Week 1 The Components and Steps of Critical Thinking PDF

MPU 2222: CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING THE COMPONENTS OF CRITICAL THINKING  By the end of the lesson, you should be able to: identify the components of critical thinking LEARNING OUTCOMES describe each component’s characteristics ...

MPU 2222: CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING THE COMPONENTS OF CRITICAL THINKING  By the end of the lesson, you should be able to: identify the components of critical thinking LEARNING OUTCOMES describe each component’s characteristics  THE CRITICAL THINKING PROCESS THE COMPONENTS OF CRITICAL THINKING Affective Behavioral Components Components Cognitive Components  1. Valuing truth above self –interest AFFECTIVE 2. Accepting change COMPONENTS: the emotional 3. Empathizing foundation that either expands or 4. Welcoming divergent views limits critical thinking 5.Tolerating ambiguity 6. Recognizing personal biases  Valuing truth above self-interest 1. Critical thinkers hold themselves and those they agree Valuing with to the same intellectual standards to which they hold their opponents Accepting change 2. Critical thinkers remain open to the need for adjustment and Accepting adaptation throughout the life cycle Because critical thinkers fully trust the processes of reason inquiry, they are willing to use these skills to examine even their most deeply held values and belief and to modify these beliefs when evidence and experience contradict them. 3. EMPATHIZING/UNDERSTANDING ❑ CRITICAL THINKERS APPRECIATE AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS’ THOUGHTS, FEELINGS AND BEHAVIORS. ❑ NONCRITICAL THINKERS VIEW EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IN RELATION TO THE SELF 4. WELCOMING DIVERGENT VIEWS ❑ CRITICAL THINKERS VALUE EXAMINING ISSUES FROM EVERY ANGLE AND KNOW THAT IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND POSITIONS WITH WHICH THEY DISAGREE 5. TOLERATING AMBIGUITY ❑ ALTHOUGH FORMAL EDUCATION OFTEN TRAINS US TO LOOK FOR A SINGLE ‘RIGHT’ ANSWER, CRITICAL THINKERS RECOGNIZE THAT MANY ISSUES ARE COMPLEX AND SUBTLE OR INDIRECT AND THAT COMPLEX ISSUES MAY NOT HAVE A ‘RIGHT’ ANSWER ❑ THEY RECOGNIZE AND VALUE QUALIFIERS SUCH AS ‘PROBABLY, HIGHLY LIKELY, AND NOT VERY LIKELY’ 6. Recognizing personal ideas Critical thinkers use their highest intellectual skills to detect personal biases and self- deceptive reasoning so they can design realistic plans for self -correction  1.Thinking independently 2.Defining problems Accurately COGNITIVE 3.Analyzing data for value and COMPONENTS content The thought processes 4.employing a variety of actually involved thinking processes in problem- in critical solving thinking 5.Synthesizing 6.Resisting overgeneralizations 7.Employing metacognition  Thinking independently 1. Critical thinking is independent Thinking thinking Critical thinks do not passively accept the beliefs of others and are not easily manipulated Defining problems accurately 2. A critical thinker identifies the issues Defining in clear and concrete terms, to prevent confusion and lay the foundation for gathering relevant information 3. Analyzing data for value and content By carefully evaluating the nature of evidence and the credibility of the source, critical thinkers recognize illegitimate appeals to emotion, unsupported assumptions, and faulty logic This enable them to discount sources of information that lack a record of honesty, contradict themselves on key questions, or have a interest in selling a product or idea 4. EMPLOYING A VARIETY THINKING PROCESSES IN PROBLEM SOLVING ❑ AMONG THESE THINKING PROCESSES ARE: ❖ INDUCTIVE LOGIC- REASONING THAT MOVES THE SPECIFIC TO THE GENERAL; ❖ DEDUCTIVE LOGIC- REASONING THAT MOVES FROM GENERAL TO SPECIFIC; ❖ DIALOGICAL THINKING- THINKING THAT INVOLVES AN EXTENDED VERBAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW OR FRAMES OF REFERENCE ❖ AND DIALECTICAL THINKING- THINKING THAT TESTS THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF OPPOSING POINTS OF VIEW INDUCTIVE VS. DEDUCTIVE REASONING  DEDUCTIVE REASONING STARTS WITH A GENERAL RULE (A PREMISE) WHICH WE KNOW TO BE TRUE. THEN, FROM THAT RULE, WE