Journal Assignment 5
Critical Thinking Critical Thinking: A Higher - Order Process Critical thinking involves: evaluating arguments understanding why people hold certain beliefs learning to ask pertinent questions testing your own assumptions A Skill to Carry You Through Life Professors and future employers value your ability to perform these critical thinking skills: Manage and interpret information Examine exciting ideas and develop new ones Pose logical arguments Recognize reliable evidence Four Aspects of Critical Thinking Abstract Thinking: discovering larger ideas from details Creative Thinking: finding new possibilities Systematic Thinking: organizing the possibilities Precise communication of your ideas to others. How College Encourages Critical Thinking Remember: Sometimes how you solve a problem is as important as the solution . Open ended questions of “Why?”, “How?” or “What If?” have no simple, clear -cut answers. There are many valid points of view! 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. 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. Terms to Know Inference A judgment based on situational cues Plausible Logical and potentially accurate Validity Truthfulness Claim A statement which is neither true or false Fact A truth that cannot be disputed Argument A set of claims Assumption An inference that is believed to be true Inductive and Deductive Reasoning Inductive Reasoning Specific Reasoning Broad Principles Example: My history All college courses class requires a lot of have a lot of reading reading Deductive Reasoning Broad Specific Generalizations Conclusions Example: All college My art history course courses are hard will be hard The IDEAL Method Identify the problem. D efine the problem. E xplore alternative approaches. A ct on the best strategies. L ook back to evaluate the effects. Good Problem Solvers... Observe carefully. Use systematic strategies . Are positive. Show concern for accuracy. Ask Questions One quality of a good critical thinker is the ability to ask on -target questions. If you don’t usually ask questions, is it because you – Fear embarrassment? – Worry what others will think of you? – Worry that the instructor will think your question is strange? – Worry that others will think you’re showing off? When you don’t ask questions, you sacrifice your education. If you don’t take risks, you won’t get the maximum benefit in developing your mind. There’s No Such Thing as a Stupid Question (Almost) There are unwelcome questions. Don’t ask questions that detract from the momentum of the class. Don’t ask questions that focus more on self - concerns than on the needs of the class. Don’t ask questions that demonstrate you failed to pay attention. Offer Criticism You will most likely be asked to judge or evaluate issues in college. First decide whether you like what you are being asked to judge. Consider both positive and negative attributes. Use examples to support your judgment. Don’t be intimidated by this kind of assignment; your instructors want you to develop your critical thinking skills. Make the Right Inferences You are constantly making inferences. Inferences are interpretations that you derive from processing cues in a situation. A plausible inference is a judgment that is logical, and possibly accurate. Sometimes inferences become assumptions — something we believe to be true and act on as though it were. Inference can be tricky. It is easy to be wrong and you may operate on faulty assumptions until you are informed otherwise. What is a Claim? A claim is a statement which can be either true or false, but not both. Claims differ from facts , which are truths that cannot be disputed. When evaluating a claim, you have three choices: – accept the claim – reject the claim – suspend judgment until you have more information What is an Argument? An argument is a set of claims. Arguments begin with premises , initial claims that lead to the final claim — the conclusion. A good argument is one in which – the premises are true – the premises lead logically to the truth of the conclusion Good arguments are called strong or valid arguments. Form Strong Arguments Be sure the conclusion follows logically from the premises. Leave out faulty or dubious premises. Use precise language to pinpoint your claim. Avoid making claims you can’t prove. Refine Your Reasoning Be willing to argue Use deductive reasoning Check your assumptions Know your own basis Take time before concluding Know Your Own Bias Everyone has strong preferences and prejudices that may prevent us from evaluating arguments fairly. Acknowledging these can increase the likelihood of coming up with more effective arguments. Good reasoners guard against their own “soft spots” to increase their objectivity. Refine Your Problem Solving Skills Observe carefully Stay positive and persistent Show concern for accuracy Four Common Decision Making Problems Snap decisions Narrow thinking Sprawling thinking Fuzzy thinking What Makes a Creative Person? They actively pursue experiences that are aesthetically pleasing. They enjoy taking a unique approach to things. They love the process of creating. They are flexible and like to play with problems. They take risks and learn from their mistakes. They strive to evaluate their work fairly. They thrive when they think of assignment guidelines as a launching point for their imagination. Foster Creativity Don’t accept other people’s blueprints. Be vigilant about what others can’t see. Differentiate the good from the bad. Take the plunge before you’re an expert. Concentrate on the big picture. Take sensible risks. Motivate yourself intrinsically. Shape environments that will support your creativity. Actively pursue your creative life.
