Annotated Bibliography: All You Need to Know

What is an annotated bibliography? An annotated bibliography gives an account of the research that has been done on a given topic. It provides a concise summary of the source and some assessment of its value or relevance. An annotated bibliography may be one stage in a larger research project, or it may be an independent project standing on its own.

An annotated bibliography must be a competently written paragraph that is plagiarism-free by citing sources and referencing in a specific format. It is also a well-paraphrased and summarised paragraph displaying contents (main ideas and critical responses) and language or grammatical accuracy (word formation, spelling, tenses, active and passive voice, reported speech). Besides, it should be a well-expressed written paragraph that contains a wide range of sentence structures (clause and sentence types) and vocabulary use (dictionary skills).

Postgraduate students often create annotated bibliographies to demonstrate their understanding of the literature relevant to their research topic. Annotated bibliographies provide a summary and evaluation of each source, helping students develop critical thinking skills and establish the credibility of their research. They should do it early in their research process to identify key sources and refine their research focus. Annotated bibliographies for postgraduate studies be created by summarising each source's main points, evaluating its relevance and reliability, and reflecting on its potential contribution to the student's research.

There are four elements that need to be included in an annotated bibliography based on one of the assessment components of the English for Academic Writing courses in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). It must be written in a paragraph of about 300 words based on a given text with a reference. It contains a correctly formatted reference and in-text citations based on the latest APA format, an introduction, the main ideas in the article, and critical responses based on the provided text. Below are the details of the four elements needed to write an annotated bibliography:

Watch the video for tips on performing the best in Annotated Bibliography. When watching, try to jot down the important points based on the guidelines given by the narrator besides reading the slides from the video. After watching, you can pose any questions by commenting on YouTube. Your questions will be answered through the replies below the comments. Further discussion can be done through the comment and reply features. Below are the important tips of writing an excellent annotated bibliography.

The Importance of Teaching Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills are important for students to improve their academic performance. Research suggests that a more in-depth focus on enhancing critical thinking skills can add academic rigour and increase their scores on assessments (VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, & Brown, 2009; McCollister & Sayler, 2010; Snodgrass, 2011; Tsai, Chen, Chang, & Chang, 2013). By utilising activities to enhance critical thinking, students can better understand why something has occurred instead of just knowing what has occurred. This deeper understanding allows the students to better analyse the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and differing viewpoints on the issue (Tsai et al., 2013).

Critical thinking can be infused in lessons irrespective of the discipline through an in-depth analysis of both data and sources (McCollister & Sayler, 2010). Having students examine the information forces them to look at the information as a process, rather than just facts to be memorised. This helps them to develop recognition and prediction skills, which are an integral part of critical thinking. Evaluation of information and sources helps students to learn appropriate procedures for finding and utilising credible information (McCollister & Sayler, 2010). They added that this also helps students learn acceptable and appropriate ways to use discretion. These critical thinking skills will help with reading comprehension and problem-solving, which are important in standardized assessments (VanTassel-Baska et al., 2009; McCollister & Sayler, 2010; Tsai et al., 2013).

Activities based on critical thinking could be worked into the normal class hours, without requiring additional class time (Snodgrass, 2011). The researcher suggests that this can be done by simply utilising instructional materials such as online discussion boards, in-class discussions, or alternative modes of assessment in classroom settings. It is also important that any changes to the curriculum be met with training on the new activities and on how to utilise them to their fullest effect. Professional learning communities allow educators to think critically about the methods employed in the classroom (Smith & Szymanski, 2013).

It is important for educators to understand that the role they play in developing critical thinking is different from the role they play in a typical classroom setting. In order to engage students in critical thinking, educators need to act as facilitators to allow discussions and encourage a freer thought process. This also promotes the understanding that thinking critically does not always end with the right answer, instead sometimes ends in more questions (Halx & Reybold, 2005; Arend, 2009). The educators’ role as facilitators also encourages a peer review process and helps students to learn appropriate responses to conflicting evaluations and opinions (Hender-son-Hurley & Hurley, 2013; Tsai et al., 2013). Activities such as writing essays and utilising questions that adhere to Bloom’s Taxonomy of higher-order thinking are examples of ways to engage students in critical thinking in the classroom (Smith & Szyman-ski, 2013).

Developing critical thinking skills is not merely for core subjects such as reading, math, language arts, science, and social studies. Kokkidou (2013) suggests that critical thinking can also be developed in music education by examining the musical environment, comparing and contrasting different eras or pieces of music, and self-evaluating performance. As such educators, regardless of the discipline, they are in, should be able to promote critical thinking skills in their classrooms.

Retrieved and adapted from http://www.edarticle. com/articles/43448/the-importance-of-teaching-critical-thinking.php, Ronda Blevins, 2009, Journal of Developmental Education, Vol 27, Issue 1, pp. 36-41

Question

Based on the given article, write an annotation of about 250 - 300 words on the importance of including critical thinking skills in classrooms. You are advised to paraphrase and summarise the information critically.

