Critical thinking constructing questions and arguments - john diffley
- 1. P R O B L E M S O L V I N G W H I L E A V O I D I N G C O M M O N E R R O R S I N H U M A N I N Q U I R Y B Y C O N S T R U C T I N G C R I T I C A L T H I N K I N G Q U E S T I O N S A N D A R G U M E N T S Critical Thinking
- 2. Critical Thinking Why is it important? When left to itself, human thinking has a penchant toward prejudice (bias), over-generalization (reaching a conclusion based upon too few observations), common fallacies (such as the exception makes the rule), among other things Critical thinking maximizes our ability to solve problems by avoiding these common mistakes in human thinking and to proceed toward a resolution in the most rational and logical manner. In this manner, it is similar to the scientific method.
- 3. Critical Thinking Critical thinkers typically engage in or put emphasis on the following intellectual practices (i) Monitoring, reviewing, and assessing; (ii) Establishing goals and purposes; (iii) Ways issues and problems are formulated; (iv) Information or evidence accepted; (v) Interpretation of that information and evidence; (vi) Quality of the reasoning developed, that is, the ideas in the thinking, assumptions made, and implications that may follow; and, (vii) Points of view.
- 4. Critical Thinking These critical thinking intellectual practices are aimed at such intellectual ends as Clarity Precision Accuracy Relevance Depth Breadth Logicalness
- 5. Critical Thinking Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills (i) Rationality: reason, evidence, concerned with best explanation than being right (ii) self-awareness: recognize our own assumptions or points of view (iii) honesty: recognize modes of self-deception (emotional impulses) that may affect a thorough analysis of the work (iv) open-mindedness: evaluate reasonable inferences and open to alternative explanations (v) discipline: precise, meticulous, and resistance to snap judgments (vi) judgment: recognize extent of evidence and merit of alternative perspectives
- 6. Critical Thinking Critical thinkers are skeptical - approach texts with suspicion Active - ask questions and analyze Seek sound inferences and insightful analogies Open – challenge their own beliefs and investigate competing evidence Passive, non-critical thinkers Simplistic view of the world Black and white See questions as “yes” or “no” with no subtleties Fail to see complexities Fail to recognize related elements Egotistical view of the world Their facts are only relevant facts Their own perspective the only sensible one Their goal the only valid one
- 7. Critical Thinking Formulating the questions For example, critical analysis when translating the meaning of work What is the purpose of the work, book, or study? What is the author trying to accomplish? What issues or problems are raised? What data or evidence are given? What concepts are used to organize this data, these experiences? How is the author thinking about the world? Is the thinking justified from our perspective? How is it justified from the creator’s perspective? How can we enter that perspective to appreciate what merit it may have?
- 8. Developing Discussion Questions to Promote Critical Thinking (a) “What are the implications of _________?” (b) Why is ________ important? (c) What is another way to look at ______? Questions that ask students to reflect on their own thinking processes and to identify what particular form of critical thinking they are using --- that is thinking about thinking. Now, please refer to the two handouts for extensive questions to elicit critical thinking.