CRITICAL THINKING: A TOOL FOR EVERYONE Critical thinking is so central to sound reasoning that it deserves special attention. No doubt, yo...
CRITICAL THINKING: A TOOL FOR EVERYONE Critical thinking is so central to sound reasoning that it deserves special attention. No doubt, you have encountered this term previously, but what does it mean? The tradition of critical thinking goes back at least 2,500 years to the time of Socrates who established the importance of evidence, questioning, and analysis utilizing “Socratic questioning.” Since then, many others (including Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Francis Bacon, Descartes, and Kant, just to name a few) have contributed to the development of tools for critical thought. Many scientists (e.g., Newton, Boyle, and Darwin 18 Wirth & Perkins - Learning to Learn are a few notable examples) have applied the tools of critical thinking to develop new models of our natural world. The methods of critical thought are by no means limited to thinking in science, but have also been applied in virtually all other disciplines.
They involve both cognitive and affective components. As with other terms introduced in this document, let us start with a definition. Scriven and Paul suggested the following definition to the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking (http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/define_critical_thinking.cfm): Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication,
as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. Note that the beginning of this definition emphasizes that critical thinking must be “actively and skillfully” applied. The essential elements of reasoning that should be employed in all thinking, regardless of discipline, are given in Table 4. Additionally, intellectual standards (e.g., clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, significance, and fairness) and traits (e.g., intellectual integrity, intellectual humility, confidence in reason, intellectual perseverance, fairmindedness, intellectual courage, intellectual empathy, and intellectual autonomy) should also be applied to thinking to ensure quality (http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/criticalmind.cfm).
Stated another way, critical thinking is thinking that assesses itself. It examines the elements of thought and is based on intellectual values that transcend the frame of reference of the thinker and the subject matter, purpose, implications, and consequences of the thinking. Scriven and Paul also note that critical thinking has two components: 1) a set of skills to process and generate information, and 2) the habit of using those skills to guide behavior. In other words, its not sufficient to have the skills for critical thinking, you also need to employ them. In another document from the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, Paul and Elder (2004) argue that there are two essential dimensions of thinking that students need to master: 1) be able to identify the “parts” of their thinking, and 2) be able to assess their use of those parts in thinking.
Paul and Elder (2004) suggest the following elements of critical thinking: • All reasoning has a purpose • All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle some question, to solve some problem • All reasoning is based on assumptions • All reasoning is done from some point of view • All reasoning is based on data, information, and evidence Wirth & Perkins - Learning to Learn 19 • All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and ideas • All reasoning contains inferences by which we draw conclusions and give meaning • All reasoning leads somewhere, has implications and consequences The elements of one’s reasoning can be assessed using standards such as clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and significance. It is important to regularly monitor your thinking for flawed intellectual standards such as “it must be true because:” “I believe it;” “we believe it;” “I want to believe it;” “I have always believed it;”
“it is easier to believe it than to understand it;” “or because it is in my vested interest to believe it” (see http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/critical-mind.cfm). It should be clear from the above discussion, and the guidelines in Table 4, that questioning is the key to sound reasoning. Questions define the path of our thinking, they determine the evidence that we seek, and they lead us to new levels of understanding. Never stop asking questions! METACOGNITION: THINKING ABOUT ONE’S OWN THINKING AND LEARNING Intentional thought about one’s own thinking (metacognition) is generally regarded as an essential component of successful thinkers and learners. Studies show “experts” constantly Table 4. Guidelines for developing elements of reasoning (modified from Paul & Elder, 2004). Elements of Reasoning Guidelines Purpose or Motivation Choose significant and realistic purposes; state you purpose clearly; distinguish your purpose from related purposes; periodically check that your purpose is still valid Question or Problem Clearly and precisely state the question
; reformulate the question several different ways to clarify its meaning and scope; identify if the question has one right answer, is a matter of opinion, or requires reasoning from more than one point of view Assumptions Clearly identify your assumptions and determine if they are justifiable; consider how the assumptions are shaping your point of view Point of View Clearly identify your point of view; seek other points of view and identify their strengths and weaknesses; seek an open-minded evaluation of all points of view Data, Information, Evidence Restrict your claims to those supported by the data that you have; search for evidence that opposes you position as well as supports it; make sure that all information is clear, accurate, and relevant to the question; make sure that you have gathered sufficient information to address the question at hand Concepts and Ideas Identify key concepts and explain them clearly; consider alternative concepts; make sure you are using concepts with care and precision Inferences and Conclusions Infer only what the evidence implies; check inferences for internal consistency; identify assumption with lead you to your inferences Implications and Consequences Trace the implications and consequences that follow from you reasoning; search for negative as well as positive implications; consider all possible consequences 20 Wirth & Perkins - Learning to Learn I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman,
“Where’s the self-help section?” She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose George Carlin A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral Antoine de Saint Exupèry monitor their understanding and progress during problem solving. Critically, their metacognitive skills allow them to decide when their current level of understanding is not adequate. This type of planning, selfmonitoring, self-regulation, and self assessment not only includes general knowledge about cognitive processes and strategies, but also appropriate conditions for use of those strategies, and general self-knowledge.
Research suggests that metacognitive skills cannot be taught out of context. In other words, one can’t just take a course on metacognition. You need to learn it and apply it within the context of disciplinary content. As you are learn, you should engage in constant questioning (e.g., What am I trying to accomplish? What is the best strategy for learning? How is my progress? Did I succeed?). This sort of self-monitoring and reflection not only leads to deeper and more effective learning, but also lays the groundwork for being a self-directing learner.
No comments