professional practitioner. In Hargreaves' work on the knowledge-creating

school one of his suggested strategies “...involves the changing of tacit knowledge

of teachers into explicit knowledge” (Hargreaves, 2003 cited in McCormick et al.,

2011 p.11).Source: Source: Procter, R. (2014) Teaching as an Evidence Informed Profession: Knowledge Mobilisation with a Focus on Digital Technology, PhD thesis, University of Bedfordshire (p.87)

Teaching as an evidence informed profession: knowledge mobilisation with a focus on

digital technology

How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing

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Task 1:Can you identify other examples of critical evaluation in the text provided? Justify your answer.

Task 2:

Identify examples of critical evaluation in both your own and your peers’ writing. Alternatively, establish where you could demonstrate critical evaluation in your text.

How to demonstrate critical evaluation in your writing