MAKE A TRUE CONCLUSION ABOUT SOMETHING SPECIFIC. THE PROCESS OF REASONING FROM KNOWN FACTS TO CONCLUSIONS. WHEN YOU REASON DEDUCTIVELY, YOU CAN SAY “THEREFORE” WITH CERTAINTY. IF YOUR FACTS WERE FIRM TO BEGIN WITH, THEN YOUR CONCLUSIONS WILL ALSO BE FIRM. DEDUCTIVE REASONING DEDUCTIVE REASONING FROM VAGUE T0 SPECIFIC  A DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DEFINITIVE PROOF OF THE TRUTH OF THE CLAIM (CONCLUSION). PREMISE → ALL MEN ARE MORTAL. PREMISE → SOCRATES WAS A MAN. CONCLUSION → SOCRATES WAS MORTAL. IF THE PREMISES ARE TRUE (AND THEY ARE), THEN IT SIMPLY ISN'T POSSIBLE FOR THE CONCLUSION TO BE FALSE. IF YOU HAVE A DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENT AND YOU ACCEPT THE TRUTH OF THE PREMISES, THEN YOU MUST ALSO ACCEPT THE TRUTH OF THE CONCLUSION. A DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENT True True True Premise Premise Conclusion  DEDUCTIVE REASONING EXAMPLE: SMITH OWNS ONLY BLUE PANTS AND BROWN PANTS. SMITH IS WEARING A PAIR OF PANTS TODAY. SO, SMITH IS WEARING EITHER BLUE OR BROWN PANTS TODAY.  INDUCTIVE REASONING THE PROCESS OF GOING FROM OBSERVATIONS TO CONCLUSIONS. THIS TYPE OF CONCLUSION IS SOMETIMES CALLED AN INFERENCE. OBSERVING THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE MANY TIMES, THEN CONCLUDING THAT IT WILL BE TRUE IN ALL INSTANCES USING THE DATA TO MAKE A PREDICTION INDUCTIVE REASONING INDUCTIVE REASONING FROM SPECIFIC TO VAGUE  AN INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT IS ONE IN WHICH THE PREMISES ARE SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION. IF THE PREMISES ARE TRUE, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE CONCLUSION IS FALSE. THE CONCLUSION PROBABLY FOLLOWS FROM THE PREMISES. PREMISE → SOCRATES WAS GREEK. PREMISE → MOST GREEKS EAT FISH. CONCLUSION → SOCRATES ATE FISH. EVEN IF BOTH PREMISES ARE TRUE, IT IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE CONCLUSION TO BE FALSE (MAYBE SOCRATES WAS ALLERGIC TO FISH). WORDS WHICH TEND TO MARK AN ARGUMENT AS INDUCTIVE INCLUDE PROBABLY, LIKELY, POSSIBLY AND REASONABLY. A INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT True True Probably Premise Premise True Conclusion  INDUCTIVE REASONING EXAMPLE: JANUARY HAS BEEN COLD HERE IN SIBERIA. TODAY IS JANUARY 14, SO IT IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER COLD DAY IN SIBERIA. 5. Synthesizing Critical thinkers recognize that comprehensive and understanding result from combining various elements into meaningful patterns 6. Resisting overgeneralizations Overgeneralizations is the temptation to apply a fact or experience to situations that are only superficially similar 7. Employing metacognition Metacognition, also known as reflective or recursive thinking Involves reviewing and analyzing your own mental processes- thinking about your own thinking  1.Delaying judgment until adequate data is available 2.Employing precise items 3. Gathering data BEHAVIORAL 4.Distinguishing fact from opinion COMPONENTS: The actions 5.Encouraging critical dialogue necessary for 6.Listening actively critical thinking 7.Modifying judgment in light of new information 8.Applying knowledge to new situations 1. Delaying judgment until adequate data is available A critical thinker does not make snap judgments 2. Employing precise items Precise items help critical thinkers identify issues clearly and concretely so they can be objectively defined and empirically tested 3. Gathering data Collecting up- to- date, relevant information on all sides of an issue is a priority before making decisions 4. ENCOURAGING CRITICAL DIALOGUE ❑ CRITICAL THINKERS ARE ACTIVE QUESTIONERS WHO CHALLENGE EXISTING FACTS AND OPINIONS AND WELCOME QUESTIONS IN RETURN ❑ SOCRATIC QUESTIONING IS AN IMPORTANT TYPE OF CRITICAL DIALOGUE IN WHICH THE QUESTIONER DEEPLY PROBES THE MEANING, JUSTIFICATION, OR LOGICAL STRENGTH OF A CALM, POSITION, OR LINE OF REASONING 5. LISTENING ACTIVELY ❑ CRITICAL THINKERS FULLY ENGAGE THEIR THINKING SKILLS WHEN LISTENING TO ANOTHER. 6. MODIFYING JUDGMENTS IN LIGHT OF NEW INFORMATION ❑ CRITICAL THINKERS ARE WILLING TO ABANDON OR MODIFY THEIR JUDGMENT IF LATER EVIDENCE CONTRADICTS THEM. 7. