Laying the Ground Work for Critical Thinking

Albany State University

Developed by Professor Terry Doyle Ferris State University

Students' ability and willingness to think critically are most likely to develop when knowledge acquisition and thinking about content are intertwined rather than sequential. Richard Paul

The Critical Thinking Community

http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/glossa ry.cfm

Part Two
Cognitive Readiness and Learning to Think Critically

We all Think Differently

Add 17 +56 in your head

We dont Think Alike

AIn columns like on paper BAdded 10 to 56 and 7 to 66 CAdded 20 to 56 and subtracted 3 from 76 DOther

Cognitive Readiness
Perrys scheme for cognitive development Dr. William Perry (1970) articulated 9 positions of cognitive development in college students. Most people pass fairly predictably from position to position, although certainly development is not really as linear as the positions imply.

Perrys scheme for cognitive development

Development may be arrested or even reversed at any stage if the cognitive challenges presented are too great. Furthermore, a person can be at different stages in different areas of life.

The Cognitive Development Scheme

In Stages 1 or 2 (Dualism), students may resist learning information that challenges their established beliefs.

The Cognitive Development Scheme

In Stages 3 and 4 (Multiplicity), students may argue that their answers are just as valid as a teachers answers for a subjective topic.

The Cognitive Development Scheme

In Stage 5 (Relativism and Procedural Knowledge), students begin to realize that valid disciplinary reasoning methods exist.

The Cognitive Development Scheme

In Stage 6, students begin to realize that they must make choices and commit to solutions and ways of life.

Model of Epistemological Reflection

Stage One

Absolute Knowing
Knowledge is viewed as certain. Teachers are absolute authorities. Learning is about reciting facts.

Dr. Marcia Baxter Magolda, Miami of Ohio Knowing and Reasoning in College: Gender-Related Patterns in Students Intellectual Development (1992)

Model of Epistemological Reflection

Stage Two

Transitional Knowing
Reflects that some knowledge is uncertain. Authorities are not allknowing

Authorities provide more information regarding the applicability of knowledge.

Model of Epistemological Reflection

Students in this stage are focused on understanding knowledge rather than simply acquiring knowledge
Half of sophomores and close to eighty percent of juniors and seniors were transitional knower's.

Model of Epistemological Reflection

Stage Three Independent knowing Recognize that knowledge is mostly uncertain.

Instructors are expected to provide an environment for learning that rewards thinking and logic.
Independent knowing was seen most frequently in the first year past graduation (57%).

Model of Epistemological Reflection

Stage Four Contextual knowing. Contextual knowing involves the belief that the legitimacy of a knowledge claim is determined contextually. The individual still constructs a point of view, but the perspective now requires supporting evidence.

Part Three Making Thinking Visible

Making Thinking Visible

Our findings argue that everyday thinking may suffer more from just plain missing the opportunities to think than from poor thinking skills.

(Perkins, Tishman, Ritchhart, Donis, & Andrade, 2000; Perkins & Tishman, 2001).

Making Thinking Visible

Use the language of thinking (Tishman & Perkins, 1997). Integrate terms like hypothesis, reason, evidence, possibility, imagination, perspective Routine use of such words in a natural intuitive way helps students catch on to the nuances of thinking

premise, conclusions, inductive, deductive, assumptions

Making Thinking Visible

Being a model of thoughtfulness for one's students. Teachers who do not expect instant answers, who display their own honest uncertainties, who take a moment to think about "What if" or "What if not" or "How else could this be done?" or "What's the other side of the case?

Making Thinking Visible

One thinking routine that we have found to be useful in many settings involves two key questions: "What's going on here?" and "What do you see that makes you say so?"
(Tishman, 2002)

Whats going on here?

Making Thinking Visible

This pair of questions asks students in informal language for interpretations and supporting reasons. Responses can be labeled as hypotheses and support for their hypotheses as reasons.

Making Thinking Visible

The circle of viewpoints. Students are asked to pick a point of view and speak from it (which does not, of course, mean that they agree with it).

Culture of Critical Thinking

Discuss with students directly the value of attitudes of curiosity, inquiry, and playing with ideas important thinking dispositions.

A Thinking Classroom
Are students offering creative ideas?

Are students explaining things to one another?

Are they, and I, using the language of thinking?

Is there a pro/con list on the blackboard ?

Is there a brainstorm about alternative plans on the wall?

Are students debating interpret ations?"

