Critical Thinking

What is it?
I am not
a parrot!

"Study without reflection is a

waste of time; reflection
without study is dangerous."
-- Confucius
Critical thinking begins when you
question beyond what is given.

You want to know more:

• how something happens,
• why it happens, and further
• what will happen if something changes.
 
Critical thinking therefore requires a conscious
level of processing, analysis, creation and
evaluation of possible outcomes, and reflection.
If you’re a critical
thinker, you think.
….No surprise….

You are willing to examine your beliefs,

assumptions, and opinions and weigh them
against facts. You are willing to evaluate the
generalizations and stereotypes you have
created and are open to change, if
necessary.
Critical thinkers listen
carefully.

If you’re a critical thinker, you listen

carefully to what others are saying and
are able to give feedback. You are able to
suspend judgment until all the facts have
been gathered and considered.
Critical thinkers look
for evidence….

If you’re a critical thinker, you look

for evidence to support your
assumptions and beliefs. You
examine problems closely and are
able to reject information that is
incorrect or irrelevant.
Therefore…through experience, as a
critical thinker, you will:

• identify information that is being put forth as an argument

and break it down to its basic components for evaluation.
• construct alternative interpretations
• be willing to explore diverse perspectives
• be willing to change personal assumptions when
presented with valid information
• be willing to ask difficult questions and the ability to
receptive to opposing viewpoints.
 Critical thinkers are curious.

They are interested in knowing all there is

about a topic. They look for new and better
ways to do everything. They are not the
person who will settle for “…because that
is the way we have always done it.”
 Definitions
Critical thinking is . . .

 Thinking “outside” the box

 Divergent thinking

 Forming logical inferences

 Limitless thinking

 Higher level thinking involving.

..
 Evaluating

 Analyzing

 Synthesizing

 Forming opinions

 Assessing

 Rating

 Making inferences

 Drawing conclusions

 Critiquing
 BLOOM’S TAXONOMY– A HIERARCHICAL
CLASSIFICATION OF THE LEVELS OF THINKING

EVALUATION—critiquing, rating, grading, assaying, assessing, inferring,

drawing conclusions, forming opinions

SYNTHESIS—redesigning, recreating, putting back together in a

different way
COMPLEX

ANALYSIS—examining, taking apart, breaking down

SIMPLE
APPLICATION—using knowledge & comprehension; solving problems

COMPREHENSION—understanding, paraphrasing, interpreting

KNOWLEDGE—naming, recognizing, identifying, recalling, reciting, etc.

Understanding Bloom’s Taxonomy
• . . . a hierarchy is a sequential organization

• . . . it progresses upward from simple to complex

• . . . each level builds upon the preceding level(s)

• . . . an appropriate concept map of Bloom’s Taxonomy is pyramidal in

shape, beginning at the base with knowledge and progressing upward

• . . . at the highest levels there is no 1 “right” answer

Ex.: What is your opinion of . . .?

What conclusions can you draw from . . .?
How would you rate the movie . . .?
 Why Is Critical Thinking Important?
It . . .

• .communication
. . underlies reading, writing, listening and speaking—basic elements of

• . . . plays an important part in social change. . .

institutions in any society—courts, governments, schools, businesses—
are the products of critical thinking

• . . . plays a major role in technological advances

• . . . blazes a path to freedom from half-truths and deceptions
 How Can One Become a Critical
Thinker?
• By asking pertinent questions (of self
as well as others);
• By listening carefully to others, thinking
about what they say, and giving feedback;

• By assessing statements and • By observing with an open mind;

arguments;

• By making assertions based on sound

logic and solid evidence;
• By developing a sense of observation
and curiosity;
• By sharing ideas with others;

• By becoming interested in finding new

solutions; • By becoming an open-minded listener and
reader;

• By examining beliefs, assumptions,

and opinions and weighing them • By engaging in active reading and active
against truth. listening!
• By developing a “thinker’s
vocabulary”.
 Final Words
• Critical thinking is “higher level” thinking
• Itbox”
often requires us to think “outside the

• Many
thinking
occupations/careers require critical

• The things we enjoy in everyday society

are the result of critical thinking
• By adopting certain habits and behaviors
we can learn to think critically.
Who Should Use Critical
Thinking?
 Everyone thinks…
Everyone thinks. It is in our nature to do so.
But so much of our thinking, left to itself, is
biased, distorted, partial, uninformed, or
downright prejudiced. Yet the quality of our
life and that of what we produce depends on
the quality of our thought.

-Richard Paul
 Problem-Solving
• Involves using higher-order thinking skills to
effectively handle and critically work out realistic
solutions to problems.

