Thinking Skills Introduction PDF

FBH0033 THINKING SKILLS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING CRITICAL THINKING VS CREATIVE THINKING DEFINITION OF CRITICAL THINKING INTELLIGENCE, THINKING & KNOWLEDGE TRADITIONAL THINKING METHOD KEY CONCEPT OF CRITICAL THINKING CLASS A...

FBH0033 THINKING SKILLS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING CRITICAL THINKING VS CREATIVE THINKING DEFINITION OF CRITICAL THINKING INTELLIGENCE, THINKING & KNOWLEDGE TRADITIONAL THINKING METHOD KEY CONCEPT OF CRITICAL THINKING CLASS ACTIVITY 1 In your group, discuss what you think the term “critical thinking” means. How it differed to “creative thinking”? Write down your ideas, views or definitions and present them to the class. * Remember that there are no right or wrong answers at this point. question analyse interprate evaluate judgement CRITICAL THINKING? The origin word of “CRITICAL” is from the Greek word ”KRITIKOS” (able to judge or discern). It’s referred to: the ability to evaluate, access and judge; the ability to make decision and solve problems; the ability to differentiate & discriminate. Critical thinking is the process of acquiring information, evaluation, interpretation and communication.  LET’S DEFINE CRITICAL THINKING IN TRADITIONAL WAY “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” – Albert Einstein  (i) John Dewey: “We don’t learn from experience; we learn from reflecting on experience.” - J. Dewey, 1938 The term critical thinking was coined by American philosopher and educator John Dewey in the book How We Think (1910). His work emphasized the importance of education as a tool for fostering critical thinking. Known as the father of the modern critical thinking tradition who propagated the concept of “reflective thinking” Reflective thinking is an active process involves receiving information from external resources and processing the information received. Develop reflective thinking skills by completing the learning as outlined by John Dewey in these five steps: (1) Define the problem, (2) Analyze the problem, (3) Name the needs for the solution, (4) Tease out possible solutions & (5) Choose the best solution available.  (ii) Robert Ennis 'Critical Thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do' - R.Ennis, 1989  Ennis is best known for his work in providing a widely accepted definition of critical thinking. He defined critical thinking as "reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do." This definition has become a foundational concept in discussions and education related to critical thinking. Ennis has also been involved in the development of tools and methods for assessing critical thinking skills. His contributions in this area have been valuable for educators seeking to evaluate and improve students' critical thinking abilities. Critical thinking assessment tools by Robert Ennis: "Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test." These tests are designed to evaluate students' ability to think critically, providing a practical means of measuring how well they can apply critical thinking skills in various contexts.  (iii) Edward De Bono "Why have a mind if you can't change it?" “If you never change your mind, why have one?” ― Edward de Bono Dr. Edward de Bono, the originator of the term Lateral Thinking, dedicated his life to inspiring, encouraging and enabling us to be better and more creative thinkers. De Bono’s main contributions to critical thinking: Lateral Thinking, Six Thinking Hats and The CoRT Thinking Program. The thinker and writer Edward de Bono, who has died aged 88, once suggested that the Arab-Israeli conflict might be solved with Marmite. Lateral Thinking: Lateral thinking is a problem- solving approach that encourages individuals to think "outside the box" and consider unconventional or creative solutions to problems. It involves breaking away from traditional linear thinking patterns and exploring alternative perspectives. "Six Thinking Hats" technique as a method for structured group thinking and decision- making. Each hat represents a different thinking style or perspective (e.g., analytical, creative, critical, and optimistic), allowing teams to explore a problem comprehensively and make well-rounded decisions. The CoRT Thinking Program: De Bono developed the "CoRT" (Cognitive Research Trust) program, which is designed to teach thinking skills to students and individuals of all ages. The program includes specific techniques and tools for improving critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving abilities.  (iv) Vincent Ryan Ruggiero “Keep your ego from interfering with you search for the truth.” ― Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative Thought Vincent Ryan Ruggiero is an author and educator who has made significant contributions to the field of thinking skills, particularly in the context of education and personal development. His work emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, clear communication, and ethical decision- making. His practical framework for critical thinking, emphasis on ethics, and accessible writing style have made his ideas valuable resources for individuals seeking to enhance their thinking skills and make ethical choices in their personal and professional lives. INTELLIGENCE, THINKING & KNOWLEDGE  INTELLIGENCE Intelligence refers to the capacity of an individual to acquire and apply knowledge, solve problems, adapt to new situations, and learn from experiences. It involves a wide range of cognitive abilities and skills that allow a person to reason, understand complex concepts, and make effective decisions. It is often considered to be a broad and multifaceted trait that can encompass various types of mental abilities, including logical reasoning, creativity, memory, analytical skills, and more. Intelligence is typically thought of as an inherent or innate trait that varies from person to person.  THINKING Thinking is a cognitive process that involves using mental abilities to generate, process, and manipulate information in order to understand, make decisions, solve problems, and create new ideas. It encompasses activities such as critical thinking, creative thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and reflection. Thinking is a fundamental aspect of human cognition and is essential for understanding the world, learning, and making informed choices. It's an active mental process that occurs in response to stimuli and helps individuals process and interpret information.  