Part Four Critical Thinking is Hard

Critical Thinking is Hard

A majority of people cannot, even when prompted, reliably exhibit basic skills of general reasoning and argumentation
(Deanna Kuhn, The Skills of Argumentation)

Critical Thinking is Hard

Evolution did not waste time making things better than they needed to bewe needed to be just smart enough to survive
(Tim van Gelder, in Teaching Critical Thinking, College teaching , 2005)

Critical Thinking is Hard

Humans are pattern seeking story telling animalswe like things to make sense but most of time that means familiar patterns and narratives
(Michael Shermer, 2002)

Critical Thinking is Hard

This is called the make sense epistemology The test of truth is that it makes intuitive sense or sounds right no need to look closer
(Perkins, Allen and Hafner, 1983, 1986)

Critical Thinking is Hard

Critical thinking involves skillfully exercising various lower-level cognitive capacities in integrated wholes
( Tim van Gelder, in Teaching Critical Thinking, College teaching , 2005)

Critical Thinking is Hard

Think about it like learning to become fluent in a foreign language. It takes great deal of time and effort to speak, write, listening and think in another language

Part Five Critical Think Assignments

Planning a Course that Integrates Critical Thinking

What am I going to teach? What content am I going to teach? What questions or problems will be central to the course? What concepts will be fundamental?

Planning a Course that Integrates Critical Thinking

What amount of information will students need to access? What point of view or frame of reference do they need to learn to reason within?

Planning a Course that Integrates Critical Thinking

All need to be on the same page Agree on the same vocabulary /terminology

Basic Components of a Good Assignment

Critical thinking assignments should thoroughly articulate these basic components:
1. Clear and precise explanation of the task, including the purpose of the assignment. 2. List of the cognitive skills required to complete the assignment. 3. Precise description of the grading criteria (including relevant intellectual standards)

Basic Components of a Good Assignment

For example, on the assignment handout, faculty should explicitly identify the cognitive skills necessary for completing the assignment, allowing students to see the particular mental moves required for the task.

Basic Components of a Good Assignment

Faculty can also incorporate the relevant and significant intellectual standards in their grading criteria. The intellectual standards give faculty and students a precise, consistent way of describing and assessing good thinking in any discipline.

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Step One The students must actively do the critical thinking themselves or they will not get better. The key word here is actively

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Step Two Students must be fully engaged

Include exercises that can improve performance

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Make assignments progressively more challenging as the semester goes along

Give guidance and feedback on performance

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Teach transference of skills and processes dont assume the students can make these on their own.

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Ask students to explain and analyze their thinking as they work on business problems, build marketing campaigns or resolve human resource issues.

Example for a reading assignment

The main purpose of this article is? The key question is?

The most important information in the article is ?

The main conclusion is? The key concepts we need to understand are?
(Richard Paul, Critical Thinking: Basic Theory and Instructional Structures)

Example for a reading assignment

The main assumption(s) underlying the authors thinking are? If people take the authors line of reasoning seriously, the implications are? If people fail to take this line of reasoning the implications are?

The main points of view presented in this article are?

(Richard Paul, Critical Thinking: Basic Theory and Instructional Structures)

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Have them identify and analyze the information they use, the inferences they draw, the assumptions they make, the key questions they ask, etc.

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

If they write out the logic behind their work, we will be able to assess their thinking in addition to the product of that thinking

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Ask students to keep a list of mistakes they make. Have students explain why they made the mistakes, how they found each one, and how they corrected them. This will allow us to assess their thinking process.

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Ask students to determine the problem or create the scenario.

In other words, ask students to create the problem as well as devise possible solutions to it.

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Having students create their own database and queries would require them to really think through the entire process. They would have to determine the kinds of data they need, find that data, and create the categories required.

Critical Thinking and Assignments in Business

Ask students to think through some additional questions that would help to assess the quality of their thinking.

1. How could you modify ----- to make it... ? 2.Describe some other possible applications of the program or technique. 3. Compare and contrast this technique to other techniques.

Rubric for Critical Thinking

Exemplary thinking is skilled, marked by excellence in clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logicality, and fairness Satisfactory thinking is competent, effective, accurate and clear, but lacks the exemplary depth, precision, and insight of a 4 Unsatisfactory thinking is inconsistent, ineffective; shows a lack of consistent competence: is often unclear, imprecise, inaccurate, and superficial Below Satisfactory thinking is unskilled and insufficient, marked by imprecision, lack of clarity, superficiality, illogicality, inaccuracy, and unfairness

www.criticalthinking.org

Assignment CIS 110 Critical Thinking Exercise

Step 1 What do we mean when we say a web site is creditable? What makes a web site creditable? Write a paragraph in your own words to answer these two questions. Using your favorite search engine, find information about how to determine the credibility of web sites. Two good sources are: 1 . Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility at http://credibility.stanford.edu/guidelines/index.html and 2. Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html. Did your research support your original thoughts on web site credibility?

