PG Skills: Fake news & dodgy data - Critical Thinking for the modern World

In this fast-moving, data heavy, media saturated world, critical thinking is a key skill that employers are seeking. Being able to critically assess and interpret information is vital not just in your research, but in your work life and your personal life too. This workshop will particularly focus on spotting ‘fake news,’ questioning ‘facts’ and using data well. As an article by digital innovators says, “In a world that is seemingly awash with fake news and dodgy data, the skills to be able to question the ‘facts’, make proper use of data, understand how bias affects what people say or do, and sometimes just to ask why, is more important than ever.”

Alongside Careers Network staff, this highly interactive online workshop will feature guest speakers postgraduate alumna Laura Branch, Policy Adviser at the Cabinet Office and Dr Alex Conner, Senior Lecturer in Medical Science who was a Media Fellow for the British Science Association.

This workshop will enable you to:

• Critically appraise media including news articles, social media posts and spoken rhetoric
• Identify the main factors affecting the reliability of these media
• Articulate your critical thinking skills to employers to help you stand out in the recruitment process
• Apply your critical thinking skills to how you operate in the workplace