What Do You Learn In Critical Thinking Class
The essence of the contained listen lies not in what information technology thinks, just in how information technology thinks. —Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, yous will be able to:
- Define critical thinking
- Describe the role that logic plays in critical thinking
- Describe how critical thinking skills can be used to problem-solve
- Describe how disquisitional thinking skills can be used to evaluate information
- Identify strategies for developing yourself equally a critical thinker
Disquisitional Thinking
Thinking comes naturally. You don't have to arrive happen—information technology simply does. But y'all can make information technology happen in different ways. For example, y'all can recall positively or negatively. Y'all can call up with "heart" and you tin think with rational judgment. You can also think strategically and analytically, and mathematically and scientifically. These are a few of multiple ways in which the listen can process thought.
What are some forms of thinking you use? When do y'all utilize them, and why?
As a college pupil, you are tasked with engaging and expanding your thinking skills. One of the well-nigh important of these skills is critical thinking. Critical thinking is of import because it relates to virtually all tasks, situations, topics, careers, environments, challenges, and opportunities. Information technology'due south a "domain-general" thinking skill—not a thinking skill that'due south reserved for a one subject alone or restricted to a particular discipline area.
Great leaders have highly attuned critical thinking skills, and you lot tin can, as well. In fact, you probably accept a lot of these skills already. Of all your thinking skills, disquisitional thinking may take the greatest value.
What Is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is clear, reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do. It means request probing questions like, "How do we know?" or "Is this truthful in every case or just in this case?" Information technology involves being skeptical and challenging assumptions, rather than simply memorizing facts or blindly accepting what yous hear or read.
Imagine, for case, that yous're reading a history textbook. You lot wonder who wrote it and why, because you notice certain biases in the writing. You find that the writer has a limited scope of research focused only on a detail grouping within a population. In this case, your critical thinking reveals that in that location are "other sides to the story."
Who are critical thinkers, and what characteristics do they take in common? Disquisitional thinkers are usually curious and reflective people. They similar to explore and probe new areas and seek noesis, description, and new solutions. They ask pertinent questions, evaluate statements and arguments, and they distinguish between facts and opinion. They are too willing to examine their own behavior, possessing a style of humility that allows them to admit lack of cognition or understanding when needed. They are open to changing their heed. Mayhap most of all, they actively enjoy learning, and seeking new cognition is a lifelong pursuit.
This may well exist you!
No matter where you lot are on the road to being a disquisitional thinker, you can always more fully develop and finely tune your skills. Doing so will help you develop more counterbalanced arguments, express yourself conspicuously, read critically, and glean important data efficiently. Disquisitional thinking skills volition help you in any profession or any circumstance of life, from science to art to business concern to teaching. With critical thinking, you get a clearer thinker and trouble solver.
| Critical Thinking IS | Critical Thinking is Not |
|---|---|
| Skepticism | Memorizing |
| Examining assumptions | Group thinking |
| Challenging reasoning | Blind acceptance of authority |
| Uncovering biases |
The following video, from Lawrence Banal, presents the major concepts and benefits of critical thinking.
Activeness: Self-Assess Your Critical Thinking Strategies
Objectives
- Assess your basic understanding of the skills involved in critical thinking.
Directions
- Visit the Quia Disquisitional Thinking Quiz page and click on Commencement Now (you don't demand to enter your name). Select the best answer for each question, and then click on Submit Answers. A score of seventy per centum or better on this quiz is considering passing.
- Based on the content of the questions, do yous experience you use practiced disquisitional thinking strategies in college? In what means might y'all improve as a critical thinker?
Disquisitional Thinking and Logic
Critical thinking is fundamentally a process of questioning information and data. You may question the information you read in a textbook, or you may question what a politician or a professor or a classmate says. You tin too question a commonly-held belief or a new thought. With critical thinking, anything and everything is subject field to question and test for the purpose of logically constructing reasoned perspectives.
What Is Logic, and Why Is It Important in Disquisitional Thinking?
