Critical Thinking and Decision Making

A thoughtful process using various skills and approaches to evaluate information and arguments.

Understanding the viewpoints and arguments of others.

Assessing the strength and validity of supporting evidence.

Considering opposing viewpoints fairly, without bias.

Recognizing false or misleading presumptions in arguments.

Recognizing manipulation tactics used to make an argument more compelling.

Thinking logically and deeply about issues in a methodical way.

Drawing conclusions based on well-supported evidence and logical reasoning.

Presenting a perspective in a structured, logical, and convincing manner to persuade others.

Improved accuracy in identifying relevant information, better problem-solving, more precise tasks, and higher efficiency in reasoning.

Analyzing evidence, drawing conclusions, and presenting evidence in a professional setting.

Analyzing an argument by identifying its components, assessing the evidence, spotting logical flaws, and evaluating the soundness of the reasoning.

Thorough analysis considering all relevant perspectives, data, theories, and approaches without exclusion.

Remaining calm and composed, even when presented with challenging evidence, allowing for persuasive arguments.

Acknowledging that ideas, solutions, and conclusions are often not black and white, but exist across a spectrum of possibilities.

Gathering relevant information to support informed judgments about a subject.

Gathering and using information to evaluate different explanations and conclusions.

Improving observational, analytical, reasoning, judgment, decision-making, and persuasion skills.

A visual representation of ideas and their relationships, showing how different concepts connect.

To organize knowledge by visually displaying the relationships between different ideas.

Used for reviewing lectures, planning events, analyzing budgets, brainstorming solutions, and structuring complex concepts.

Concept maps focus on relationships between concepts, while mind maps are designed to brainstorm ideas and visually organize thoughts.

Concept maps illustrate relationships between concepts, while algorithms provide step-by-step instructions to solve a problem.

Concept maps show connections between ideas, while decision maps visually map out choices and their possible outcomes.

There are various online tools available for creating concept maps.

Students using mind maps in medical physics assignments reported improved skills in organizing, decision-making, and critical thinking.

The idea that learners actively construct their knowledge by connecting new information to what they already know.

Explains how learners organize information in their minds by creating a single 'schema' or mental framework.

Key elements include concepts (ideas), links (relationships between concepts), and propositions (statements about the links).

A visual organizational tool used to represent ideas and their connections, helping with understanding, recall, and brainstorming.

Mind maps enhance information structuring, link concepts, improve understanding, boost memory recall, and aid in brainstorming and creativity.

Include central topic, main branches, sub-branches, keywords, and visuals like images or symbols to connect concepts.

Both are visual tools, but Mind Maps focus on brainstorming and organizing ideas, while Concept Maps emphasize relationships between concepts.

1. Brainstorming: Identify ideas. 2. Organizing: Group related items. 3. Layout: Arrange visually. 4. Linking: Connect with verbs. 5. Finalizing: Make permanent, with title.

Software and online tools are available for creating mind maps, allowing for collaboration and digital sharing of ideas.

Feedback aims to help individuals grow and develop by providing information about their work and guiding them towards improvement.

The Feedback Ladder describes how individuals respond to feedback, ranging from outright rejection to using feedback for change.

Feedback that is specific, objective, and focused on behavior rather than personality.

Feedback can be categorized as outlier (unique and unexpected), mainstream (common and typical), and insightful (deep and revealing).

Feedback can be a discussion focused on development or written comments offering insights.

Feedback comes from various sources, including teachers, supervisors, peers, books, patients, and self-reflection.

The effectiveness of feedback relies on how individuals use it to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

Feedback from peers can provide valuable insights, enriching and broadening the information received about one's performance.

Reflective learning is a process of learning through conscious reflection on experiences. It involves revisiting and analyzing past experiences to understand what happened, why, and what can be learned.

Reflective practice is a deliberate and systematic way to analyze and learn from your actions and their consequences. It encompasses critically evaluating your performance and developing strategies for improvement.