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE TO NEW SITUATIONS ❑ WHEN CRITICAL THINKERS MASTER A NEW SKILL OR EXPERIENCE AN INSIGHT, THEY TRANSFER THIS INFORMATION TO NEW CONTEXTS. ❑ NONCRITICAL THINKERS CAN OFTEN PROVIDE CORRECT ANSWERS, REPEAT DEFINITIONS, AND CARRY OUT CALCULATIONS, YET ARE UNABLE TO TRANSFER THEIR KNOWLEDGE TO NEW SITUATIONS BECAUSE OF A BASIC LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.  1. THE CRITICAL THINKING METHOD CAN BE ADOPTED TO REPLACE EMOTIONS AND BIASES WHEN TRYING TO THINK ABOUT A SITUATION OR A PROBLEM. 2. THE TIME FOR ADOPTING CRITICAL THINKING SUMMARY VARIES BASED ON 3. THE PROBLEM; IT MAY TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO A OF NUMBER OF DAYS. 4. THE ADVANTAGE OF DEPLOYING CRITICAL THINKING IS THAT IT CONTRIBUTES TO WIDENING OUR PERSPECTIVES ABOUT SITUATIONS AND BROADENING 5. OUR THINKING POSSIBILITIES. HOWEVER, THESE STEPS SHOULD BE 6. TRANSLATED INTO A PLAN OF ACTION THAT ENSURES THAT THE DECIDED 7. RESOLUTION IS WELL- ACHIEVED AND INTEGRATED BETWEEN ALL THE INVOLVED BODIES.  REFERENCE ALL THE LECTURE NOTES ARE TAKEN FROM: ROD JUDKINS. (2016). THE ART OF CREATIVE THINKING: 89 WAYS TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY. TARCHER PERIGEE DEBRA L. WELKLEY 7 JR. SANTOS TORRES. (2015). CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING. 2ND EDITION. COGNELLA ACADEMIC PUBLISHING. MPU 2222: CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING STEPS IN CRITICAL THINKING Learning Outcomes: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: Define critical thinking List out the steps in critical thinking Describe the steps in critical thinking Describe how both critical and creative thinking skills can be used in problem-solving Describe how critical thinking skills can be used to evaluate information Identify strategies for developing yourself as a critical thinker WHAT IS CRITICAL THIKING? Critical thinking is a desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and hatred for every kind of imposture. —Francis Bacon Critical thinking refers to the process of actively analyzing, assessing, synthesizing, evaluating and reflecting on information gathered from observation, experience, or communication. It is thinking in a clear, logical, reasoned, and reflective manner to solve problems or make decisions. The following are questions may be applied to formulate a logical, reasoned perspective in a situation: What’s happening? Gather the basic information and begin to think of questions. Why is it important? Ask yourself why it’s significant and whether or not you agree. What don’t I see? Is there anything important missing? How do I know? Ask yourself where the information came from and how it was constructed. Who is saying it? What’s the position of the speaker and what is influe ncing them? What else? What if? What other ideas exist and are there other possib ilities?  1. Knowledge 2. Comprehension THE STEPS IN CRITICAL 3. Application THINKING ARE: 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation  KNOWLEDGE 1. For every problem, clear vision puts us on the right path to solve it. 2. This step identifies the argument or the problem that needs to be solved. 3. Questions should be asked to acquire a deep understanding about the problem. 4. In some cases, there is no actual problem, thus there is no need to move forward with other steps in the critical model. 5. The questions in this stage should be open- ended to allow the chance to discuss and explore main reasons. 6. At this stage, two main questions need to be addressed: ❑ What is the problem? ❑ Why do we need to solve it? What is an open-ended question? An open-ended question is a question that cannot be answered with a "yes" or "no" response, or with a static response. Open-ended questions are phrased as a statement which requires a response that includes various details. Examples of open-ended questions: Tell me about your experience as a student. What are the problems that you faced in completing the assignment?  