2/27/2014

CRITICAL THINKING: Becoming A Critic of Your Own Thinking

THE IMPORTANCE OF CRITICAL THINKING

USCC1032

All Thinking Is Defined by the Eight Elements That Make It Up

Thinking, then: Generates purposes Raises questions Uses information Utilizes concepts Makes inferences Makes assumptions Generates implications Embodies a point of view

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Universal Intellectual Standards

o CLARITY: Could you elaborate further on that point? Could you express that point in another way? Could you give me an illustration? Could you give me an example? o Eg. "What can be done about the education system in America?" I Vs o "What can educators do to ensure that students learn the skills and abilities which help them function successfully on the job and in their daily decision-making?"

Universal Intellectual Standards

o ACCURACY: Is that really true? How could we check that? How could we find out if that is true? o A statement can be clear but not accurate, as in Most dogs are over 300 pounds in weight.

Universal Intellectual Standards

o PRECISION: Could you give more details? Could you be more specific? o A statement can be both clear and accurate, but not precise o "Jack is overweight." (We dont know how overweight Jack is, one pound or 500 pounds.)

Universal Intellectual Standards

o RELEVANCE: How is that connected to the question? How does that bear on the issue? o A statement can be clear, accurate, and precise, but not relevant to the question at issue. o Eg. Students often think that the amount of effort they put into a course should be used in raising their grade in a course. Often, however, the "effort" does not measure the quality of student learning; and when this is so, effort is irrelevant to their appropriate grade.

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Universal Intellectual Standards

o DEPTH: How does your answer address the complexities in the question? How are you taking into account the problems in the question? Is that dealing with the most significant factors? o A statement can be clear, accurate, precise, and relevant, but superficial (that is, lack depth). o Eg. "Just say No!" to discourage children and teens from using drugs, is clear, accurate, precise, and relevant. Nevertheless, it lacks depth because it treats an extremely complex issue, the pervasive problem of drug use among young people, superficially. It fails to deal with the complexities of the issue.

Universal Intellectual Standards

o BREADTH: Do we need to consider another point of view? Is there another way to look at this question? What would this look like from a conservative standpoint? What would this look like from the point of view of . . .? o A line of reasoning may be clear accurate, precise, relevant, and deep, but lack breadth (as in an argument from either the conservative or liberal standpoint which gets deeply into an issue, but only recognizes the insights of one side of the question)

Universal Intellectual Standards

o LOGIC: Does this really make sense? Does that follow from what you said? How does that follow? But before you implied this, and now you are saying that; how can both be true? o When the combination of thoughts are mutually supporting and make sense in combination, the thinking is "logical." o When the combination is not mutually supporting, is contradictory in some sense or does not "make sense," the combination is not logical.

Universal Intellectual Standards

o FAIRNESS: Do I have a vested interest in this issue? Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints of others? o Human think is often biased in the direction of the thinker - in what are the perceived interests of the thinker. o Humans do not naturally consider the rights and needs of others on the same plane with their own rights and needs.

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ANALYZING TEXT CRITICALLY

BECOMING A CRITIC OF YOUR THINKING

By: Dr. Linda Elder and Dr. Richard Paul

1. Clarify Your Thinking

Strategies for Clarifying Your Thinking: State one point at a time.

1. Clarify Your Thinking

Here is One Format You Can Use: I think . . . (state your main point) In other words . . . (elaborate your main point)

Elaborate on what you mean. For example . . . (give an example of your main point) Give examples that connect your thoughts to life experiences. To give you an analogy . . . (give an illustration of your main point)

Use analogies and metaphors to help people connect your ideas to a variety of things they already understand.

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1. Clarify Your Thinking

To Clarify Other Peoples Thinking, Consider Asking the Following: Can you restate your point in other words? I didnt understand you. Can you give an example? Let me tell you what I understand you to be saying. Did I understand you correctly?

2. Stick to the Point

Ask These Questions to Make Sure Thinking is Focused on What is Relevant: o Am I focused on the main problem or task? o How is this connected? How is that? o Does my information directly relate to the problem or task? o Where do I need to focus my attention? o Are we being diverted to unrelated matters? o Am I failing to consider relevant viewpoints? o How is your point relevant to the issue we are addressing? o What facts are actually going to help us answer the question? What considerations should be set aside? o Does this truly bear on the question? How does it connect?

3. Question Questions
Strategies for Formulating More Powerful Questions: Whenever you dont understand something, ask a question of clarification. Whenever you are dealing with a complex problem, formulate the question you are trying to answer in several different ways (being as precise as you can) until you hit upon the way that best addresses the problem at hand.

3. Question Questions
Questions You Can Ask to Discipline Your Thinking: * What precise question are we trying to answer? * Is that the best question to ask in this situation? * Is there a more important question we should be addressing? * Does this question capture the real issue we are facing? * Is there a question we should answer before we attempt to answer this question?

3. Question Questions
Questions You Can Ask to Discipline Your Thinking: * What information do we need to answer the question? * What conclusions seem justified in light of the facts? * What is our point of view? Do we need to consider another? * Is there another way to look at the question? * What are some related questions we need to consider? * What type of question is this: an economic question, a political question, a legal question, etc.?

4. Be Reasonable
Strategies for Becoming More Reasonable: See if you have the courage to admit this during a disagreement: Of course, I may be wrong. You may be right. Practice saying in your own mind, I may be wrong. I often am. Im willing to change my mind when given good reasons. Then look for opportunities to make changes in your thinking. Ask yourself, When was the last time I changed my mind because someone gave me better reasons for his (her) views than I had for mine? (To what extent are you open to new ways of looking at things? To what extent can you objectively judge information that refutes what you already think?)

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4. Be Reasonable
Realize That You are Being Close-Minded If You: A. Are unwilling to listen to someones reasons B. Are irritated by the reasons people give you C. Become defensive during a discussion

4. Be Reasonable
After you catch yourself being close-minded, analyze what was going on in your mind by completing these statements: a. I realize I was being closeminded in this situation because b. The thinking I was trying to hold onto is . . . c. Thinking that is potentially better is . . . d. This thinking is better because . ..

Barriers to CT

Next week (6th class): Logical Fallacies 8th class: Movie session + questions 9th class: Submit the answers in Mic. Word + Present them in groups. 10th class: Last topic + Deadline for Textual Analysis.