Critical Listening

Topic

    • Interpretation

      • Description

        • Analyzing and evaluating information

    • Aspects

        • Analyze - to examine information by thinking about the facts it is based on.

          • Have several strategies for analyzing information.

          • Look for patterns in information that help solve problems or make points.

          • Make charts, tables, or diagrams to better understand information.

          • Think about the strengths and weaknesses of different information.

        • Evaluate - to group information into useful pieces, connect ideas and evidence, make conclusions, and reflect on the quality of the conclusions.

          • Question if there might be other explanations when reviewing evidence supporting information you're learning.

          • Think about the evidence that supports or conflicts with your conclusions.

          • Connect what you learn in one class with what you learn in other classes.

          • Think about different explanations for why new information might be true.

          • Reflect on conclusions and identify ways to do similar work better next time.

      • Next steps

        • Carefully analyze evidence for credibility, possible bias, completeness, and how strong the conclusions are

        • Apply different strategies to analyze information: spotting patterns, assessing currency and logic, and so on

        • Question your own conclusions: Are they logical? Supported well? Unbiased?

Lesson

  • Listening

    • Types of listening / listening positions

      • Informational Listening (to learn)

      • Critical Listening (to evaluate and analyze)

      • Therapeutic or Empathetic Listening (to understand feeling and emotion)

  • Critical Listening (to evaluate and analyze)

Additional Resources