Workshop: Too descriptive, not not enough critical analysis: Home

Aim

The aims of the workshop are to promote an understanding of what constitutes critical writing and to look at strategies that can be used to maximise critical content within an assignment.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session students will:

• Understand the difference between descriptive and critical writing.

• Consider how critical thinking can be applied within the structure of written work.

• Have an awareness of the role language has in presenting critical thinking in written work.

Outline of session

The session will include the following activities:

• Presentation of descriptive vs. analytical content

• Evidence-based judgement activity 

• Embedding critical writing into written work.

You may have received feedback that your work is 'too descriptive' with not enough analysis' and receive lower than desirable grades for this.   The workshop promotes an understanding of the different approaches taken in descriptive writing and critical/analytical writing, allowing you to improve the balance between these two elements in your own writing. 

This workshop is mapped to the following employability and skills frameworks:

Information Literacies I.7, I.7, I.19, I.20 

Graduate Headstart, 1.1, 1.3, 2.2, 3.2, 7.1 

We have an online tutorial available about critical writing that is helpful

Introduction to Critical Writing Tutorial