Critical Thinking Dewight Roe

1. Critical ThinkingDewight Roe I think, therefore I am. - Rene Descartes

2. Critical Thinking - Defined • Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking which attempts to reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way. • A purposeful, organized, mental process that we use to understand the world and make informed decisions. • The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment. • Critical Thinking involves asking questions to come up with potential solutions to different problems. • Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it.

3. Why is critical thinking important to students? • Critical thinking is critical to employers • Can you analyze situations? • Can you solve problems? • Can you communicate your position logically? • Can you make good decisions (based on data, not feelings)?

4. Why is critical thinking important to student learning? • College-level learning is deeper than memorizing facts: • Science – analyzing results of experiments in light of existing theories • Math – selecting appropriate problem-solving strategy for word problems • Humanities – putting literature and art into historical context • Health fields – evaluating patients and making decisions in clinical settings • Communications – debate; persuasive writing • Criminal justice/fire science – reacting correctly to simulations • Political science/sociology – analyzing others’ points of view

5. Why is critical thinking important to society? • Failure in critical thinking are disastrous • Space Shuttle Columbia • Levee construction in New Orleans • Faulty critical thinking can lead to wrong conclusions • Biased polls adversely affect public opinion • 80 percent of Americans think the government is hiding knowledge of the existence of aliens. 3 million Americans believe they've had a possible encounter with aliens

6. Students’ What’s in it for me? • Critical thinking in the world of work • Medical – evaluating patients’ symptoms • Technology – problem-solving software/engineering solutions • Counter-terrorism – synthesizing intelligence to predict future events • Criminal justice/fire science – analyzing the scene – whodunit? • Government – solving problems like hurricane relief • Education – reflecting on student success resulting from your teaching • Business – analyzing information to detect trends; ethical decisions • Journalism – communicating fairly

7. Students’ What’s in it for me? (continued) • Critical thinking in everyday life: • How should I prepare for a hurricane? Should I evacuate? • What is the safest way to travel? • What is the slant of a news story? • What are my real chances of winning the lottery? • Why is my good friend angry at me? • What questions should I ask myself and my partner before getting married? • Which phone company plan is best for my needs?

8. Profile of a Critical Thinker

9. Critical Thinking: What is involved? • Question: what is being asked? • Purpose: why do I want the answer? • Point of View: where do I stand to look at the question? • Information: what data do I have? • Concepts: what ideas are involved? • Assumptions: what am I taking for granted? • Inferences: what conclusions am I drawing? • Consequences: what are the implications of my question?

10. Will this be on the Test?

11. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving What is Critical Thinking? One definition could be: “It is the art of thinking about your thinking while you are thinking about your thinking while you are thinking in order to make your thinking better: more clear, more accurate, or more defensible.”

12. What is Critical Thinking? CRITICAL THINKING is the active and systematic process of • Communication • Problem-solving • Evaluation • Analysis • Synthesis • Reflection both individually and in communityto • Foster understanding • Support sound decision-making and • Guide action

13. What is Critical Thinking? • Problem solving • Analyzing information • Interpreting information • Recognizing bias • Understanding diverse points of view • Applying information • Learning!

14. What is Critical Thinking? • Productive: Thinking that goes beyond observing and recalling facts • Critical: Being able to ask questions and gather information • Weighing & Solving: When you think critically you weigh evidence, solve problems and make decisions • Creating & Applying: When you think critically you create new ideas, and turn information into a tool by applying what you have learned in previous situations to new situations

15. Weak vs. Strong Critical Thinking • A weak-sense thinker is a Sophist. The sophist is one who seeks to win an argument regardless of whether there are problems in the thinking being used, regardless of whether relevant viewpoints are being ignored. The objective is to win. • Strong-sense critical thinkers are not easily tricked by slick argumentation, by sophistry, and intellectual trickery, they use thinking in an ethical, reasonable manner. As strong-sense thinkers, we question our own purposes, evidence, conclusions, implications, and point of view with the same vigor that we question those of others.

16. Critical Thinking & College Being able to think critically in college will help you better understand what you learn. • Evaluate different perspectives: • Evaluate other people’s ideas. How do they conflict with yours? How are they similar? • Ask open-ended questions (Why? How? What if?): • This will assist you in gathering more information and narrow your focus when faced with an overwhelming problem. • Explain your answers: • If you “own” your thoughts and are responsible for creating them, you will be better able to explain what you are thinking and answer questions.

