EAPP 4th Quarter Reviewer: Critical Thinking and Reasoning

Position Paper

• Presents one's stand on a particular issue and shows how it relates to other positions
• Central goal is to state and defend a position, not just to present an opinion

Reasoning

• Deductive Reasoning: presenting an idea from general to specific
• Inductive Reasoning: organizing factual evidence to derive a general conclusion
• Logical Thinking: making a rational conclusion by analyzing a situation

Plagiarism and Citation

• Plagiarism is wrong because it's theft and fraud
• Proper citation is necessary when including one's own ideas from a published article
• Paraphrasing requires summarizing the text in one's own words and citing the source

Argumentation

• Opinion and claim are terms for argument
• Evidence refers to proof from credible sources used to support a writer's claims
• Claim refers to the writer's central position or stance on a topic
• Creating a clear position is important to advocate for a specific stance

Structure and Organization

• Background information provides an overview of the topic and its importance
• Hook is a part of the opening statement that grabs the reader's attention
• Thesis Statement serves as a roadmap for the paper
• Counterargument "refutes" the counterclaim in a position paper
• Conclusion presents the action plan or recommendation

Survey Report

• Presents information gathered during a survey in an objective and fact-based manner
• Methodology explains how the survey was conducted
• Questionnaire is an effective method of measuring behavior, attitudes, and opinions
• Objectives of a technical report can be found in the introduction
• Traditional experimental report follows the IMRAD structure (Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion)

Technical Writing

• Communicates clearly and effectively
• References detail published sources of materials referred to or quoted in the text
• Appendices provide further material essential for a full understanding of the report

Survey and Questionnaire

• Questionnaire is an effective way of obtaining a large amount of information from a large sample
• Biased questions can affect the validity of the survey
• Skipped questions may indicate unclear or misunderstood questions

Educational and Social Concepts

• Technology: the means by which people can adapt, control, and even change the environment
• Media: used to demonstrate concepts, show real-life experiences, and connect learners to faraway places
• Relationship: the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected
• War and Peace: leaders of nations cannot come to a peaceful negotiation to solve a dispute
• Environmental Issues: critical association between society's well-being and environmental quality
• Politics: encompasses everything that concerns running the government
• Introduction: states objectives of the report and comments on the topic
• Data Presentation: often presented graphically for clarity and order

Experimentation and Data Analysis

• Experiment: a procedure carried out to support, refute, or validate a hypothesis
• Highlighted Statement: discusses significant data and shows analytical ability by pointing out patterns and trends
• Graphs and Charts: data presentations that condense large amounts of information into easy-to-understand formats

Social and Educational Issues

• Social Issues: recognized problems that prevent society from functioning optimally
• Educational Issues: ideas, thoughts, and debates centered on educational policy and practices