READ 120 CRITICAL READING                         

                                                    SYLLABUS                      

Professor Thomson                                       Email: cthomson@palomar.edu

Office: San Marcos Campus/RC-5                 Office Hours:  T/Th – 2-3 pm / M/W – 2–3:30 pm 

Phone: 744-1150 Ext. 2792                            Reading Center Phone:  744-1150 Ext. 2568

Reading Services Department Homepage:   http://www.palomar.edu/reading/

Thomson’s Web includes links of specific interest to your class:  http://www.palomar.edu/reading/Thomsons%20Web/index.htm

Statement of Purpose 

            Critical Reading is designed for students reading at or near college level. Primary purposes of this course are

1.       to examine the relationship of critical reading and critical thinking and

2.       to enhance the student’s ability to think and read critically, applying critical analysis and logical reasoning. 

Emphasis will be placed on the development and application of reading skills in the interpretation, analysis, criticism, and advocacy of ideas encountered in academic reading. Development of advanced critical reading, logical reasoning/thinking, reflective judgment, and problem-solving skills in the successful student will lead to the ability to interpret, analyze, critically evaluate, and advocate ideas.

Specific Objectives

Upon completion of the course successful students will demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:

     Critical Analysis and Logical Reasoning

1.       Evaluate the quality and sufficiency of evidence and other forms of support for an argument.

2.       Recognize the explicit and implicit features in communication.

3.       Accurately assess similarities and differences in points of view.

4.       Apply critical reading and thinking skills to evaluate and revise arguments, opinions, and claims
    (including students’ own)   to avoid deception (self-deception) and conformity.

5.       Identify and evaluate:

                                    Fact, opinion, reasoned judgment, knowledge

                                    Inferences

                                    Logic of language

                                    Denotative and connotative language

                                    Bias (including ethnocentrism)

                                    Inductive and deductive reasoning

                                    Logical fallacies

                                    Propaganda

                                    Analogy as evidence

      Critical Reading and Thinking Across the Curriculum / Lifelong Learning Objectives

1.       Read analytically and think critically at a high level and demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking skills to
    interpretation and analysis of ideas encountered in academic reading.

2.       Locate, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information and integrate knowledge across discipline boundaries.

3.       Synthesize affective comprehension and critical comprehension in literature, persuasive, argumentative, and other
    expository readings.

4.       Organize their own thoughts and communicate clearly and effectively in speaking, listening, and writing.

5.       Develop strategies of information competence and analysis (in reading, writing, speaking, and listening) using current  
    technology.

6.       Work effectively in collaborative and group settings.

7.       Develop lifelong learning and leadership skills for workplace and professional success.

8.       Incorporate metacognitive strategies in critical reading and thinking.

9.       Identify and analyze:

                                    Figurative language

                                    Intent, attitude, tone

                                    Ambiguity

                                    Value conflicts, judgments, and assumptions

                                    Contrasting Perspectives (appreciation and respect for variations in socio/cultural distinctions)

      Reflective Judgment and Problem Solving

1.       Identify and evaluate the validity and soundness of arguments.

2.       Identify the relevant evidence and experiential background needed to make a decision, solve a problem or create new
  knowledge.

3.       Clarify the facts, concepts, evidence, and relationships that contribute to addressing questions and solving problems.

4.       Evaluate the quality and completeness of evidence and other forms of support.

5.       Synthesize and revise arguments and findings based on critical reflection.

6.       Monitor their own comprehension and apply various strategies to clarify their own thoughts and actions.

7.       Develop a habit of intellectual inquiry and reflective judgment and an awareness of their own thinking, perspective, and
  biases.

8.       Employ metacognitive strategies while working within problem solving framework.

9.       Recognize and assess the evolution of their own critical thinking, critical reading, and problem solving skills from the
  beginning to the end of the semester.

10.    Recognize and evaluate:

                                    Deceptive Statistics

                                    Slanted Language

                                    Dichotomous Thinking

11.    Engage in:

                                    Advocacy of ideas

            Critical revision of arguments

                     Formulation of multiple conclusions

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate the ability to apply critical reading and thinking skills in the analysis, evaluation and revision of arguments, opinions and claims (including their own).

     Students will be able to read analytically and think critically at a high level and demonstrate the ability to transfer critical thinking skills to the interpretation and analysis of ideas encountered in academic reading.

     Students will demonstrate their ability to collect, organize and evaluate relevant evidence necessary to make decisions, solve problems and/or develop convincing, supported and well-founded conclusions on issues of current relevance.

Methods           

          Instructor will work closely with students to reach the above objectives. Methods of instruction include lecture, demonstration of  strategies, class participation, collaborative group work, discussion, practice and application of critical reading skills (including journals and essays - in and out of class), oral presentations, and testing. There will be regular in-class readings and group exercises for which no make-up is possible.

 Textbooks

Asking the Right Questions, 9th Ed., by M. Neil Browne and Stuart Keeley

Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing, 7^th Ed., by Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau
Additional reading selections (to be announced) 

Evaluation Policy
Grades are based on both the quantity and quality of the work you complete. The following criteria will be used to determine your grade in this course:          

Grading Criteria

Class Information / Policy

No exams or in-class assignments can be made up without prior approval of the instructor. (In-class activities are extremely difficult to make up since they require group work.)  Such approval will be reserved for serious and documented circumstances.

Late assignments will be accepted only one week past the due date and will be docked 20%.  Papers should be typed, double-spaced and of scholarly quality and appearance to receive full credit.  

Please inform the instructor during the first week of classes about any disability or special needs that may require specific arrangements related to attending the class sessions, carrying out the assignments, or writing papers or examinations. 

 Advice

If you should have to miss a class, arrange to borrow notes and check your exercise answers with a reliable classmate. Improving your critical reading, writing, and thinking depends upon your listening and participating in class, practicing the skills presented, and asking questions if you do not understand. You are strongly encouraged to see me whenever you encounter any difficulties or have questions about the class or a specific assignment.

Study Partner:                                                                                               Phone #:                                       

Study Partner:                                                                                               Phone #:                                      

Late Add Policy
Only students who are officially registered may participate in this class. If you are given a permission code to add this class, you must officially add the class prior to the next class meeting. If you have difficulty using the PAR system to add, please notify the instructor immediately.

The deadline for adding any class (using a permission code to add) is Sunday, January 29. Under no circumstances will students be allowed to add this class after the add deadline.

READING SERVICES

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE OF CONDUCT

Academic integrity is a code of conduct for students that requires honest and ethical academic endeavor

Violations:

• Cheating.
• Plagiarism or false representation of another’s work as one’s own.
• Falsification of lab hours or work.

Consequences:

At the discretion of the instructor, a student who violates this code may receive any or all of the following:

• Failing grade for the assignment or lab grade.
• Failing grade for the course.
• Short term suspension for the course (see section IV. A of the Rules and Regulations for Student Behavior).
• Referral to the Department Chair of Reading Services Department and then the Dean of Languages and Literature for further action.