Title: Critical Thinking and Argument Analysis in Social Media and News Content
Attendance:
– Absent students: Agenash, Akmur, Noisa
– Late arrival: Kuya
– New student needs to be added to e-course: Abu Bakr
Topics Covered:
1. Introduction to Argument Analysis and Critical Thinking
– Deep dive into the concept of argument
– Introduction to the concept of critical thinking
– Explanation of the role of a critic
2. Social Media as a Platform for Arguments and Opinions
– Identifying arguments in other people’s writing
– Discussion on opinions found on social media platforms
– Exercise on identifying an opinion on social media, stating whether they agreed or disagreed, and explaining why
3. Detecting and Analyzing Information
– Introduction to the concept of being a ‘detective’ in finding truth
– The concept of gathering small pieces of information, or clues, to form a larger picture
4. Understanding Biases and Motives
– Understanding biases and the reasons behind a person’s or organization’s writings or statements
– Analysis of advertising tactics, using the example of a TikTok influencer promoting a product
– Discussion on the motives of news agencies
5. Evaluating Sources and Making Informed Decisions
– The motivations behind news companies and their strategies for engagement
– The role of advertisements in funding news companies
– The difference between advertisements and user reviews in terms of reliability and authenticity
– The impact of these factors on the decision-making process of consumers
6. Fact vs Opinion and Text Analysis
– Difference between facts and opinions
– Practice of identifying sentences as facts or opinions
– Steps to analyze a text: Identifying the author’s argument, evaluating the evidence, understanding the author’s intentions
Actionable Items:
1. Administrative Tasks
– Add Abu Bakr to the e-course
– Follow up on absentee students: Agenash, Akmur, Noisa, and Kuya
2. Encourage Critical Thinking
– Encourage students to apply critical thinking to their social media consumption
– Encourage students to apply critical thinking when encountering information, particularly in advertising and news
– Students should apply these concepts in their upcoming argumentative paper
3. Further Discussions and Teaching
– Continue discussion on identifying and analyzing opinions on social media in the next class
– Further discussion and teaching on how to analyze and understand social media posts and opinions
– More discussion on the application of critical thinking in daily life
– Develop further class discussions or assignments around identifying biases and motives in various sources of information
– Further discuss the implications of this understanding for consumers and their purchasing decisions
Homework:
– Read and analyze the provided short opinion piece about air pollution in Bishkek
– Identify the author’s argument, evaluate the evidence, and understand the author’s intentions.