KNOWLEDGE Knowledge refers to the information, facts, concepts, and skills that an individual has acquired through learning and experience. It involves the understanding of various subjects, topics, or domains. Knowledge can be factual (knowing that certain events happened), procedural (knowing how to perform specific tasks), or conceptual (understanding the underlying principles). Knowledge is accumulated over time and can be gained through education, observation, reading, and personal experiences. Imagine two individuals, Sarah and John, both of whom are exceptionally intelligent. They excel in a variety of academic subjects, quickly grasp new concepts, and adapt well to new situations. Sarah and John, with their Sarah and John may have high intelligence, employ acquired knowledge in various different thinking skills. Sarah areas. For instance, Sarah is an excellent critical thinker might have extensive who can analyze complex knowledge of history, having issues and make well- studied it in depth, while John reasoned decisions. John, on might have specialized the other hand, is a creative knowledge in computer thinker who comes up with programming due to his innovative solutions to coursework and work problems. experience. CLASS ACTIVITY 2:  Using the example of CAR ANOLOGY, can you explain about how it can be related to the concept of INTELLIGENCE, THINKING and KNOWLEDGE? Do you think, a powerful car may always be driven well? Do you think, a less powerful car may always be driven badly?  CAR ANOLOGY Knowledge is the GPS and maps that provide the information needed to guide the car to its destination. Thinking is the process of driving the car, using the engine’s power to navigate and make decisions on the road. Intelligence is the engine that powers the car, giving it the ability to move and perform.  Analogy: Cooking a Meal Knowledge is the chef’s understanding of the ingredients, recipes, and techniques. Thinking is the chef’s decision-making process while preparing the meal. Intelligence is the chef’s ability to quickly learn and apply new cooking techniques. In this analogy, intelligence enables the chef to become skilled, thinking guides the chef in making decisions during cooking, and knowledge provides the necessary information and techniques to create a successful meal. TRADITIONAL THINKING METHODS (Socrates, Plato & Aristotle)  The discovery of the classic thinking methods of the ancient Greek philosophers where the thinkers were allowed to use reason to work things out – Logic was now allowed The prominent philosophers of this kind of thinking are “the gang of three”. WHO ARE......... “THE GANG OF THREE” “THE GANG OF THREE”  SOCRATES (470 - 399 B.C): Socrates is considered the father of western philosophy. He believed virtue was found primarily in human relationship, love and friendship, not through material gains. He was trained as a “sophist” = people who played with words and showed how careful choice of words could lead you to almost any conclusion you wanted. He was interested in the thinking process - ask question step by step to arrive final conclusion. This process of questionning is called as “Socratic Method”  MORALITY ACCORDING TO SOCRATES: He believe that happiness is the goal of all human activity. Being ignorant of moral, one can even do evil or harm to others. Socrates was brought to trial and executed. He wanted people to examine what they meant when they said something. He was not concerned with building things up or making things happen. He placed great emphasis on argument and critical thinking. Argument – the main thinking tool Within argument – there was to be critical thinking – e.g. “Why do you say that?”  PLATO (427 - 347 B.C) He recorded speechs made by Socrates. He was a student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. He established a school called The Academy to train government leaders. Plato wrote the ideas about an “ideal state” in a book; The Republic - it was the first book written on political science or the study of government. Plato – the father of western philosophy Known for his famous analogy of the cave Suppose someone is bound up so that the person cannot turn around but can only look at the back wall of the cave. There is a fire at the mouth of the cave. If someone comes into the cave, then the bound person cannot see the newcomer directly but can only see the shadow cast by the fire on the back wall of the cave So as we go through life, we cannot see truth and reality but only “shadows” of these. If we try hard enough and listen to philosophers, then perhaps we can get a glimpse of the truth. From Plato we get the notion that there is the “truth” somewhere but that we have to search for it to find it. The way to search for the truth is to use critical thinking to attack what is untrue.  ARISTOTLE (384 - 322 B.C) He was one of Plato’s brightest pupils. Believed in using your sense to discover the physical words. Was the first to classify, or group together, similar plants, animals etc. He added the 3rd step to the scientific method; “...hypothesis must be tested to be proven.” Aristotle was the pupil of Plato and the tutor of Alexander the Great. He was a very practical person. He developed the notion of “categories”, which are really definitions. E.g. “table” & “chair” The object cannot both be a “chair” and not a “chair” at the same time – contradiction. System theory, contradiction and categories are related to the thinking style of Aristotle. KEY CONCEPT OF CRITICAL THINKING  The SIX (6) concepts in critical thinking: Truth: Objective truth and subjective truth Opinion: Based on life experience, beliefs and personal feeling. Logic: Used to distinguish good arguments from bad or poor. Argument: Consists of premises and a conclusion (true or false) Reasoning: Assist in progressing from acquired knowledge to acquiring new information and knowledge. Reflection: Refer to the act of deep thinking or giving something a serious thought. THE PURPOSE OF THE SKILL Thinking is the most fundamental human skill. It is not just about the study of concepts and theories. This concepts and theories assist in developing skill that have a fairly practical purpose that can be applied to everyday life. You need thinking to make plans, take initiatives, solve problems, open up opportunities and design your way forward. Thinking is a skill that can be learned, practiced and developed. But you have to want to develop that skill. (i.e. you must have the DESIRE to learn and develop thinking skills) CLASS ACTIVITY 3 Worst Case Scenario: Introduce each team with a hypothetical challenging scenario: Each group with 10 members stranded on an island or stuck in a forest. Allocate minimum resources and time to each team and ask them to reach a viable conclusion using those resources. Come up with creative solutions to come out from the imaginary problematic situation they are encountering.