Your annotation should include the following:

Grade A

Belvins, R. (2009). The importance of teaching critical thinking. Journal of Developmental Education, 27(1),36-41. http://www.edarticle. com/articles/43448/the-importance-of-teaching-critical-thinking.php

The journal article written by Blevins is a call to include critical thinking activities in the classroom, as they are vital to students’ academic performance. The article aims to inform the importance of critical thinking skills in the education environment and how to enhance them. VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng and Brown (2009), McCollister and Sayler (2010) and Snodgrass (2011) suggest that a more in-depth focus on enhancing critical thinking skills can add academic rigour and increase students’ test scores. By carrying out activities in the classroom to encourage critical thinking, students can better understand “why something has occurred as opposed to just knowing what has occurred” (Tsai, Chen, Chang & Chang, 2013). According to Henderson-Hurley and Hurley( 201); and Tsai et al. (2013), it is important for educators to play their roles as facilitators and encourage the learning process rather than just memorising. They also say that in doing so, students are able to respond appropriately to conflicting views and judgements. The critical thinking approach is applicable, irrespective of discipline. Snodgrass (2011) indicates that critical thinking can be included in normal class hours. Smith and Szymaski (2013) stated that professional learning communities help educators think critically about the pedagogy employed in classrooms. The article is written for educators and curriculum designers. Blevins has developed the article well by supporting his arguments with sufficient and current research. This makes the article objective as he presents relevant facts and adequate examples. The article is also reader-friendly as the author has used simple language that is both clear and factual. The author’s tone is serious as the author continues to stress the importance of critical thinking activities in the classroom to build higher-order thinking skills. The article is useful as it provides clear insights into the importance of employing critical thinking skills in the classroom.

(301 words)

Grade B

Belvins, R. (2009). The Importance of Teaching Critical Thinking. Journal of Developmental Education, 27(1), 36-41. Retrieved from http://www.edarticle.com/articles/43448/the-importance-of-teaching-critical-thinking.php

The journal article written by Blevins is a calls to include critical thinking activities in the classroom, as it is vital to students’ academic performance. The article purpose is to aim to inform the importance of critical thinking skills in the education environment and the ways to enhance them. VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng and Brown (2009), McCollister and Sayler (2010) and Snodgrass (2011) have suggested that a more in-depth focus on enhancing critical thinking skills can add academic rigor and increase students’ scores on assessments. By utilising activities to enhance critical thinking, students are better able to understand why something occurred as opposed to just knowing what has occurred (Tsai, Chen, Chang & Chang, 2013). It is important for educators to play their roles as facilitators and encourage the learning process rather than just memorising as this helps students to learn appropriate responses to conflicting evaluations and opinions (Henderson-Hurley & Hurley, 2013; Tsai et al., 2013). Critical thinking approach is applicable, irrespective of discipline. Snodgrass (2011) indicates that critical thinking can be including in the normal class hours. Smith and Szymaski (2013) states that professional learning communities help educators think critically the pedagogy employed in classrooms. The article is written for educations and curriculum designer. Blevins has developed the article well by supporting his arguments with sufficient and current research. This make the article objective as he presents relevant facts and adequate examples. The article is also reader friendly as the author has used simple language that is both clear and factual. The author’s tone is matter-of-fact as the author continues to stress the importance of critical thinking activities in the classroom to build higher order thinking skills. The article is useful as it provides clear insights into the importance of employing critical thinking skills in the classroom.

(297 words)

Comments

Grade C

Ronda Blevins (2009) Journal of Developmental Education, 27(1), pp.36-41. Retrieved on 15 April 2023 from http://www.edarticle.com/articles/43448/the-importance-of-teaching-critical-thinking.php

The journal written by Blevins is a calls to include critical thinking activities in the classroom, as it is vital to students’ academic performance. The article purpose is to suggests that a more in-depth focus on enhancing critical thinking skills can add academic rigor and increase their scores on assessments VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng and Brown (2009), McCollister and Sayler (2010) and Snograss (2011) have suggested that a more in-depth focus on enhancing critical thinking skills can add academic rigor and increase students’ scores on assessments. By utilising activities to enhance critical thinking, students are better able to understand why something occurred as opposed to just knowing what has occurred (Tsai, Chen, Chang & Chang, 2013). It is important for educators to play their roles as facilitators and a peer review process, and helps students to learn appropriate responses to conflicting evaluations and opinions (Henderson-Hurley, 2013; Tsai et al., 2013). Critical thinking approach is applicable, irrespective of discipline. Snograss (2011) indicates that critical thinking can be including in the normal class hours. Smith and Szymaski (2013) states that professional learning communities help educators think critically the pedagogy employed in classrooms. The article is written for educations and curriculum designer. Blevins has developed the article well by supporting his arguments with sufficient and current research. This makes the article objective as he presents relevant facts and adequate examples. The article is also reader friendly as the author has used simple language that is both clear and factual. The author’s tone is serious as the author continues to stress the importance of critical thinking activities in the classroom to build higher order thinking skills. The article is useful as it provides clear insights into the importance of employing critical thinking skills in the classroom.

(291 words)

Comments

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