Building Skills for Critical Thinking
Hastiness and
superficiality are the psychic diseases of the twentieth century, and more than
anywhere else this disease is reflected in the press. ~ Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Critical thinking entails specific
skills that require training and practice, and your course room work can
support your growth. Here is one strategy to help you grow and excel with your
critical thinking:
Practice analyzing arguments to identify premises, reasons, objections, conclusions,
assumptions, and irrelevant information. Have you ever had the experience of
listening to someone speak, or reading an editorial or a fellow learner’s
discussion post, and thinking, “What that person is saying does not seem to
make sense, but I cannot explain exactly why?” Perhaps you have found yourself
listening to a political debate, or reading conflicting advertising claims, and
wishing that you had better tools to help you discriminate among alternatives.
Or, you may have gathered several journal articles for an assignment and been
challenged or even frustrated when trying to make sense of conflicting
perspectives presented by different scholars.
A natural tendency at such times is to
say, “Well, people are entitled to their own opinions,” and to dismiss these
contradictions, settling into one’s own comfortable, habitual ways of thinking
and making choices. But if you have chosen to accept the challenge of becoming
a better critical thinker, you can learn to analyze arguments to identify
premises, objections, conclusions, assumptions, and irrelevant information in
the arguments you encounter every day.
Retrieved
April 2, 2013, from www.capella.edu
Take the following
self-assessment to find out what level of critical thinking you are at, and how
you can improve it.
What Stage of Thought Are You in? A self-assessment
You will be asked 8 questions regarding
your understanding of critical thinking and its application in your life. After
each question are a series of possible responses. Select the response box that
most accurately represents your present level of understanding and application
of critical thinking in your life (Read ALL responses before choosing your most
honest answer). Circle your answers, add up the numbers you chose, and
at the end of this self-assessment, read about your approximate level of
thinking.
1.
I
am mostly unaware of my thinking. I really don't think much about my thinking.
I have other more important things to think about.
2.
I
am becoming aware that my thinking affects my life and that problems I have
with my thinking could be causing problems in my life.
3.
I
have begun to take my thinking seriously. I have become increasingly aware of
the need to further develop my thinking.
4.
I
recognize some problems exist in my thinking and I need to address those by
deliberately following an action plan to improve my thinking.
5.
Unsolved
problems and conflicts in life are frequently the result of undisciplined
"everyday thinking.”
1.
I
don't have a good definition for critical thinking. However, I know what it
means to be critical of others.
2.
I
have a vague concept of critical thinking. I have heard about it in classes,
but I cannot provide a clear definition.
3.
I
can provide a workable definition of critical thinking and name some of the
components involved.
4.
I
can provide an excellent definition of critical thinking and name the components
of the critical thinking process.
5.
I
can provide an excellent definition with examples because I utilize it in my
daily life to great benefit.
Question 3 What
is the role or function of critical thinking in your life?
1
There
is no role for critical thinking in my life. And I'm doing fine, thanks.
2
I
have only an initial awareness of the role of critical thinking in my life.
3
I
have a beginning awareness of the importance of critical thinking.
4
I
have a clear recognition of the important role that critical thinking plays in
my life.
5
I
have a deep understanding of the powerful role of critical thinking in my life.
Question
4 How
actively do you practice critical thinking?
1
I
do not actively practice critical thinking.
2
I
practice critical thinking only when called upon to do so in classes or in work
settings.
3
I
have sporadically started to use critical thinking, but I must force myself to
think in disciplined ways.
4
I
am beginning to practice critical thinking with more regularity.
5
I
have established habits of using critical thinking and it is paying off in my
daily life.
Question 5
How
actively do you monitor your thinking?
1
I
don't monitor my thinking. If I detected something wrong with my thinking I
would know it.
2
I
occasionally monitor my thinking, usually when called upon to do so in my
classes.
3
I
monitor my thinking in a hit and miss fashion. I have no plan to follow to
monitor my thinking.
4
I
actively analyze my thinking in a number of areas and regular monitor my
thinking in daily life.
5
I
actively analyze my thinking in all significant areas of life. I have insights
into problems at deeper levels of thought.
Question
6 How
would you describe your skill level in critical thinking?
