Active reading simply means reading something with a determination to understand and

evaluate it for its relevance to your needs.

Simply reading and re-reading the material isn't an effective way to understand and learn.
Actively and critically engaging with the content can save you time. Most OU study books
and websites include in-text questions and self-assessed questions. Use these as built-in
cues to make your study active.

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Try these techniques to make your reading active

 Underline or highlight key words and phrases as you read. When you return to it
later on, you can easily see which points you identified as important. Be selective -
too much highlighting won't help.
 Make annotations in the margin to summarise points, raise questions, challenge
what you've read, jot down examples and so on. You can do this in printed books
or etexts. This takes more thought than highlighting, so you'll probably remember
the content better. (Use sticky notes if you don't want to mark the text.)
 Read critically by asking questions of the text. Who wrote it? When? Who is the
intended audience? Does it link with other material you've studied in the module?
Why do you think it was written? Is it an excerpt from a longer piece of text?
 Test yourself by reading for half an hour, putting the text away and jotting down
the key points from memory. Go back to the text to fill in gaps.
 Look for 'signposts' that help you understand the text - phrases like 'most
importantly', 'in contrast', 'on the other hand'.
 Explain what you've read to someone else.
 Record yourself reading the module material or your notes, and listen to the
recording while you're travelling or doing household chores.

Reading for comprehension

Much of what we have said already is contained within a well known technique for actively
engaging with and extracting meaning from content - SQ3R. It is good for revision as well
as reading something for the first time. 'SQ3R' stands for the five steps involved.

1. SKIM through the text quickly to get an overall impression.

2. QUESTION. If you are reading it for a particular purpose (for example, to answer
an assignment), ask yourself how it helps. Also ask questions of the text: Who?
What? Where? When? How?
3. READ. Read the text in a focused, and fairly speedy way.
4. REMEMBER. Test your memory - but don't worry if you can't remember much.
5. REVIEW. Read the text in more detail, taking notes. Use your own words.

You are probably thinking 'Why talk about taking notes' when this section's called "Critical
reading techniques"? Well, it's because making notes is an essential part of the reading
process. It helps you internalise difficult ideas by putting them into your own words and
can help you be more focused during exam revision. You are more likely to remember
material you have thought about and made notes on than material you have read
passively.

Taking notes is a skill that you develop with practice. There is no right or wrong way, just
find a method that suits you (for example, bullet points, mind maps and diagrams,
highlighting, annotating or underlining significant words).

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Many people find it effective to take notes in two stages.

 First writing down the main points.

 Then summarising, condensing and organising the notes so that they can be used
when writing assignments or revising for exams.
In general, your notes should be brief and to the point. Take time to think about

 what is expected of you, by reviewing the learning outcomes listed in your module
materials
 what each assignment requires you to do
 how you learn best, so you can choose the most effective techniques.
If you are given a handout before or during a face-to-face session, use this as the
framework for taking notes.

OU student, Mel, explains her approach to note taking.

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Revisiting your notes helps you learn the material and prepare for assignments. It helps
you 'pull together' all the different ideas you have recorded, so you can make cross-links
with earlier study.

What to avoid when taking notes

 Don't attempt to write everything down, just reflect the main themes. Aim to get the
gist of the topic or the main points.
 Try not to get flustered if you miss something out or come across something you
don't understand. Use a question mark to highlight the point in your notes and
come back to it later.
 Don't lose track of your purpose in making the notes in the first place - keep
focused.
 Don't be concerned about whether anyone else could make sense of your notes,
you are the only person who needs to read them.
 Don't try to remember everything you read or heard in a tutorial session, it can't be
done.
 Don't forget to revisit and organise your notes and get them systematically
arranged so that you can find the information you need when you want it.
  Don't forget to check you have complete references when you revisit your notes,
this will save you a lot of time later on if you want to cite particular sources of
evidence.
 Don't be afraid of trying different ways of taking notes - try lists, colours, bullet
points, underlining, highlighting and mind-mapping. Experimenting with various
methods helps you discover the technique that suits you.
 Don't take notes all the time - spend some time at tutorials engaging with the tutor
and other students or just thinking about what you're doing.

Critical thinking is the process of applying reasoned and disciplined thinking to a subject.
The higher grades at every level of university study require some critical analysis.

