Challenges Students Face with Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking at the Tertiary Level.

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To become a more effective communicator, students must empower themselves to be equipped in reading, writing and critical thinking at the tertiary level. The challenges faced by students with reading, writing and critical thinking at the tertiary level are the habitual practice of limited reading; the lethargic approach to writing; and the inability to evaluate their own thinking. Reading is an active, dynamic and meaningful process that helps students become critical thinkers. Tertiary level students often practice limited reading or reading specifically what is required to obtain their qualification. Their purpose for reading is therefore limited to understanding material in order to remember it so that it can be absorbed and applied over time. Sometimes the habit of rush reading and limited reading may cover the precise information required to complete a coursework or exam requirement but the material is not fully understood and this will have a ripple effect on the writing and critical thinking skills of that individual. Writing without application of learnt academic writing skills is another fallacy that tertiary level students constantly accentuate themselves with. Students perceive themselves as writers of the material covered for the course requirement and not English geniuses who need to be penalized for such a hallmarked tradition. Some essential points about the material are grasped, captured and highlighted based on the student’s writing style. This style may be ambiguous due to the poor critical reading skills of the student and their inability to write effectively. Students need to take time out to conduct quality research so that their writing skills can be improved. An important outcome of tertiary level education is critical thinking. The courses undertaken by tertiary students usually incorporate critical thinking in their learning objectives. A

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