The discussion logic comes from the Ancient Greek logike, referring to the science or art of reasoning. Using logic, a person evaluates arguments and reasoning and strives to distinguish between good and bad reasoning, or between truth and falsehood. Using logic, you lot tin evaluate ideas or claims people make, make good decisions, and course sound beliefs well-nigh the world.[one]
Questions of Logic in Critical Thinking
Permit's apply a simple case of applying logic to a disquisitional-thinking situation. In this hypothetical scenario, a homo has a PhD in political scientific discipline, and he works every bit a professor at a local college. His wife works at the higher, too. They have iii young children in the local schoolhouse system, and their family is well known in the community. The homo is now running for political office. Are his credentials and feel sufficient for entering public office? Volition he exist effective in the political office? Some voters might believe that his personal life and current task, on the surface, suggest he volition practise well in the position, and they volition vote for him. In truth, the characteristics described don't guarantee that the homo will practise a good job. The data is somewhat irrelevant. What else might you want to know? How about whether the man had already held a political office and done a skillful job? In this case, nosotros want to inquire, How much data is acceptable in club to brand a determination based on logic instead of assumptions?
The following questions, presented in Figure ane, below, are ones y'all may employ to formulating a logical, reasoned perspective in the in a higher place scenario or whatever other situation:
- What's happening? Get together the basic data and begin to remember of questions.
- Why is it important? Ask yourself why it'south significant and whether or not you agree.
- What don't I see? Is in that location anything important missing?
- How exercise I know? Ask yourself where the information came from and how it was constructed.
- Who is proverb it? What's the position of the speaker and what is influencing them?
- What else? What if? What other ideas exist and are there other possibilities?
Effigy 1
Problem-Solving with Critical Thinking
For most people, a typical mean solar day is filled with critical thinking and problem-solving challenges. In fact, critical thinking and trouble-solving go paw-in-hand. They both refer to using knowledge, facts, and data to solve problems effectively. But with problem-solving, you are specifically identifying, selecting, and defending your solution. Beneath are some examples of using critical thinking to trouble-solve:
- Your roommate was upset and said some unkind words to you, which put a crimp in the human relationship. Y'all try to run across through the angry behaviors to make up one's mind how you lot might all-time support the roommate and help bring the relationship back to a comfy spot.
- Your campus club has been languishing on account of lack of participation and funds. The new club president, though, is a marketing major and has identified some strategies to involvement students in joining and supporting the club. Implementation is forthcoming.
- Your final art class projection challenges you to anticipate form in new ways. On the terminal twenty-four hour period of class when students present their projects, you describe the techniques y'all used to fulfill the assignment. Yous explain why and how yous selected that arroyo.
- Your math teacher sees that the class is not quite grasping a concept. She uses clever questioning to dispel anxiety and guide you to new understanding of the concept.
- You take a job interview for a position that yous feel you are only partially qualified for, although you actually want the job and yous are excited about the prospects. Yous clarify how you will explain your skills and experiences in a way to prove that you are a practiced match for the prospective employer.
- Y'all are doing well in college, and about of your college and living expenses are covered. Merely in that location are some gaps between what you desire and what yous feel y'all can afford. You analyze your income, savings, and budget to better summate what you will need to stay in college and maintain your desired level of spending.
Problem-Solving Action Checklist
Problem-solving tin can be an efficient and rewarding process, especially if you are organized and mindful of critical steps and strategies. Remember, too, to assume the attributes of a good critical thinker. If you are curious, reflective, knowledge-seeking, open to change, probing, organized, and ethical, your challenge or problem will be less of a hurdle, and you'll be in a skillful position to observe intelligent solutions.
| STRATEGIES | ACTION CHECKLIST[ii] | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Define the trouble |
|
| two | Identify bachelor solutions |
|
| three | Select your solution |
|
Evaluating Information with Critical Thinking
Evaluating information tin can exist ane of the most complex tasks you volition be faced with in higher. But if you lot utilize the following 4 strategies, y'all volition be well on your manner to success:
- Read for understanding by using text coding
- Examine arguments
- Clarify thinking
- Cultivate "habits of listen"
Read for Understanding Using Text Coding
When you read and take notes, use the text coding strategy. Text coding is a manner of tracking your thinking while reading. Information technology entails marking the text and recording what you are thinking either in the margins or possibly on Mail-information technology notes. Every bit you brand connections and ask questions in response to what you read, you monitor your comprehension and raise your long-term agreement of the material.
