Description:
Your practical guide to success in critical thinking, learning and writing at university.
Brief description:
Doctor Paula Beesley is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Academic Practice Lead at Leeds Beckett University, educator, researcher and author. Her teaching interests include critical thinking in communication skills, practice skill development and placement modules. Her research interests focus on pedagogical development. Her doctoral study identified a model of Collaborative Experiential Learning (Beesley, 2023) to support students on practice placement develop knowledge and skills. More recently, she has undertaken pedagogical research exploring the learning experience and environment for students with reasonable adjustments, inclusion of role play in teaching, the experiences of newly qualified social workers, and most recently exploring student poverty.
Review Quotes: A key strength is the book's immediate applicability. These approaches encourage active engagement with course materials. The step-by-step guidance also makes it a useful resource for developing reasoning skills. Exercises for analysing arguments, comparing sources, or reflecting on feedback could be used by learning developers to support small-group teaching or one-to-one tutorials, while reflective components help students identify gaps in their analytical approaches and support improvement. Overall, the book's practical approach and focus on authentic academic contexts make it particularly useful for students transitioning into higher education, including Foundation Year and Level 4 undergraduate students.
By demonstrating how critical thinking can be embedded across academic practices, The Critical Thinking Toolkit provides an accessible framework for developing analytical engagement in higher education.--Jennifer Harper "Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education" (6/25/2026 12:00:00 AM)