Critical Thinking, Reading & Writing Edition: 9th
Introduction
Learning Objectives
- define disquisitional thinking
- place the function that logic plays in disquisitional thinking
- apply critical thinking skills to trouble-solving scenarios
- apply critical thinking skills to evaluation of information
Consider these thoughts about the critical thinking process, and how it applies non simply to our school lives but also our personal and professional person lives.
"Thinking Critically and Creatively"
Disquisitional thinking skills are perhaps the most fundamental skills involved in making judgments and solving issues. Yous use them every day, and y'all can continue improving them.
The ability to remember critically about a matter—to analyze a question, situation, or problem down to its most basic parts—is what helps the states evaluate the accuracy and truthfulness of statements, claims, and data we read and hear. Information technology is the sharp knife that, when honed, separates fact from fiction, honesty from lies, and the accurate from the misleading. Nosotros all utilise this skill to one degree or another almost every twenty-four hours. For example, we utilise critical thinking every day equally we consider the latest consumer products and why one particular product is the all-time among its peers. Is it a quality product because a celebrity endorses it? Because a lot of other people may have used it? Because it is made by ane company versus some other? Or perhaps because information technology is made in i land or another? These are questions representative of disquisitional thinking.
The academic setting demands more of u.s.a. in terms of critical thinking than everyday life. It demands that nosotros evaluate information and clarify myriad issues. It is the environs where our critical thinking skills can exist the difference between success and failure. In this environment we must consider information in an analytical, disquisitional manner. We must inquire questions—What is the source of this information? Is this source an proficient i and what makes it so? Are in that location multiple perspectives to consider on an issue? Practice multiple sources concord or disagree on an issue? Does quality research substantiate data or opinion? Exercise I accept any personal biases that may affect my consideration of this information?
It is only through purposeful, frequent, intentional questioning such as this that nosotros tin sharpen our critical thinking skills and improve as students, learners and researchers.
—Dr. Andrew Robert Baker, Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom
Defining Disquisitional Thinking
Thinking comes naturally. You lot don't have to make information technology happen—information technology just does. But you can arrive happen in different ways. For example, you can think positively or negatively. You tin think with "heart" and you tin can 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 mind can process idea.
What are some forms of thinking you use? When do you employ them, and why?
Every bit a college student, y'all are tasked with engaging and expanding your thinking skills. One of the about important of these skills is critical thinking. Critical thinking is important because it relates to nearly all tasks, situations, topics, careers, environments, challenges, and opportunities. It's not restricted to a item field of study area.
Critical thinking is clear, reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or practise. Information technology means asking probing questions similar, "How do we know?" or "Is this true in every case or just in this instance?" It involves existence skeptical and challenging assumptions, rather than but memorizing facts or blindly accepting what you hear or read.
Imagine, for example, that you're reading a history textbook. You lot wonder who wrote information technology and why, because you detect certain assumptions in the writing. You detect that the writer has a express telescopic of inquiry focused merely on a particular group within a population. In this case, your critical thinking reveals that there are "other sides to the story."
Who are critical thinkers, and what characteristics do they have in mutual? Critical thinkers are usually curious and reflective people. They like to explore and probe new areas and seek knowledge, clarification, and new solutions. They ask pertinent questions, evaluate statements and arguments, and they distinguish between facts and opinion. They are also willing to examine their own behavior, possessing a manner of humility that allows them to admit lack of cognition or understanding when needed. They are open up to changing their mind. Perhaps well-nigh of all, they actively enjoy learning, and seeking new knowledge is a lifelong pursuit.
This may well be you!
No matter where y'all are on the road to being a critical thinker, you tin can always more fully develop your skills. Doing then volition assist you develop more balanced arguments, limited yourself conspicuously, read critically, and absorb important data efficiently. Critical thinking skills will assist yous in whatever profession or whatever circumstance of life, from scientific discipline to fine art to business to teaching.
| Critical Thinking IS | Disquisitional Thinking is NOT |
|---|---|
| Skepticism | Memorizing |
| Examining assumptions | Group thinking |
| Challenging reasoning | Bullheaded acceptance of authority |
| Uncovering biases |
Critical Thinking in Action
The post-obit video, from Lawrence Bland, presents the major concepts and benefits of critical thinking.
Critical Thinking and Logic
Critical thinking is fundamentally a procedure of questioning information and data. You may question the data you read in a textbook, or you may question what a pol or a professor or a classmate says. You lot can also question a commonly-held conventionalities or a new idea. With critical thinking, anything and everything is subject field to question and examination.
Logic'due south Relationship to Disquisitional Thinking
The word logic comes from the Ancient Greek logike, referring to the science or art of reasoning. Using logic, a person evaluates arguments and strives to distinguish between good and bad reasoning, or betwixt truth and falsehood. Using logic, you can evaluate ideas or claims people make, make good decisions, and form sound beliefs almost the globe.[1]
Questions of Logic in Disquisitional Thinking
Permit's use a simple example of applying logic to a disquisitional-thinking situation. In this hypothetical scenario, a homo has a PhD in political science, and he works as a professor at a local higher. His wife works at the higher, besides. They have iii young children in the local schoolhouse organization, and their family is well known in the community.
The homo is at present running for political office. Are his credentials and experience sufficient for inbound public function? Volition he be effective in the political office? Some voters might believe that his personal life and current task, on the surface, suggest he will do well in the position, and they will vote for him.