With text coding, mark of import arguments and key facts. Indicate where you agree and disagree or have further questions. You don't necessarily demand to read every word, only brand sure you understand the concepts or the intentions backside what is written. Experience free to develop your own shorthand style when reading or taking notes. The following are a few options to consider using while coding text.
| Shorthand | Pregnant |
|---|---|
| ! | Important |
| 50 | Learned something new |
| ! | Big idea surfaced |
| * | Interesting or important fact |
| ? | Dig deeper |
| ✓ | Agree |
| ≠ | Disagree |
See more text coding from PBWorks and Collaborative for Education and Learning.
Examine Arguments
When you examine arguments or claims that an writer, speaker, or other source is making, your goal is to identify and examine the hard facts. Y'all can use the spectrum of authority strategy for this purpose. The spectrum of authority strategy assists you in identifying the "hot" end of an statement—feelings, beliefs, cultural influences, and societal influences—and the "cold" end of an statement—scientific influences. The following video explains this strategy.
Clarify Thinking
When you use critical thinking to evaluate information, you lot need to clarify your thinking to yourself and likely to others. Doing this well is mainly a process of asking and answering probing questions, such as the logic questions discussed earlier. Pattern your questions to fit your needs, just be certain to comprehend adequate ground. What is the purpose? What question are we trying to respond? What point of view is being expressed? What assumptions are we or others making? What are the facts and information we know, and how do nosotros know them? What are the concepts nosotros're working with? What are the conclusions, and exercise they make sense? What are the implications?
Cultivate "Habits of Mind"
"Habits of mind" are the personal commitments, values, and standards y'all have about the principle of good thinking. Consider your intellectual commitments, values, and standards. Do y'all arroyo problems with an open mind, a respect for truth, and an inquiring attitude? Some good habits to have when thinking critically are being receptive to having your opinions changed, having respect for others, being independent and not accepting something is true until you've had the fourth dimension to examine the available prove, existence fair-minded, having respect for a reason, having an inquiring mind, not making assumptions, and always, specially, questioning your own conclusions—in other words, developing an intellectual piece of work ethic. Try to piece of work these qualities into your daily life.
Developing Yourself As a Critical Thinker
Critical thinking is a desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and prepare in order; and hatred for every kind of imposture. —Francis Bacon, philosopher
Critical thinking is a central skill for college students, but it should as well be a lifelong pursuit. Beneath are additional strategies to develop yourself equally a critical thinker in higher and in everyday life:
- Reflect and practice: E'er reflect on what you've learned. Is information technology truthful all the fourth dimension? How did you make it at your conclusions?
- Use wasted time: Information technology'due south certainly important to make fourth dimension for relaxing, but if you find you are indulging in too much of a skillful thing, think almost using your time more constructively. Make up one's mind when you do your all-time thinking and try to larn something new during that function of the mean solar day.
- Redefine the way you see things: It can be very uninteresting to ever think the aforementioned way. Claiming yourself to come across familiar things in new ways. Put yourself in someone else'due south shoes and consider things from a different angle or perspective. If yous're trying to solve a problem, listing all your concerns: what yous demand in gild to solve it, who tin can help, what some possible barriers might be, etc. Information technology's ofttimes possible to reframe a problem every bit an opportunity. Try to find a solution where there seems to be none.
- Analyze the influences on your thinking and in your life: Why practise you think or experience the way you lot do? Clarify your influences. Call back nearly who in your life influences you. Do yous experience or react a sure way considering of social convention, or because you lot believe it is what is expected of y'all? Try to suspension out of any molds that may be constricting you.