You will need to develop reasoned arguments based on a logical interpretation of reliable
sources of information. These skills are essential if you want to obtain high grades in your
university study and, like other skills, they improve with practice.

As you read your module materials follow these three steps.

1. Analyse: Examine how key components within your module materials fit together
and relate to each other.
2. Compare: Explore the similarities and differences between the ideas you are
reading about. Do some ideas conflict with or complement each other?
3. Synthesise: Bring together different sources of information to serve an argument
or idea you are constructing. Make logical connections between the different
sources that help you shape and support your ideas. Are there any inferences you
can draw from the material and apply to an assignment question?
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Finding and evaluating material

Most OU modules provide you with all study materials. However, if your studies require
you to look for some supporting material yourself (e.g. case studies) make sure you
choose appropriately. You will need to develop the skill of finding and evaluating sources
of information.

Finding material
The OU Library gives you access to over 5000 electronic journal titles, databases of
journal abstracts, newspapers, etexts and other library catalogues. It also offers resources
that can help you identify and evaluate material. Visit the OU Library website , which
includes the interactive SAFARI (skills in accessing, finding and reviewing information).

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Evaluating the material using PROMPT

If you are new to finding your own web resources you may find it difficult to select
trustworthy sites. For example, there is a mass of information on nutrition and diet, but
much of it is sponsored commercially or potentially biased. You need to critically evaluate
the resource. The OU Library has developed PROMPT which offers a structured method
for evaluating any information that you find online. To find out more, visit the OU Library
website and complete the Evaluation using PROMPT learning activity.

Aspect of Questions
text

Provenance Is it clear where the information has come from? Can you identify the authors or organisat
responsible? How was it published? Has it been peer reviewed?

Relevance Does the information match your needs? Look at the introduction or overview to check wh

Objectivity Is the author's position or interest made clear? Look for an introduction or overview. Does
declare any connections that might compromise their independence? Is the language emo
hidden vested interests?

Method What research methods were used, and how are results reported? Do you need to reassu
about their importance?

Presentation Is the information clearly communicated? Look at language, layout, and structure.

Timeliness Is it clear when the information was produced? Does the date of the information meet your
Is it obsolete?

Some module activities and assignment questions ask you to read and do a critical review
of the various resources provided. Here are some more detailed questions that you might
ask.

 Who is speaking or writing?

 What is their point of view or perspective?
 What ideas and information are presented and how were they obtained?
 Are there unsupported assertions?
 Are relevant reasons or evidence provided?
 Is the method used to find the evidence sound?
 Is the evidence correct or valid?
 What assumptions have been made?
 What is fact and what is opinion?
 What are the implicit and explicit values?
 Are there unreasonable generalisations?
 What has been omitted?
  How was the conclusion reached?
 Is the conclusion reasonable?
 What other perspectives or points of view could there be?
Section 5 of the OU Library's SAFARI resource gives you more information on evaluating
resources you have found yourself.

At times during your module you may come across ideas that are difficult to understand.
Try the following strategies to help you make sense of this material.

 Set some time aside when you can work without interruptions.
 Take a step back and look through headings and sub-headings that might
signpost the direction the content is taking. Also look for summaries and
conclusions that could restate the material in a way you find understandable.
 Use a dictionary or subject-specific glossary to look up any unknown words.
 Photocopy the text or print out the article so you can scribble on it.
 If you have a question to answer, note it down and keep asking yourself how it
relates to the piece.
 If the text contains several specific themes use a key and write in the margin, e.g.
p for politics or g for gender.
 Try to write a few points in your own words about what you do understand.
 Use a forum to ask for help from a fellow student - but always check that you do
understand and agree with their interpretation.
 Look online to see if the article or book has been reviewed by other people. Or
look for overview books on the same subject - they might summarise the author's
point of view. Once you can understand the basics, go back and look at the detail.
 Don't assume the content is always correct. There might be a hidden agenda
leading to bias - check the funding behind the article or find out why the article has
been written.
 Try saying the words in your head or aloud as a way of unravelling the meaning.
Imagine that you are trying to explain it to someone.
 You can also draw sketches or diagrams as a way of understanding.
 If all else fails, leave it for a few days then come back to it.