In truth, the characteristics described don't guarantee that the man will do a good chore. The data is somewhat irrelevant. What else might you lot want to know? How about whether the man had already held a political function and done a good chore? In this case, we want to ask, How much information is adequate in social club to brand a conclusion based on logic instead of assumptions?
The post-obit questions, presented in Figure 1, below, are ones you may utilize to formulating a logical, reasoned perspective in the above scenario or whatsoever other situation:
- What's happening? Gather the basic information and begin to think of questions.
- Why is it important? Ask yourself why it's significant and whether or not you hold.
- What don't I come across? Is in that location annihilation important missing?
- How do I know? Ask yourself where the information came from and how it was synthetic.
- Who is maxim information technology? 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?
Figure 1
Problem-Solving With Disquisitional Thinking
For most people, a typical day is filled with disquisitional thinking and problem-solving challenges. In fact, disquisitional thinking and problem-solving go manus-in-mitt. They both refer to using knowledge, facts, and information to solve problems effectively. But with problem-solving, you are specifically identifying, selecting, and defending your solution. Below are some examples of using critical thinking to problem-solve:
- Your roommate was upset and said some unkind words to you, which put a crimp in your relationship. Yous try to run into through the aroused behaviors to determine how you might all-time support your roommate and assistance bring your relationship back to a comfortable spot.
-
Your campus society has been languishing on business relationship of lack of participation and funds. The new lodge president, though, is a marketing major and has identified some strategies to involvement students in joining and supporting the club. Implementation is forthcoming.
- Your concluding fine art class project challenges you to anticipate form in new ways. On the final twenty-four hour period of form when students present their projects, you describe the techniques you used to fulfill the consignment. You lot explain why and how you lot selected that arroyo.
- Your math teacher sees that the course is not quite grasping a concept. She uses clever questioning to dispel anxiety and guide you to new agreement of the concept.
- You have a task interview for a position that you feel yous are only partially qualified for, although you really desire the task and y'all are excited virtually the prospects. You analyze how you volition explain your skills and experiences in a fashion to show that you are a practiced match for the prospective employer.
- You lot are doing well in college, and near of your college and living expenses are covered. Simply in that location are some gaps between what you lot want and what you feel yous can afford. You analyze your income, savings, and budget to better summate what you will demand to stay in college and maintain your desired level of spending.
Problem-Solving Action Checklist
Problem-solving can exist an efficient and rewarding process, especially if yous are organized and mindful of disquisitional steps and strategies. Think, as well, to assume the attributes of a proficient critical thinker. If yous are curious, reflective, knowledge-seeking, open up to change, probing, organized, and ethical, your challenge or problem will exist less of a hurdle, and y'all'll be in a good position to find intelligent solutions.
| STRATEGIES | ACTION CHECKLIST[2] | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ascertain the trouble |
|
| ii | Place available solutions |
|
| three | Select your solution |
|
Evaluating Information With Critical Thinking
Evaluating information can exist one of the virtually complex tasks you will be faced with in college. Just if you utilise the following four strategies, you lot will be well on your way to success:
- Read for understanding by using text coding
- Examine arguments
- Clarify thinking
- Cultivate "habits of mind"
1. Read for Agreement Using Text Coding
When you read and accept notes, apply the text coding strategy. Text coding is a way of tracking your thinking while reading. It entails marking the text and recording what you are thinking either in the margins or maybe on Mail service-information technology notes. As you make connections and ask questions in response to what you read, you monitor your comprehension and heighten your long-term agreement of the material.
With text coding, mark of import arguments and fundamental facts. Indicate where you lot concur and disagree or accept farther questions. Yous don't necessarily demand to read every word, but brand sure you understand the concepts or the intentions behind what is written. Feel free to develop your own shorthand way when reading or taking notes. The following are a few options to consider using while coding text.
| Shorthand | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ! | Of import |
| L | Learned something new |
| ! | Large idea surfaced |
| * | Interesting or important fact |
| ? | Dig deeper |
| ✓ | Agree |
| ≠ | Disagree |
See more text coding from PBWorks and Collaborative for Teaching and Learning.
two. Examine Arguments
When you examine arguments or claims that an author, speaker, or other source is making, your goal is to place and examine the difficult facts. You can employ the spectrum of authority strategy for this purpose. The spectrum of authority strategy assists yous in identifying the "hot" end of an argument—feelings, beliefs, cultural influences, and societal influences—and the "cold" end of an statement—scientific influences. The following video explains this strategy.
3. Clarify Thinking
When you use critical thinking to evaluate information, you 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 equally the logic questions discussed earlier. Blueprint your questions to fit your needs, but be sure to comprehend acceptable ground. What is the purpose? What question are we trying to answer? What point of view is being expressed? What assumptions are we or others making? What are the facts and data we know, and how do we know them? What are the concepts we're working with? What are the conclusions, and do they make sense? What are the implications?
4. Cultivate "Habits of Heed"
"Habits of listen" are the personal commitments, values, and standards you lot accept well-nigh the principle of good thinking. Consider your intellectual commitments, values, and standards. Do you approach problems with an open up mind, a respect for truth, and an inquiring mental attitude? Some practiced habits to have when thinking critically are being receptive to having your opinions changed, having respect for others, beingness independent and not accepting something is truthful until you've had the time to examine the available show, being fair-minded, having respect for a reason, having an inquiring mind, not making assumptions, and always, especially, questioning your own conclusions—in other words, developing an intellectual work ethic. Effort to work these qualities into your daily life.
Self-Check
Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-basicreadingwriting/chapter/outcome-critical-thinking/
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