- Limited yourself: Critical thinking likewise involves being able to express yourself clearly. Nearly of import in expressing yourself clearly is stating one point at a fourth dimension. You might be inclined to fence every thought, simply you might have greater bear on if y'all focus just on your main arguments. This will help others to follow your thinking clearly. For more than abstract ideas, assume that your audience may not sympathize. Provide examples, analogies, or metaphors where y'all can.
- Enhance your wellness: It's easier to recall critically when you lot take care of your mental and concrete wellness. Try taking 10-minute activeness breaks to reach 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Try taking a break between classes and walk to the coffee shop that's farthest away. Scheduling concrete activeness into your day can help lower stress and increase mental alertness. Besides, do your nigh hard piece of work when yous have the virtually energy. Recollect about the time of day you are almost constructive and accept the nearly free energy. Program to practice your almost hard work during these times. And be certain to attain out for help. If you lot feel you need assistance with your mental or physical wellness, talk to a counselor or visit a doc.
Activity: Reflect on Disquisitional Thinking
Objective
- Apply critical thinking strategies to your life
Directions:
- Think nearly someone you consider to be a disquisitional thinker (friend, professor, historical figure, etc). What qualities does he/she have?
- Review some of the critical thinking strategies discussed on this page. Pick ane strategy that makes sense to yous. How can you apply this critical thinking technique to your academic work?
- Habits of mind are attitudes and beliefs that influence how you approach the world (i.e., inquiring attitude, open up mind, respect for truth, etc). What is one addiction of listen you lot would like to actively develop over the side by side twelvemonth? How volition you develop a daily practice to cultivate this habit?
- Write your responses in journal course, and submit according to your teacher'southward guidelines.
Summary
The post-obit text is an excerpt from an essay past Dr. Andrew Robert Bakery, "Thinking Critically and Creatively." In these paragraphs, Dr. Baker underscores the importance of critical thinking—the imperative of critical thinking, really—to improving as students, teachers, and researchers. The follow-up portion of this essay appears in the Creative Thinking section of this course.
Thinking Critically and Creatively
Critical thinking skills are perhaps the virtually fundamental skills involved in making judgments and solving problems. Yous use them every solar day, and you can proceed improving them.
The ability to remember critically about a matter—to analyze a question, state of affairs, or problem downwards to its almost basic parts—is what helps us evaluate the accuracy and truthfulness of statements, claims, and information we read and hear. Information technology is the sharp pocketknife that, when honed, separates fact from fiction, honesty from lies, and the authentic from the misleading. We all apply this skill to one degree or some other almost every solar day. For example, nosotros use disquisitional thinking every day every bit nosotros consider the latest consumer products and why one detail product is the best among its peers. Is it a quality product because a celebrity endorses it? Considering a lot of other people may have used information technology? Considering it is fabricated by one company versus some other? Or peradventure considering it is made in one country or another? These are questions representative of disquisitional thinking.
The bookish setting demands more of usa in terms of critical thinking than everyday life. Information technology demands that we evaluate information and analyze myriad issues. It is the environs where our disquisitional thinking skills tin be the departure betwixt success and failure. In this environment we must consider data in an analytical, disquisitional manner. We must ask questions—What is the source of this data? Is this source an skilful one and what makes it so? Are at that place multiple perspectives to consider on an issue? Do multiple sources concur or disagree on an consequence? Does quality inquiry substantiate information or opinion? Do I have whatever personal biases that may bear upon my consideration of this information?
It is simply through purposeful, frequent, intentional questioning such as this that nosotros can acuminate our critical thinking skills and improve as students, learners and researchers.
—Dr. Andrew Robert Baker, Foundations of Bookish Success: Words of Wisdom
Resources for Critical Thinking
- Glossary of Disquisitional Thinking Terms
- Critical Thinking Cocky-Cess
- Logical Fallacies Jeopardy Template
- Fallacies Files—Dwelling house
- Thinking Critically | Learning Commons
- Foundation for Critical Thinking
- To Analyze Thinking We Must Identify and Question Its Elemental Structures
- Critical Thinking in Everyday Life
What Do You Learn In Critical Thinking Class,
Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/collegesuccess-lumen/chapter/critical-thinking-skills/
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