Hum 10010

Critical Thinking

23/11/2010

Thinking

Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so.

But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right

prejudiced.

Graduate Attributes

Skills we expect our students to have upon graduation

Usually generic rather than subject specific

Graduate Attributes

1. Research & inquiry,2. Communication,3. Information Literacy,4. Ethical social & professional understandings, 5. Personal & intellectual autonomy.

Graduate Attributes

The capacity for analytical and critical thinking and for creative problem solving;

The ability to engage in independent and reflective learning;

Graduate Attributes

An appreciation of, and respect for, diversity;

A capacity to contribute to, and work within, the international community;

An appreciation of, and a responsiveness to, change;

Graduate Attributes

A respect for ethical practice and social responsibility;

Graduate Attributes

The capacity for enterprise, initiative and creativity;

Graduate Attributes

Information Literacy – the skills to locate, evaluate and use relevant information;

The skills of effective communication.

Graduate Attributes The capacity for analytical and critical thinking and for

creative problem solving; The ability to engage in independent and reflective

learning;An appreciation of, and respect for, diversity;A capacity to contribute to, and work within, the

international community; An appreciation of, and a responsiveness to, change; A respect for ethical practice and social responsibility; The capacity for enterprise, initiative and creativity;Information Literacy – the skills to locate, evaluate and

use relevant information; The skills of effective communication.

Critical Thinking: The Graduate Attribute?

3-tier model (Barnett 1997)

Critical thinking (learning generally to problem solve) Critical thought (using this skill to interrogate a body of

knowledge) Critique (meta-criticism, critique one discipline from the

perspective of another, situate one’s own discipline in wider contexts)

(Pithers & Soden 2000, Davies 2006, Jones 2007a,2007b, 2009, Maton 2009 )

Features of Critical Thinking

raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;

Features of Critical Thinking

gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively

Features of Critical Thinking

comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant

criteria and standards;

Features of Critical Thinking

thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing,

as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences;

Features of Critical Thinking

communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

Features of Critical Thinking

Rationality Self-awareness Honesty Open-mindedness Discipline Judgment

Rationality

We are thinking critically when we: rely on reason rather than emotion, require evidence, ignore no known evidence, and follow evidence where it leads, are concerned more with finding the best

explanation than being right, analyzing apparent confusion and asking

questions.

Self-awareness

We are thinking critically when we

weigh the influences of motives and bias,

and recognize our own assumptions, prejudices, biases, or point of view.

Honesty

We are thinking critically when we: recognize emotional impulses, selfish

motives, nefarious purposes, or other modes of self-deception.

Open-Mindedness

We are thinking critically when we:

• evaluate all reasonable inferences• consider a variety of possible viewpoints or

perspectives,• remain open to alternative interpretations

Open-Mindedness

• accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is simpler, or has fewer inconsistencies or covers more data

• accept new priorities in response to a reevaluation of the evidence or reassessment of our real interests, and

• do not reject unpopular views out of hand.

Discipline

We are thinking critically when we are

• precise, meticulous, comprehensive, and exhaustive

• resist manipulation and irrational appeals, • avoid snap judgments.

Judgement

We are thinking critically when we are

• recognize the relevance and/or merit of alternative assumptions and perspectives

• recognize the extent and weight of evidence

Definitions of critical thinking

Awareness of alternative standpoints Ability to defend own stance through debate and argument Assessment of extent to which the evidence supports the

conclusions drawn and to what extent debate is informed by people's own prejudices and their own social, cultural, historical location

Ability to surface underlying assumptions or arguments Critiquing the role of own profession/discipline in society Reflexivity, reflection To identify relationships among abstract concepts, to discern

patterns, themes and trends

Definitions of critical thinking

Critical thinkers are by nature skeptical.

They approach texts with the same skepticism and suspicion as they approach spoken remarks.

Critical thinkers are active, not passive.  They ask  questions and analyze. They consciously apply tactics and strategies to uncover meaning or assure their understanding.

Critical thinkers do not take an egotistical view of the world. They are open to new ideas and perspectives.  They are willing to challenge their beliefs and investigate competing evidence.

Definitions of critical thinking

By contrast, passive, non-critical thinkers take a simplistic view of the world.

• They see things in black and white, as either-or, rather than recognizing a variety of possible understanding.

• They see questions as yes or no with no subtleties.• They fail to see linkages and complexities.• They fail to recognize related elements.• Non-critical thinkers take an egotistical view of the world• They take their facts as the only relevant ones.• They take their own perspective as the only sensible one.• They take their goal as the only valid one.

Definitions of critical thinking

Ability to abstract and stand back from a situation Constant questioning and interrogation of evidence and

conclusions Ability to take known knowledge and skills and apply these

to unknown situations Ability to make choices and decisions Ability to problem solve and to communicate solutions

effectively Ability to recognise and fill gaps in knowledge Ability to reason using experience and evidence from the

literature and to be able to marry the two

Definitions of critical thinking

Mastery of threshold concepts Reading between the modules to make overarching

connections - the ability to cement the modular bricks Independent thinking and analysis and engagement Interpretative analysis Cross-disciplinary thinking Ability to reflect on studies in a comprehensive way Lateral thinking Valuing difference and diversity Tolerating uncertainty and ambiguity

References Barrie S. (2006) Understanding what we mane by the generic attributes if graduates.

Higher Education 51, 215-241 Barrie S. (2007) A conceptual framework for the teaching and learning of generic

graduate attributes. Studies in Higher Education 32(4) pp 439-458. Barnett R. (1997) Higher Education: A Critical Business. Open University Press,

Buckingham. Davies W. M. (2006) An ‘infusion approach to critical thinking; Moore on the critical

thinking debate. Higher Education Research and Development 25(2) pp 179-193. Jones A. ( 2007) Multiplicities or manna from heaven? Critical thinking and the

disciplinary context, Australian Journal of Education 51 (1), 84–103.Jones A. (2007) Looking over our shoulders: Critical thinking and ontological insecurity

in higher education, London Review of Education, 5(3), 209-222.Jones A. (2009) Generic attribute as espoused theory: the importance of context.

Higher Education 58, 175-191. Maton K. (2009) Cumulative and segmented learning: exploring the role of curriculum

structures in knowledge building. British Journal of Sociology of Education 30(1) pp 43–57

Pithers R.T & Soden R (2000) Critical thinking in education: a review. Educational Research (42)3,

Pitman T. & Broomhall S. (2000) Australian universities, generic skills and lifelong learning. International Journal of Lifelong Education 28(4), 439-458.