1
My
beliefs feel reasonable to me and so I believe them with confidence. I have no need for critical thinking.
2
My
thinking is not that bad. I question a lot of things. I'm not prejudiced. I'm
not as self-deceived as some people I know.
3
I
can begin to monitor my own thoughts but it is sporadic. I can begin to
recognize egocentricity in myself and others.
4
I
can critique my own powers of thought. I can articulate strengths and
weaknesses in thinking and often recognize egocentricity in myself and others.
5
I
regularly and insightfully critique my own thinking and improve it. I
consistently monitor my own thoughts and effectively articulate strengths and
weaknesses in thinking.
Question
7 What
is your understanding of the elements of thought, standards of thinking and
intellectual traits of critical thinking?
1
I
am unfamiliar with these concepts and so I don't understand them.
2
I
have heard of these concepts and occasionally make use of them in course work,
but I do not use them outside of classes and I cannot provide a good definition
of them.
3
I
can give a rough definition of these concepts and have some familiarity with
them through use in my classes.
4
I
can name the elements, standards and traits. I can accurately define them to
others. I can apply them in principle.
5
I
routinely utilize the elements, standards and traits in my everyday thinking.
Question
8 What is your plan of action to further develop
your critical thinking skills?
1.
I
have no need for a plan to develop my critical thinking skills.
2.
I
recognize that it would take effort to develop my critical thinking but I have
no plans to do so.
3.
I
have actively decided to develop my critical thinking but I still have not
developed an action plan.
4.
I
have adopted a regimen of regular daily practice in order to develop healthy
habits of critical thinking.
5.
I
have successful habits of critical thinking and I am constantly aware of the
need for continuous improvement.
Add up the numbers for each question to find your
total score and read about it below.
If your score
is 1 – 8, your current stage of thought is Unreflective: To build up your critical thinking skills at
this level, use the following steps:
·
Begin at the beginning. Develop an
initial awareness of thinking in general, and critical thinking in particular.
Just begin to think about thinking.
·
Familiarize yourself with the various
elements of this Critical Thinking resource (website below) as an overview of
this subject. Poke around to see what is involved in developing your thinking.
·
When you find something of interest in
this resource, read about it. Your goal is to develop and hone the motivation
to pursue the study of thinking. When you believe this study is worthwhile to
you and can improve the quality of your life, you will be ready to move on.
·
View "Did You Know 4.0"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8) to get an idea of how fast the world of information is
changing and how important it is to develop your critical thinking skills.
If your score is 8-15, your current stage of thought is challenged thinking. Challenged thinkers have an initial awareness
of the role thinking plays in their life and the problems associated with this
level of thinking. They become aware of the difficulties involved with
improving their thinking and risk rationalizing back to the unreflective stage
to avoid the challenges of growth. To build up your critical thinking skills at
this level, use the following steps:
·
You're at the "window-shopping”
phase in your development as a thinker. You may think there is some merit to
learning critical thinking, but you are not yet ready to "buy.” That's OK,
just keep looking!
·
Review the information in this resource
(website below) to expand your awareness of the various components of critical
thinking.
·
Develop an awareness of intellectual
humility, one of the powerful intellectual traits. To grow in your thinking
will require humility and avoiding an arrogant return to the unreflective
stage.
·
Use the "wasted time” strategy.
Each day invest ten minutes of time you might waste in diversions or worrying
and reflect on your best and worst thinking of the day and what you could do
differently with your thinking.
·
Click on some of the links in the
website below available to further explore information on topics that catch
your interest.
·
Just keep moving forward. Learning any
worthwhile skill is a process, a journey that will last a lifetime. Focus on
becoming a beginning thinker.
If your score is 16-29, your current stage of thought is beginning thinking. Beginning thinkers have begun to take their
thinking seriously. They have experienced a growing awareness and awakening to
the need for developing their thinking. They recognize problems in their
thinking and have begun to modify their thinking in a hit and miss manner. To build up your critical thinking skills at
this level, use the following steps:
·
Become aware of the many influences
(biological, economic, ethnic, and cultural) that have affected your thinking,
and over which you had no control.
·
Download and print out copies of the
elements at the website below, of thought, intellectual standards, and
intellectual traits from this resource and keep them handy while working in
your course room.