COMPREHENSION / UNDERSTANDING 1. Define the problem. In understanding and communicating the problem effectively, we have to be clear about what the issue is 2. Once the problem is identified, the next step is to understand the situation and the facts aligned/allied with it. 3. Gather information. The data to solve the problem can be collected using any of the research methods that can be adopted depending on the problem, the type of the data available, and the deadline required to solve it..  APPLICATION 1. This step continues the previous one to complete the understanding of different facts and resources required to solve the problem by building a linkage between the information and resources. 2. Mind- maps can be used to analyze the situation, build a relation between it and the core problem, and determine the best way to move forward. Ways to mind-map in order to analyse a situation: Use of concept maps: A concept map is a visual organizer that can enrich a person’s understanding of a new concept Why use a concept map? It helps to organize new information. It helps to make meaningful connections between the main idea and other information. They're easy to construct and can be used within any content area. An example of a concept map: Another example of a concept map: Another example of a concept map:  ANALYSIS 1. Once the information is collected and linkages are built between the information and the main problems, the situation is analyzed in order to identify the situation, the strong points, the weak points, and the challenges faced while solving the problem. 2. The priorities are set for the main causes and are determined how they can be addressed in the solution.  ANALYSIS One of the commonly used tools that can be deployed to analyze the problem and the circumstances around it is the Cause- Effect diagram or the Fish Bone diagram which divides the problem from its causes ad categorizes them based on their type and impact on the problem.  The Fish-Bone Diagram: The fishbone diagram or Ishikawa diagram is a cause-and-effect diagram that helps to track down the reasons for imperfections, variations, defects, or failures. The diagram looks just like a fish's skeleton with the problem at its head and the causes for the problem feeding into the spine. A fishbone diagram, also called a cause and effect diagram or Ishikawa diagram, is a visualization tool for categorizing the potential causes of a problem in order to identify its root causes. An example of a fish bone diagram: Another example of a fish bone diagram  SYNTHESIS /COMBINATION 1. In this stage, once the problem is fully analyzed and all the related information is considered, a decision should be formed about how to solve the problem and the initial routes to follow to take this decision into action. 2. If there are number of solutions, they should be evaluated and prioritized in order to find the most advantageous solution.  Synthesis/Combination One of the tools that contribute choosing the problem solution is the SWOT analysis that tends to identify the solution’s strength, weakness, opportunity and threats. SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding your strength and weaknesses, and for identifying both the opportunities open to you and the threats you face. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal to your compa ny—things that you have some control over and can change. Examples include who is on your team, your assets and intellectual property, and your location An example of SWOT Analysis Another Example of SWOT Analysis  EVALUATION 1. Evaluation is a process that critically examines a programIt in volves collecting and analyzing information about a program's activities, characteristics, and outcomes. Its purpose is to make judgments about a program, to improve its effectiveness and/or to inform programming decisions (Patton, 1987). 2. Evaluation occurs once we have understood and analyzed what is said or written and the reasons offered to support it. 3. Then we can appraise/evaluate the information in order to decide whether we can give or withhold belief, and whether or not to take a particular action. 