- Is a basic skill or tool that is needed by employees for

workplace demands
- Includes a complex set of cognitive, behavioral, and
attitudinal components
- Can be a multiple-step process
How to Accelerate your Learning
for Problem-Solving
In order to accelerate learning, one must
acknowledge their personal learning style,
maximize their intelligence and their ability
to acquire and remember information.
Determine your Learning Style
• Knowing your learning style can help you
capitalize on your strengths and play down
weaknesses
• Learning is dependent on our senses to process
information
– There is often a tendency to use certain senses over
others
Determine your Learning Style
• Three Learning Basic Learning Styles:

1.) Visual: learning through “seeing”

• Ex: Diagrams, illustrations, pictures

2.) Auditory: learning through “hearing”

• Ex: Verbal lectures

3.) Kinesthetic: learning through “doing”

• Ex: Hands-on learning

• Find your learning style at:

http://people.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/learning-style/
 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
Theory
• Howard Gardner conceived of 8 different
intelligences.
– There are many different ways for people to demonstrate
intellectual ability.
– If we are aware of our most highly developed
intelligences, we can make optimal use of them at work.
Eight intelligences: Linguistic, Logical-mathematical,
Spatial, Bodily-kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal,
Intrapersonal, Naturalist
 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
Theory
1.) Linguistic intelligence = “word smart”
2.) Logical-mathematical intelligence =
“number/reasoning smart”

3.) Spatial intelligence = “picture smart”

4.) Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence = “body smart”
 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence
Theory Continued…
5.)Musical Intelligence = “music smart”
6.) Interpersonal intelligence = “people smart”

7.) Intrapersonal intelligence = “self smart”

8.) Naturalist intelligence = “nature smart”
 Develop your Memory Skills
• Memory involves recalling information that you
have learned or experienced.

– Can be short-or long term; meaning that some

information is stored for different amounts of
time
– There are tips and exercises that can be used to
improve memory
General Methods to Improve your
Memory
1.) Pay attention and do not multi-task
2.) Tailor information to your learning style
3.) Utilize your senses
4.) Relate information to what you already know
5.) Organize information
6.) Rehearse information frequently and
“over-learn”
7.) Be motivated and maintain a positive attitude
 Mnemonic Devices to Improve
Memory
Devices that can be used:
1.) Visual images
2.) Sentences
3.) Acronyms
4.) Rhymes
5.) “Chunking” information, which is to categorize
information into smaller sections that are easier
to remember
 Types of Questions Involved in
Problem-Solving
There are three basic types of questions:

1.) Open-ended
2.) Closed-ended
3.) Leading
 Open-Ended Questions
Open-ended: is designed to encourage a full,
meaningful answer using the subjects own knowledge
and feelings

- Allows for a free response and can be perceived as a

less threatening type of question.

- Example: Can you tell me what you think of your

relationship with your boss?
 Closed-Ended Questions

Closed-ended: is designed to encourage a short or

one word answer, such as “yes” or “no.”

- These questions require short responses, and thus

save time. However, responses may then be more
incomplete.

- Example: Do you get along well with your boss?

 Leading Questions
Leading: designed to subtly prompt the responder to
answer in a particular way.

- These questions can be problematic as they can result

in false or slanted information.

- Example: Tell me how this problem arose?

(this assumes that there is a problem and that you
were involved in it arising)
 Problem-Solving Techniques
- Problem-solving techniques are similar to those with
decision-making, although there is usually a final best
solution, and thus more clarity.

- This is not a linear process, and steps can be repeated or

reordered if necessary

- This technique is most useful for complex problem-

solving and difficult decisions
 Problem-Solving Techniques
Continued…
• Seven steps for problem-solving can
be carried out.

1.) Identify the issues

- Be clear about what the problem is

2.) Understand everyone’s interests

-It is important to take the perspective of all that are involved to
generate the best solution
 Problem-Solving Techniques
Continued…
3.) List possible solutions
- Brainstorm and use creativity to come up with ideas
on how to solve the problem

4.) Evaluate the options

- Consider the pros and cons for given solutions

5.) Select an options or options

- Determine what is the best option and provides the
most balancing solution to the problem. Consider also
whether several solutions could be combined.
 Problem-Solving Techniques
6.) Document any agreements
- if working in a group, note the agreement among
members about solutions

7.) Implement, monitor, and evaluate solutions

 Becoming Aware
• To be an effective problem-solver, you need
to have self-awareness about your:

– Thinking processes, decision-making skills, learning

style, intelligence, memory and information
acquisition, and problem-solving skills and techniques
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•THANKS FOR
PARTICIPATING

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