Critical thinking skills workshops for textiles students

In response to the high demand and the positive feedback received I will be rerunning the critical thinking skills workshops for textile students again this spring.  

“I feel so empowered and enthused by this series of study sessions. I now have a set of critical thinking tools, to enable me not only to improve self reflection and contextual studies but also to more clearly understand the course expectations- enabling a more confident and thorough approach to the assignment tasks. I also feel more part of a learning community, distance learning can be quite isolated, it was fantastic to experience working as part of a group. Fantastic well presented workshops – informative and invaluable. Thank you so much”

Critical thinking skills are vital if you are going to be successful in your undergraduate studies but organising your thoughts in this way can feel confusing and mysterious.  The workshops will be a combination of tutor led presentation then subsequent open discussion. You will receive expert tutor advice and support in a friendly informal group setting.  Allowing you to ask those tricky questions and develop your knowledge of academic thinking skills. Whether you have some understanding of critical thinking or no idea at all, these workshops will be suitable to you.
The sessions will be held via google meet on 3 consecutive Wednesdays from 10am – 11.30am and they will be open to all levels of study including foundations level.  
The first session will introduce you to what critical thinking skills are and why they are important in academic study.  We will also investigate the value contextual research, where to look and how to go about it. Analysing your own work will be discussed in the second session.  We will start this by looking at my own art practices, the decisions I have made and how I have used contextual research to support this. The final workshop will be based on reflective thinking and learning log writing.  This will bring together what you have learnt in the first two sessions and help to consolidate your learning. Once you are signed up you will be sent some preparatory material and guidance on using google meet a few days before the workshops.
Session 1: 3 April. Introduction to critical thinking skills.  
Looking at what contextual research is.
Session 2: 10 April. How to analyse your own creative activity and output.
Session 3: 17 April. Explore reflective thinking and shaping your learning log.

Critical thinking skills workshop aims and learning outcomes.

Aims

1. To introduce the range of thinking skills required at undergraduate study
2. To enable the deliberate and well thought through study of contextual research
3. To encourage a more informed analysis of creative output, whether this textile sampling, drawing or other forms of artistic endeavour
4. To develop good quality reflective thinking that is recorded succinctly in a learning log

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the 3 workshops you will be able to

1. Understand the importance and relevance of critical thinking skills in undergraduate study
2. Identify the different aspects of critical thinking in relation to contextual research, analysis of creative output and reflective thinking
3. Use the range of critical thinking skills to analyse the work of others and your own creative endeavours
4. Bring together the strands of critical thinking to make informed judgements in the development of your creative practice.  

To sign up please complete the booking form here.
There is a £5 booking fee for the sessions.
Please note do not sign up if you have previously attended these sessions. Thank you.