ACC 122 Accounting Principles

Issue : Countless rumors have circulated throughout the office claiming that your accounting staff does not know the difference between an asset and an expense.

The new supervisor you recently hired to train the accounting staff insisted that he provided clear instructions to all staff members. He said, "I told them if we buy a car, boat, stocks or whatever, record the purchase as an expense since this approach is easiest. We will fix any problems at a later date".
(http://socrates.bmcc.cuny.edu/WAC/assignments.html)

ACC 122 Accounting Principles

Assignment : In a memo to your staff, define and explain the difference between an asset and an expense. Provide at least three examples of each. Also, state whether the supervisor's statement was correct. Support your answer.
(http://socrates.bmcc.cuny.edu/WAC/assignments.html)

Assignment CIS 110 Critical Thinking Exercise

Step 2 Using the Internet, find three examples of articles, documentaries, or news stories that deal with the verifying of facts and data on the Internet. Analyze your findings. Write a summary of each article or media piece. For each article, be sure you: have a clear understanding of the issue. identify and evaluate relevant major points of view. accurately interpret statements, logic, data, facts, etc. acknowledge the depth and breadth of the issue by recognizing related theories, principles, or representations. accurately identify assumptions, make valid assumptions. follow where evidence and reason lead in order to obtain defensible, judicious, logical conclusions. Each summary should be to 1 page in length and include a works cited entry.

Assignment CIS 110 Critical Thinking Exercise

Step 3 Compose a 1 to 2 page paper that answers the question What factors influence how Internet users analyze and evaluate the information they find online?
For example, do older people with less Internet experience tend to be more nave about Internet information than younger people who have been raised on the Internet? Why or why not? Does educational level play a role? What other factors may be relevant?

The Elements of Thought

Points of View frame of reference, perspective, orientation Assumptions presupposition, taking for granted Purpose of the Thinking, goal, objective

Question at Issue problem, issue

Implications & Consequences

Concepts theories, definitions, axioms, laws, principles, models

Interpretation and Inference conclusions, solutions

Information data, facts, observations, experiences

Printed with permission of Richard Paul and Linda Elder, Foundation of Critical Thinking, from The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking, Concepts & Tools

Universal Intellectual Standards

Elaborate further?

Clarity

Give an example? Illustrate what you mean?

Accuracy

Check on that? Is that true?

Verify or test that?

Be more specific? Give more details? Be more exact?
Printed with permission of Richard Paul and Linda Elder, Foundation of Critical Thinking, from The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking, Concepts & Tools

Precision

Relevance

Relate to the problem? Bear on the question? Help with the issue?

Depth

Factors that make this a difficult problem? Complexities of the question? Difficulties we need to deal with?

Breadth

Look at this from another perspective? Consider another point of view? Look at this in other ways?

Logic

Does this make sense together? Does your first paragraph fit with your last? Does what you say follow from the evidence?

Significance

Most important problem to consider? Central idea to focus on? Which facts are most important?

Fairness

Any vested interest in this issue? Taking into account the thinking of others? Examine my thinking for prejudice?

THE STANDARDS
clarity accuracy relevance Logicalness breadth precision significance completeness fairness depth

must be applied to

THE ELEMENTS
as we learn to develop purposes questions points of view information inferences concepts implications assumptions

INTELLECTUAL TRAITS
intellectual humility intellectual autonomy intellectual integrity intellectual courage intellectual perseverance confidence in reason intellectual empathy fair-mindedness

Cognitive Skills that Underlie Critical Thinking

1. Demonstrate a clear understanding of the assignments purpose 2. Clearly define the issue or problem 3.Accurately identify the core issues

4. Appreciate depth and breadth of the problem 5. Demonstrate fairmindedness toward the problem 6. Identify and evaluate relevant significant points of view

Cognitive Skills that Underlie Critical Thinking

7. Examine relevant points of view fairly, empathetically 8. Gather sufficient, credible, relevant information: observations, statements, logic, data, facts, 9. Questions, graphs, themes, assertions, descriptions, etc.