17. Critical Thinkers • Acknowledge personal limitations. • See problems as exciting challenges. • Have understanding as a goal. • Use evidence to make judgments. • Are interested in others’ ideas. • Are skeptical of extreme views. • Think before acting. • Avoid emotionalism • Keep an open mind

18. Don’t think about it, just sign it! Uncritical Thinkers • Pretend to know more than they do. • Get annoyed by problems. • Are impatient. • Judge on first impressions and intuition. • Focus on their own opinions. • Look only for ideas like their own. • Are guided by feelings rather than thoughts. • Claim that thinking gives them a headache.

19. Exemplary Students (Grade of A) • The exemplary student has internalized the basic intellectual standards appropriate to the assessment of his or her own work in a subject and is highly skilled at self-evaluation. They regularly: • Raise important questions and issues • Analyze key questions and problems • Recognize questionable assumptions • Clarify key concepts effectively • Use language in keeping with educated usage • Identify relevant competing points of view • Display sensitivity to important implications and consequences • Demonstrate a commitment to reasoning carefully from clearly stated premises in a subject

20. High-Performing Students (Grade of B) • HP in thinking through a subject implies sound thinking within the domain of a subject along with the development of a range of knowledge acquired through the exercise of thinking skills and abilities. HP students on the whole are clear, precise, and well-reasoned, but sometimes lack depth of insight (especially opposing points of view). Basic terms and distinctions are learned at a level that implies comprehension of basic concepts and principles. HP students internalize the basic intellectual standards appropriate to the assessment of their thinking in a subject and demonstrate competence in self-evaluation. They: • Often raise questions and issues, commonly analyze questions and problems clearly and precisely, recognize most questionable assumptions, clarify key concepts well, typically use language in keeping with educated usage, commonly identify relevant competing points of view, display sensitivity to many important implications and consequences, and frequently demonstrate the beginnings of a commitment to reasoning carefully

21. Mixed-Ability Students (Grade C) • Thinking of mixed-ability students implies inconsistent/incomplete performance within the domain of a subject along with limited development of knowledge acquired through the exercise of thinking skills and abilities. The MQ student often tries to use memorization as a substitute for understanding. The MQ student: • Sometimes raises questions and issues, sometimes analyzes questions and problems clearly and precisely, recognizes some questionable assumptions, clarifies some concepts competently, sometimes uses language in keeping with educated usage, sometimes identifies relevant competing points of view, sometimes demonstrates a clear commitment to reasoning carefully from clearly stated premises in a subject, are inconsistently sensitive to important implications and consequences

22. Low-Performing Students (Grade D/F) • Low-performing students reason poorly within the domain of a subject. They try to get through courses by means of rote recall, attempting regularly to acquire knowledge by memorization rather than through critical thinking skills or insights requisite to understanding course content. LP students: • Rarely raise questions and issues, superficially analyze questions and problems, do not recognize their assumptions, clarify concepts only partially, rarely use language keeping with educated usage, rarely identify relevant competing points of view, show no understanding of the importance of a commitment to reasoning carefully from clearly stated premises in a subject and are insensitive to important implications and consequences

23. Final Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . • Critical thinking is: • the intellectually disciplines process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. (Center for Critical Thinking)

24. Sources • http://criticalthinking.org/University/helps.html • Center for Critical Thinking • Fairfax County Public Schools • www.clt.astate.edu/rgrippo/chapter%205%20%20Critical%20Thinking.ppt • Critical Thinking/Problem Solving by Tammy LeJune • Using Critical Thinking Skills to Be a Better Student Presented by Walker Center for Academic Excellence • Thinking Critically About Critical Thinking:Transferring Your Expertise to the Online Classroom • Thinking Critically: Jennifer Zimmerman Assistant Director Academic Resource Center Mercer University http://faculty.mercer.edu

25. Web Sources • www.criticalthinking.org • www.edwdebono.com • www.vtshome.org • http://www.sirkenrobinson.com/ • http://www.creativelearning.com/ • http://www.loc.gov/teachers.com