Critical Thinking


Critical Thinking DefinitionCritical thinking is the pursuit of relevant and reliable knowledge through reasonable, reflective, responsible, and skillful thinking aimed at decision-making.

Characteristics of Critical Thinking

  • Involves asking questions and gathering relevant information.

  • Skills include sorting through information to draw trustworthy conclusions.

  • Differentiates low-order from higher-order thinking.

Importance of Critical Thinking

  • Fosters responsible citizenship and societal contributions.

  • Must be taught by trained instructors.


The Scientific Method and Critical ThinkingMirrors the scientific method: asking questions, formulating hypotheses, gathering data, and testing conclusions.

Components

  • Involves skepticism and encourages problem-solving.

  • Critical thinkers question norms and seek new insights.

Challenges

  • Avoiding questions of authority and falling into emotional thinking.

Characteristics of Good Critical Thinkers (Raymond S. Nickerson)

  • Use evidence impartially, organize thoughts, differentiate inferences, and suspend judgment.

  • Exhibit independent learning, anticipate consequences, and challenge personal biases.

Alternative Viewpoints

  • Involves analyzing information with values like clarity, accuracy, and fairness.

  • Critical thinking requires flexibility in thought.

Skills of Critical Thinkers

  • Interpret evidence accurately and draw logical conclusions, while embracing complexity.

Evaluating Written Material Critically

  • Understand the writer's purpose, assess evidence types, evaluate relevance, and examine conclusions.

Problem Solving Steps

  1. Identify the problem.

  2. Explore solutions and weigh pros and cons.

  3. Choose a solution and outline implementation.