10.Include information that opposes as well as supports the argued position 11.Distinguish between information and inferences drawn from that information 12.Identify and accurately explain/use relevant key concepts 13.Acurately identify assumptions (things taken for granted)

Cognitive Skills that Underlie Critical Thinking

14. Make assumptions that are consistent, reasonable, and valid 15. Follow where evidence and reason lead in order to obtain defensible, thoughtful, logical conclusions or solutions 16.Make deep rather than superficial inferences 17.Make inferences that are consistent with each other 18.Identify the most significant implications and consequences of the reasoning (whether positive and/or negative)

19. Distinguish probable from improbable implications

Elements of Critical Thought

Tolerance for Ambiguity Very difficult for younger students Requires flexibility in life views

Developmental growth in managing the uncertain

Open-Minded Skepticism
Overcoming personal bias and prejudice

This means suspending beliefput aside preconceived ideas especially about our cherished beliefs

Creative Problem Solving

Look at it from multiple perspectives What we fail to see can have implications for planning to prevent problems and for solving problems that occur Example: Hurricane Katrina There was a failure to see that the first responders would not respond

Attentive, Mindful and Curious

Intellectual curiosity Pay attention to our thoughts and feelings Respect diversity Accepting all possibilities when looking for solutions

Collaboration
An approach grounded in shared conversation and community Dynamic objectivism recognizes the difference between our selves and others as opportunities for deeper exploration

Consideration as to how the other person/country might react

Barriers to Critical Thought

Resistance- ImmaturityIm not wrong Avoidance-hang with like minded persons

Anger-threats to silence others

Clich-Dont force your views on meeverything is relative Denial-ignore the truthOil reserves in USA

Barriers to Critical Thought

Ignorance-lack of content knowledge or willingness to learn new knowledge Conformity-I wont be accepted if I disagree

Struggling to Act-Paralysis by analysis

Distractions-rather than think we stay distracted Absolutism- authority has the answer we are not to question

Barriers to Critical Thought

Egocentrism-little regard for others views Ethnocentrism-uncritical and unjustified belief in the superiority of ones group

Anthropocentrism-Humans are king-resources are there for our use

Rationalization- rush to judgment, ignoring competing claims Unexamined Bias, Prejudice

Barriers Broken Down

The use of cognitive dissonance and social dissonance to confront barriers Introduce new ideas that directly conflict with persons world view.

Bibliography

Barratt, J. (2009, August 10). A Plea for More Critical Thinking in Design, Please . Retrieved September 5, 2009, from Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/john-barratt/design-day/plea-more-critical-thinkingdesign-please Boss, Judith. THINK Critical Thinking and Logic Skills for Everyday Life, 2010. McGraw Hill, New York, NY Grotzer, T. A. (1996). Teaching Thinking Skills: Does It Add Up for Math and Science Learning? Retrieved September 7, 2009, from Project Zero Harvard Graduate School of Education: http://pzweb.harvard.edu/Research/MathSciMatters/BK2THKSKRv03.pdf Kennedy, M. L., & Jones, R. (2009, 6 15). Critical Thinking. Retrieved September 6, 2009, from Special Libraries Association: http://www.sla.org/PDFs/SLA2009/2009_critical-thinking.pdf Lee, B. (2007, March 30). Become a Critical Thinker. Retrieved September 6, 2009, from Genius Types: http://geniustypes.com/become_a_critical_thinker/ OXford University Press USA. (2009, July 13). Questions That Critical Thinking Will Help You Answer. Retrieved September 6, 2009, from OUPblog: http://blog.oup.com/2009/07/helping-professionals/ Paul, R. (1992, April). Critical Thinking: Basic Questions & Answers. Retrieved September 4, 2009, from Foundation for Critical Thinking: http://www.criticalthinking.org/print-page.cfm?pageID=409 ReCAPP. (2009, September). Skills for Educators: Use of Critical Thinking Skills to Analyze Health Disparities. Retrieved September 7, 2009, from Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention: http://www.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.EducatorSkillsDetail&PageID=98 Robbins, S. (2005, 5 30). The Path to Critical Thinking. Retrieved September 7, 2009, from Harvard Business School Working Knowledge for Business Leaders: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4828.html#1 Surrey Community College. (2005). Why Critical Thinking? Retrieved September 7, 2009, from Surry Community College: http://www.surry.edu/about/ct/why_ct.html www.criticalthinking.org Critical Thinking: Basic Theory and Instructional Structures. Foundation for Critical Thinking, 1999