4. Some keywords can be reviewed so that will help us identify when synthesis is called for. Never put evaluation ahead of the other steps in critical thinking steps; otherwise you will be guilty of a ‘rush judgment’ When emotion substitutes for reasons, evaluation incorrectly precedes or leads the analysis. Evaluating information can be one of the most complex tasks you will be faced with in college. But if you utilize the following four strategies, you will be well on your way to success: Read for understanding Examine arguments Clarify thinking Cultivate “habits of mind” Read for Understanding When you read, take notes or mark the text to track your thinking about what you are reading. As you make connections and ask questions in response t o what you read, you monitor your comprehension and enhance your long-term understanding of the material. You will want to mark important arguments and key facts. Indicate where you agree and disagree or have further questions. You don’t necessarily need to read every word, but make sure you understand the concepts or the intentions behind wh at is written. Examine Arguments When you examine arguments or claims that an author, speaker, or other source is making, your goal is to identify and examine the hard facts. You can use the spectrum of authority strategy for this purpose. The spectrum of authority strategy assists you in identifying the “hot” end of an argument—feelings, beliefs, cultural influences, and societal influences—and the “cold” end of an argument—scientific influences. The most comp elling arguments balance elements from both ends of the s pectrum. The following video explains this strategy in further detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G5xooM N2_c&feature=emb_logo Clarify Thinking When you use critical thinking to evaluate information, you need to clarify your thinking to yourself and likely to others. Doing this well is mainly a process of asking and answering probing questions, such logic questions. Design your questions to fit your needs, but be sure to cover adequate ground: What is the purpose? What question are we trying to answer? What point of view is Being expressed? What assumptions are we or others making? What are the facts and data we know, and how do we know them? What are the concepts we’re working with? What are the conclusions, and do they make sense? What are the implications? Cultivate “Habits of Mind” “Habits of mind” are the personal commitments, values, and standards you have about the principle of good thinking. Consider your intellectual commitments, values, and standards: Do you approach problems with an open mind, a respect for truth, and an inquiring attitude? Some good habits to have when thinking critically are: being receptive to having your opinions changed, having respect for others, being independent and not accepting something is true until you’ve had the time to examine the available evidence, being fair-minded, having respect for a reason, having an inquiring mind, not making assumptions, and always, questioning your own conclusions—in other words, developing an intellectual work ethic. Summary In conclusion, identifying the various standards in critical thinking would ensure that ethical standards and fair judgement are maintained while practicing critical thinking skills. Recognising the barriers in thinking critically would enable us to overcome these barriers and achieve higher order thinking skills. References All the lecture notes are taken from: Rod Judkins. (2016). The Art of Creative Thinking: 89 Ways to See Things Differently. TarcherPerigee Debra L. Welkley 7 Jr. Santos Torres. (2015). Critical and Creative Thinking. 2nd edition. Cognella Aca demic Publishing. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wallstreetmojo.com%2Ffishbone-diagra m%2F&psig=AOvVaw15Yh8JvrFf3oKFrSR5Mn4W&ust=1588900391618000&source=images&cd=vfe& ved=2ahUKEwiM1dasyaDpAhV3_TgGHTTpAG0Qr4kDegUIARCKAg https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsupplychainleader%2 Fphotos%2Fa-fishbone-diagram-is-a-diagram-that-looks-just-like-that-hence-the-name-it-was https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstudy.com%2Facademy%2Flesson%2Fconcep t-map-definition-examples.html&psig=AOvVaw3ldKAckbzC7HRcJLhOi_MH&ust=1588908154951000& source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwi_8sKi5qDpAhUxh0sFHZqVCe0Qr4kDegUIARD3AQ