EFFECTIVE & CRITICAL READINGKEMAS YAKUB RMedical Education Unit (MEU)Faculty of Medicine UNSRI (FAMUS)

Reading with a Purpose

Why are you reading?Reading has many purposes, and there are many ways to read: To locate specific information means skimming rapidly over text until you find what you're looking for ~ a newspaper. To understand reasons and facts and to learn, read slowly and deliberately. To enjoy words and descriptions, as in poetry and some prose, slow or repeated reading is needed to get the feel of the language or to picture a scene. To escape into a novel, you might skip the dull parts and pick up enough detail to see what happens and how it ends, skimming some parts and dwelling on others.

Reading at UniversityLectures Pre-reading material before lectures makes them more relevant. Tutorials Tutorials are often based on a set of readings. If you haven't read the material, you can't participate in the discussion. Assignments You can't write your assignment until you have done the research.

Begin Reading with QuestionsWhat do you already know about a topic?

When the topic or material is new:Begin with a general introductory text and read slowly. Jot down any new terms and make sure you understand their meanings and spellings.

Is your reading relevant?From your reading list, select a book or article that gives an overview of the topic. Ask yourself what it is you must find out. Use the contents page first. Is the information you are looking for listed? Go to the index at the back. Locate key words. Skim through the first chapter. If the chapter is relevant, read the first and last paragraphs. Ask yourself what the author is saying.

For Your BibliographyRecord details of:AuthorTitlePlace of publication Publisher and date Record page numbers with any notes you take.

http://hedc.otago.ac.nz

BMJ VOLUME 326 5 APRIL 2003

Topics to be coveredEFFECTIVE READINGWhy do we read?Why do we have to do effective reading?How can we do effective reading?CRITICAL READINGWhat is critical reading?What is the purpose/significance of critical reading?How can we do critical reading?

EFFECTIVE READINGWhy do we read?Gather informationLocate specific informationFind facts and to learnEnjoy words and descriptionExamine language from the writerLearn about writingREADING IS DRIVEN BY THE READERS PURPOSE

EFFECTIVE READINGPURPOSEType & difficulty of the textEffective reading

WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO EFFECTIVE READINGBecause a large of time at university is spent working with written sources of information, andBecause there is a great deal of material to be covered in a short amount of time.Knowing how to read effective involveUnderstanding the structure of texts,How to read for different purpose, andHow to reflect on your reading

HOW TO DO EFFECTIVE READING Understanding the structure of a text will help you to know how to read it. The two main aspects of structure to look for are:The development of ideas in sentences and paragraphs;Ideas are built up from sentence to paragraphs to whole textIdeas and concepts tend to be developed from parts or segments to a wholeThe development of the argument.Argument can be developed by way of amplification (ie. When a proposition is stated in some kind of preliminary form, and then expanded upon)Argument can be developed by analogy (ie. When ideas are developed by comparison with a similar situation), or the writer may use illustration (exposition by way of examples);Argument is usually either inductive or deductive

WHY OF READING TEXTSKIM READINGSPECIFIC READINGIN-DEPTH READING

SKIM READINGThis is the strategy we employ when we want to obtain a quick overview of a text.We may

Be looking for something quite specific.Be wanting to get a general idea before putting effort into close reading.Have already read the text thoroughly, and be wanting to recall the main points.

ITS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THOROUGH READING

SKIM READINGIf you have any of the above reason for reading a text, it will be helpful to:

Read the opening paragraph and the conclusion carefullyRead the first and last sentence of each remaining paragraph to gain some idea of the main points.Look for words and phrases that act as sign posts to the main ideas or messages in the text, or that are clues to anything specific you might be looking for.Use a marker pen to mark out any items that you want to re-read, or refer to later.

SPECIFIC READINGThis strategy is usually employed in conjunction with skim reading.It is especially useful if you are looking for specific information which may be contained in a variety of books, journals or articles.The process is one of search and discovery. It requires you to skim read, locate, mark and then return to close reading.When doing this across a number of texts, you will need to reference the materials as you proceed.

IN-DEPTH READINGThis is the most essential of all reading skills.It involves reading a text thoroughly in order to comprehend the ideas and arguments it contains.In-depth reading is consequently much slower than skim reading, and you may find that you need to read certain sections of a difficult text more than once.

IN-DEPTH READINGWhen reading in-depth it is useful to:

Read the opening paragraph and conclusion first. This will help you to digest the intention and conclusion of the writer prior to a closer reading of the text.Go back to the beginning, and read through the whole text, marking out and notingKey words and phrases;Ideas, facts and data you think are important;The structure of the argument.Make sure you understand the writers main ideas and argument, and the overall message of the text.

