What do you think of Critical Writing as a module? by Phoebe Graham https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting Strengths/weaknesses.improvements en-us 2016-11-17 16:07:36 UTC 2016-11-25 15:39:36 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lightdecrease.png At first it made me question my existence and then I realised it was ok and I just had to write a couple of essays which is nice because nobody likes January exams but the questions are a bit confusing and some more guidance or some more time to understand what was happening might have been nice overall I would say it is an interesting module which has improved my reading and writing skills but sometimes the lectures haven't been totally engaging or obviously linked to the themes although it was nice that at the same time as criticising democracy we got to choose the themes and genres by way of a democratic vote also padlet is great thank you please. https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138470293 2016-11-17 16:39:10 UTC https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138470293 https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138491044 I think my optional and core modules link quite well to each other so I definitely feel like I fit in the Liberal Arts stereotype. Perhaps a little more acknowledgement of units such as Film and Theatre or History of Art could be included once in a while. I think some of the optional pathways are possibly more included and referred to than others. Overall it's good though.

]]> 2016-11-17 17:28:15 UTC https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138491044 At first I wasn't sure how useful it would be because it seems a bit all over the place sometimes and it can be difficult to tell what we're meant to be focusing on and what is or isn't relevant. A lot of the stuff we cover (punctuation etc.) is quite basic or seems like common sense. However, since doing this module I have noticed how the way I read (scholarly articles, personal essays, newspaper articles, etc.) both for uni and for extracurricular reading has changed. I subconsciously look at the author's phrasing more critically now and use their phrasing or vocabulary to figure out what opinions or biases they might have that lie under the surface of what they are saying. In that way, Critical Writing has proven much more worthwhile than I originally thought it might be. https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138507325 2016-11-17 18:13:17 UTC https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138507325 I think the content of this unit is really interesting and exciting. It offers breadth I don't think any other degree can provide. I can see the importance of understanding language and how it is used to influence the audience as well as discussing the moral arguments surrounding the misuse of language to disguise poor arguments. However, I am struggling still to find how this unit is relevant when it comes to building a liberal arts degree. Perhaps what this course is lacking is a unit which helps you to combine your disciplines in a critical way? It feels to me as though the core units are additional subjects as opposed to being the missing jigsaw pieces to hold a Liberal Arts degree together. At times, it feels like I'm in a politics lecture: the topic range is extensive and yet the chosen reading is all quite similarly focussed. It would be interesting to analyse, for example, how talking about gender or religion is different in texts for children vs adults and scholars. I do not regret my decision to study Liberal Arts and if I'm honest I wasn't sure what I to expect from the start. I do think that it still feels very disjointed with a lack of flow from topic to topic and between disciplines. Whilst the seminars are incredibly helpful, I find the lectures can be dry and often not relevant at all. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to have a more heavily discussion based timetable? I'm not sure. Something is not quite right. https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138676606 2016-11-18 13:07:38 UTC https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138676606 https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138971589 I think it's a really good concept for a module, but teaching it through the themes is confusing/distracting to some people. ]]> 2016-11-20 23:06:32 UTC https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/138971589 https://padlet.com/phoebe1997/criticalwriting/wish/139778687 I'm enjoying the content of critical. sometimes i find they way in which we look at thing less interesting that what it is we are looking at. punctuation etc. is quite dull. I like the way Emma lectures are interactive an engaging. i found the essay for the assessment useful and interesting but peer review didn't add anything . I didn't learn from that part of the exercise. 

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