Critical thinking allows learners to derive meaning from information. It enables learners to critique the credibility and sources of knowledge, to recognise their own personal assumptions and values, and beyond this, what may have influenced them. It also develops the ability to analyse the thinking process itself, leading to critical reflection and a move beyond the description of an event or process, towards a deeper and more interpretative understanding. This incorporates information, media and data literacy.
LinkedIn Learning is an online skills development service which offers University of Derby students free access to an extensive library of high-quality video courses in personal, creative, business and technical skills. There is a wide range of free courses to develop your skills around Critical Thinking including:
Develop@Derby guides for planning assignments and searching:
Develop@Derby guides for criticality:
Downloadable resources to help with assignments:
Develop@Derby guides to academic writing
Develop@Derby guide to critical reflective practice:
Develop@Derby guide to dissertations:
Develop@Derby guides to plagiarism, citations and referencing:
Students often struggle with referencing the resources they find and use in assignments, but if you are organised and use the tools available to help, you will soon get to grips with this necessary skill. These guides will provide advice, tips and links to key resources such as Cite Them Right and Endnote to help you navigate your way through citing and referencing.
PDF Guides:
Develop@Derby podcasts relating to assignments:
This guide has been created for academic staff to serve as an introduction to our teaching offer and the support that is available for you and your students. The Academic Librarian team have an excellent in-curriculum offer, delivering teaching, training and specialist support to students, helping to develop students use of information and resources in their work and in using subject specialist search techniques and resources.