GENERAL STRATEGIES OF EFFECTIVE READINGBe selectiveFocus on the question and purpose in mindAddress what you already know about the topic Check for relevancyPreview the material (without taking notes, underlining, highlighting, JUST SCAN) by reading abstracts, listened objectives, heading, subheadings, introductions and conclusionsTaking notes

DIFFICULT MATERIALA text may be difficult to read because it:

Has unfamiliar structure & organizationUses unfamiliar technical vocabularyUses an abstracs & impersonal style (uses ideas and relationship instead of people and events) Uses a compresses style (a computerized weather simulation project rather than project using computers to simulate weather simulation)Deals with concepts and ideas that a re new to the readerAssumes that the reader has background knowledge which the reader may not yet haveHas too much detailIs badly written

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT MATERIALSChoose a moderate amount of material or a chapter to beginGet a grasp of how the material is organized: (Scan the section for titles, heading, sub-heading, and topic sentences to get its general idea; pay attention to graphs, charts, and diagrams)If there is a summary at the end of a chapter, read itCheck the beginning and the end for leading questions and exercisesRead first for what you do understand, and to determine difficulty.Mark what you do not understand to review later.As you read, practice the look-away method: (Periodically look away from the text and ask yourself a stimulus question relating to the text)Respond, or restate, in your own wordsMake connection and association, but dont use this exercise to memorizebut rather understand

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT MATERIALSLook up words whose meaning are important to you understanding of the material, but you can not discern from the context.Read to the end (if needed) Ideas can become clearer the more you read. When you finish reading, review to see what you have learned, and reread those ideas that are not clear.Organize your notes by connecting ideas.If necessary, repeat. This allows your brain to process the material, even while you sleep. This is referred to as distributed reading.Re-read the section you have chosen with the framework (outline or concept map) you have constructed in mindSeparate out what you do understand from what you do not.If the reading is still a challenge, do not be hesitate consult with either your teacher, academic counselors, or reading specialists.

CRITICAL READINGAnalyzing and evaluating what we read; to repeat, working out what is good and what is not, and whyCritical reading is a further dimension of in-depth readingReading a text critically means that you do not accept what you are reading at face value; it means that you question and judge the merit and worth of the information it contains.A number of inter-related process are involved in critical reading: interpretation, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

CRITICAL READING

InterpretationWhen we read critically for interpretation, we read to discover meaning in a text, that is, to determine what conclusions can be drawn about the various messages the text contains.Sometimes, there is more than one possible interpretation, and in such cases it is possible that our reading may be directed at the best, or most likely meaning.Interpreting a text will also frequently involve the processes of analysis and synthesis.

AnalysisThis is the problem by which we examine the way the ideas and messages in a text fit together to create the overall meaning.When analyzing a text we focus on:

Identifying assumptions (ie. The hidden values that underlie what a writer is saying e.q. that everyone who cleans their teeth uses toothpaste, or that everyone is interested in Rugby);The structure of the argument (ie,the development and sequence of ideas, the relationship between ideas, whether the argument is inductive or deductive);The relationship between evidence/data and argument (ie. whether the evidence supports and illustrated the argument, and whether it supports any conclusions that are drawn).

SynthesisSynthesis usually occurs in conjunction with analysis, and Involves the drawing together of the results of the analysis into a conclusion on which to base an interpretation or evaluation.

EvaluationThis is a process by which we establish the worth or merit of a text.Evaluation is a higher order process that involves all of the other processes described so far, ie. interpretation, analysis, and synthesis.When evaluating a text we attempt to look at the ideas and messages in a broader context. We might say this is a good argument, but is it worth anything, does it have any merit? We competing arguments, to establish the merit or worth of the argument.

EvaluationHow do we arrive at an estimate of merit or worth?

First we use interpretation to discover the meaning of the text.Second we use analysis to determine whether the writer has a consistent argument, and whether or not it is logical (ie. whether it follows from the evidence presented, or supports the proposition or thesis that has been put forward).Third we can put a value on the case or argument.To put a value on a case or argument we draw on:

Our own knowledge and expertise;Other knowledge and expertise (eg. scholarly literature).

ARE YOU READY TO DOEFFECTIVE AND CRITICAL READING??

THANK YOU

A WINNERS CREEDIf you think you are beaten, you are;If you think you dare not, you dont;If youd like to win, but think you cant,Its almost a cinch you wont

If you think youll lose, youre lost,For out in the world we findSuccess begins with a persons faith;Its all in the state of mind.

Lifes battles dont always goTo the stronger or faster hand;They go to the one who trust in GODAnd always think I canI can

CMEContinuing Medical EvaluationCPDContinuing Professional Development