Feedback provides valuable insights on your strengths and areas for improvement. It helps you understand how your work is perceived and how to refine your skills.

Being proactive with feedback means taking initiative to seek it out, and then actively engaging with it. This involves asking for specific feedback, discussing it with others, and reflecting on how to apply it.

Feedback helps to identify and enhance your skills, enabling you to become a more effective professional. It provides a roadmap for improvement and continuous learning.

Reflection allows you to connect new knowledge to your existing understanding - making learning more meaningful. Deeper learning involves understanding concepts, their applications, and their implications.

Adaptive expertise refers to the ability to adjust your approach and knowledge based on new experiences and challenges. It's the hallmark of skilled professionals who can handle complex situations effectively.

Reflection helps you critically analyze information and identify important details, leading to more accurate diagnoses. It helps you spot patterns and connections that might otherwise be missed.

Knowledge about things, expressed in verbal or symbolic form. It's what you can talk about.

Knowledge that informs action. It's what you can put to work.

Meaningful learning where you interpret, relate, integrate new information, and construct new concepts to solve novel problems.

Rote learning focused on remembering and retrieving information from long-term memory.

The drive or desire to learn.

Building knowledge through active learning by connecting new information to existing understanding.

The environment and situation in which learning takes place. It influences how we learn and what we learn.

Learning through interaction with others, such as peer discussions or group projects.

A learning approach where peers actively help each other with learning goals, gaining knowledge and skills through collaboration and mutual support.

In PAL, helpers are aware of their role in assisting others, understanding that by helping, they are also learning themselves.

PAL enhances professional teaching, but doesn't replace it. It provides an additional layer of support and interaction among students.

PAL is organized to ensure everyone benefits, whether they are the helper or the one receiving help.

PAL is based on the principle that everyone has something to contribute and can benefit from the process.

Teachers don't just instruct, they guide and monitor PAL, ensuring it's effective and beneficial to everyone involved.

A type of PAL where students take on specific roles of tutor or tutee, focusing on curriculum content and structured interaction.

A PAL method where someone demonstrates positive learning behavior, encouraging others to imitate it.

A learning method where students tackle real-world problems as a starting point for learning new knowledge and skills.

Thinking skills that go beyond basic recall or simple understanding. They involve analysis, evaluation, and creating solutions.

A more structured learning approach where teachers deliver knowledge, and students passively receive and memorize.

Principles that explain how adults learn best, emphasizing self-direction, experience, and real-world application.

A learning theory where learners actively build their own understanding by connecting new knowledge with past experiences and prior knowledge.

A learning approach where different subject areas are connected and taught together, showing how they relate to real-world problems.

The teacher acts as a facilitator, guiding students to explore problems, find solutions, and become self-directed learners.

Adults are: independent and self-directed; experienced; focused on real-world problems; internally motivated; value mutual respect; and integrate learning to their everyday lives.

An instructor-centered approach where the teacher presents concepts and students learn through examples and practice (like lectures).

A student-centered approach where students explore specific examples to derive general principles, making learning more hands-on and exploratory.

A collaborative learning approach where students work in teams to solve problems and learn from each other, emphasizing active participation and accountability.

Inductive teaching starts with specific examples to reach a general principle, while Deductive teaching begins with the general principle and applies it to specific examples.

PBL and TBL put students at the center of the learning process, encouraging them to be active participants in problem-solving, knowledge construction, and collaboration.

PBL and TBL promote deeper learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and application of knowledge in real-world scenarios.

PBL is one example of Inductive Teaching. Both approaches emphasize student-driven learning and the discovery of general principles through specific examples and real-world problems.

A learning approach where individuals actively build their knowledge by connecting new information to existing understanding.

Learning by engaging in tasks that involve active thinking and problem-solving, rather than passively listening.

Skills and attitudes that are valuable in various settings, especially for future careers.

The recognition of the importance of collaborating, working towards a shared goal, leveraging individual strengths.