Urban Ecosystems: What’s there to be critical about? - introduction
Urban Ecosystems: What’s there to be critical about?
Critical thinking skills are very important tools in academic life
Critical thinking is a skill you use all the time. In all kinds of decision making. Where will I live? Go on holiday? Buy my new bike?
But how do you use these skills when you search and select sources for your assignments?
This learning object gives you four criteria, to use in academic life:
Objectivity, Reliability, Accuracy and Relevance
In the next step you will see a statement and read an explanatory text on the subject “green roofs”
Step 1: Green roofs are just good for the environment!
Green roofs can improve the energy efficiency of a building!
Green roofs are plantings growing on roof tops. They are engineered as a multiple-layer construction, designed to support vegetation and protect the roof construction underneath. Green roofs are said to offer a range of ecosystem services, and in this way benefit to sustainable development of cities. The often mentioned benefits include: reduction and delay of storm water runoff; reduction of urban heat islands (UHI effect); improvement of air quality; increased energy efficiency of buildings; reduction of noise pollution; extended lifespan of roof materials; and improved conditions for biodiversity and wildlife. Green roofs are also said to increase amenity value such as access to new parks and gardens, give positive mental and physical benefits from view to and access to green surroundings; and to provide space for food production.
Now, let’s look a bit more into one of the claimed services: Improved energy efficiency of buildings. Green roofs are claimed to be able to improve the energy efficiency of a building. In hot summers they keep the building cold, and in cold winters they reduce the need for heating. The cooling mechanism is through the evaporation of water from vegetation and substrate. The incoming solar energy cannot heat up the building, because the sensible heat is turned into latent heat in the water vapour. In winter time the need for heating is reduced because the green roof provides insulation of the building. When the substrate of the roof is well-drained it contains a lot of small air pockets, which serves as an insulating layer.
Do you agree? YES or NO
Pick some keywords in the text above on green roofs and energy efficiency and use them as search terms. Identify at least five sources supporting the statement.
What’s reliable and unreliable?
You have probably already sources you think are reliable and others where you’re not sure if they are reliable or not. So on that background choose now two sources, one source you think is reliable and one that you think is unreliable. And both sources should confirm the statement you choose: “yes” or “no”.
(A source is a website, an article, a book etc.)
Now select two sources out of the five you have identified….
Step 2: Choose source – and go through the four criteria steps
Now you pick one of the two and go through the next four criteria steps:
- Objectivity
- Reliability
- Accuracy
- Relevance
For each step you mark how sure you are, that this source is objective, reliable, accurate or relevant
Where 1 indicates very unsure and 5 indicates very sure
You can get some help by clicking the Hint and get a hint!
Hints are questions that helps you to interrogate the source:
· Who authored this text?
· Who benefits from this text?
· What voices are being heard?
· Whose voices are left out?
· Is there another point of view?
Source number 1 – here we go!
Step 3: Your first source through criteria #1: Objective
Something is objective when it is seen in its entirety not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice, based on facts, unbiased
How sure are you that this source is objective?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
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Show hint
Conflict of interest?
Show hint 2
Sell something?
Step 4: Take your first source through criteria #2: Reliability
Reliability is a kind of quality control.
Have independent experts evaluated the quality of the information before it was published?
Is the publisher reputable?
How sure are you that this source is reliabel?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
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Show hint
Knowledgeable and acknowledged authors?
Show hint 2
Who owns the site/publisher?
Step 5: Take your first source through criteria #3: Accuracy
Accuracy is the condition or quality of being true and correct. Is there information that is extensive, detailed, and exact and can be confirmed by at least two other sources?
How sure are you that this source is accurate?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
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Show hint
Updated source?
Show hint 2
Is the subject an aside in the source?
Step 6: Take your first source through criteria #4: Relevance
Relevance is concerned with having significance or importance in the given context.
How sure are you that this source is relevant?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
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Show hint
Updated source?
Show hint 2
Fact or opinions?
Step 7: Score and reflection
Score of source 1.
Is the source useful?
Even if it does not score high on all four criteria?
Your first source through criteria #1: Objective
How sure are you that this source is objective?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
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- 5
Take your first source through criteria #2: Reliability
How sure are you that this source is reliabel?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
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- 5
Take your first source through criteria #3: Accuracy
How sure are you that this source is accurate?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
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- 5
Take your first source through criteria #4: Relevance
How sure are you that this source is relevant?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
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- 4
- 5
Step 8: Second source – go through the four criteria steps
Now you take the second sources and to go through the four criteria steps.
For each step you mark how sure you are
And you can get a hint!
Source number 2 – here we go!
Step 9: Take your second source through criteria #1: Objective
Objective is when something is seen in its entirety not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice, based on facts, unbiased
How sure are you that this source is objective?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Show hint
Conflict of interest?
Show hint 2
Sell something?
Step 10: Take your second source through criteria #2: Reliability
Reliability is a kind of quality control.
Have independent experts evaluated the quality of the information before it was published?
Is the publisher reputable?
How sure are you that this source is reliabel?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Show hint
Knowledgeable and acknowledged authors?
Show hint 2
Who owns the site/publisher?
Step 11: Take your second source through criteria #3: Accuracy
Accuracy is the condition or quality of being true and correct. Is there information that is extensive, detailed, and exact and can be confirmed by at least two other sources?
How sure are you that this source is accuret?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Show hint
Updated source?
Show hint 2
Is the subject an aside in the source?
Step 12: Take your second source through criteria #4: Relevance
Relevance is concerned with having significance or importance in the given context
How sure are you that this source is relevant?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
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- 5
Show hint
Updated source?
Show hint 2
Fact or opinions?
Step 13: Score and reflection
Score of source 2.
Is the source useful?
Even if it does not score high on all four criteria?
Take your second source through criteria #1: Objective
How sure are you that this source is objective?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
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- 5
Take your second source through criteria #2: Reliability
How sure are you that this source is reliabel?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Take your second source through criteria #3: Accuracy
How sure are you that this source is accuret?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
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- 5
Take your second source through criteria #4: Relevance
How sure are you that this source is relevant?
1 very unsure / 5 very sure
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Step 14: Not so good / OK / Good ?
Now place your two sources where you think they belong: Not so good OK Good
And this is how you do it:
Choose the right place for your source above. This will open a “Padlet”, which is like a shared, digital note wall. Here you add a note for each source.
Type in:
- Name and type of source
- Source link
- Why is it Not so good, OK or Good?
- Your names
This is a preparation for a group reflection in plenum.
Show hint
You can look through your score for the source to determine where it belongs.
Step 15: Library Resources and guides
Relevant study resources: Landscape Architecture and Urban Design
Search REX
How to search literature, guidance
You are always welcome to contact the library:
E-mail: bibliotek@science.ku.dk
Tel: 353 32145 (Daily 10-17)
Finish and share
Congratulations!
You have now completed the wizard.
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