·
Begin the process of monitoring your
own thinking. Can you spot signs of egocentric thinking? In discussions, do you
consider the purpose of the discussion, assumptions, point of views, strength
of evidence presented, implications, etc.? Can you recognize and affirm
clarity, accuracy, precision and relevance in the posts of your peers?
·
Focus on the intellectual traits of
humility and confidence in reason. The traits are important at this stage of
your thinking. Developing these traits will help you move to the next stage of
development.
If your score is 30-45, your current stage of thought is practicing thinking. Practicing
thinkers have a sense of the habits needed to take charge of their thinking and
they are actively analyzing their thinking in a number of domains. They
recognize the natural tendency toward egocentric thinking. To build up your
critical thinking skills at this level, use the following steps:
·
Your primary goal here is practice, to
follow through with an organized plan of study and application of critical
thinking concepts and principles.
·
Study your introductory text as part of
your organized plan of action. Develop an understanding of how all the
components of critical thinking (elements of thought, intellectual standards
and traits, egocentricity and sociocentricity) work together.
·
Handle a problem a day. Develop the
habit of taking one problem a day and in your spare moments reflect on the
problem using the elements of thought to analyze the problem, not necessarily
to solve the problem. This could include discussion questions from your
courseroom.
·
Internalize the intellectual standards.
Try focusing exclusively on one intellectual standard (e.g., clarity,
precision, accuracy) for one week at a time.
·
Keep an intellectual journal. Provide a
daily description of one emotional event, how you responded, and then analyze
what was going on to explain your response in critical thinking terms.
·
Develop a plan to systematically
monitor your thinking. It could be as simple as having copies of the elements
of thought on your desk while you study, or carrying a copy of the intellectual
traits in your pocket.
·
Place renewed focus on the intellectual
traits of perseverance and humility at this stage of your development. You will
need them to move up to more advanced thinking.
·
Catch yourself whenever you engage in
egocentric or sociocentric thinking. It may be easier to catch others, but
focusing on other's shortcomings could be egocentric thinking.
·
Develop the habit of focusing on the
elements of thought whenever you try to solve a problem. In school or life in
general, practice analyzing your thinking whenever you are problem-solving to
monitor and strengthen your own thinking.
To build up your critical thinking skills, here are some more
strategies you can use:
· Redefine the way you see things. Virtually any situation can
be redefined from multiple perspectives. Challenge preconceived notions about
yourself or your personality; focus on developing your strengths rather than
overcoming your weaknesses.
· Get in touch with your emotions. Whenever you experience
negativity, examine the thinking that contributes to this state. Discover more
positive perspectives that can be substituted for improved health and
well-being.
· Analyze group influences on your life. Examine the impact of
your groups on your thinking and your life decisions. What is acceptable and
what is forbidden? Evaluate what influences you wish to perpetuate and those
you prefer to change.
· Seek guidance from trained thinkers who have reached higher
levels of thinking than yours. As in most sports, it pays to play against
people more skilled than you.
Website: http://www.criticalthinking.org/ The Foundation for Critical Thinking. Videos at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CriticalThinkingOrg
References
Brookfield, S. D. (1987). Developing
critical thinkers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M.
(2010). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (9th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chaffee, J. (2012). Thinking
critically (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth-Cengage Learning.
Ennis, R. H. (2011). Critical thinking
definition, instruction, and assessment: A rigorous approach. Retrieved from
http://www.criticalthinking.net/definition.html
Facione, P. A. (2004). Critical
thinking: What it is and why it counts. Retrieved from http://www.insightassessment.com/pdf_files/what&why2009.pdf
Facione, P. A. (1990). Executive
summary: Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus for purposes of
educational assessment and instruction.
Millbrae, CA: The California Academic
Press. Electronic version retrieved May 1, 2009 from
http://www.insightassessment.com/pdf_files/DEXadobe.PDF
Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to
think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum
(4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). Critical
thinking: Tools for taking charge of your learning and your life (2nd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2006). Critical thinking: Learning the
tools the best thinkers use. (Concise ed.) (p. 258, exh. 10.1).
Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0131703471
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2004). The
miniature guide to critical thinking concepts and tools (4th ed.). Dillon
Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
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