Critical Thinking constructing questions and arguments

1. P R O B L E M S O L V I N G W H I L E A V O I D I N G
C O M M O N E R R O R S I N H U M A N I N Q U I R Y
B Y C O N S T R U C T I N G C R I T I C A L T H I N K I N G
Q U E S T I O N S A N D A R G U M E N T S
Critical Thinking

2. Critical Thinking
 Why is it important?
 When left to itself, human thinking has a penchant toward
prejudice (bias), over-generalization (reaching a conclusion
based upon too few observations), common fallacies (such as the
exception makes the rule), among other things
 Critical thinking maximizes our ability to solve problems by
avoiding these common mistakes in human thinking and to
proceed toward a resolution in the most rational and logical
manner.
 In this manner, it is similar to the scientific method.

3. Critical Thinking
 Critical thinkers typically engage in or put emphasis
on the following intellectual practices
(i) Monitoring, reviewing, and assessing;
(ii) Establishing goals and purposes;
(iii) Ways issues and problems are formulated;
(iv) Information or evidence accepted;
(v) Interpretation of that information and evidence;
(vi) Quality of the reasoning developed, that is, the ideas in the
thinking, assumptions made, and implications that may
follow; and,
(vii) Points of view.

4. Critical Thinking
 These critical thinking intellectual practices are
aimed at such intellectual ends as
 Clarity
 Precision
 Accuracy
 Relevance
 Depth
 Breadth
 Logicalness

5. Critical Thinking
 Critical thinking includes a complex combination of skills
(i) Rationality: reason, evidence, concerned with best explanation
than being right
(ii) self-awareness: recognize our own assumptions or points of view
(iii) honesty: recognize modes of self-deception (emotional impulses)
that may affect a thorough analysis of the work
(iv) open-mindedness: evaluate reasonable inferences and open to
alternative explanations
(v) discipline: precise, meticulous, and resistance to snap judgments
(vi) judgment: recognize extent of evidence and merit of alternative
perspectives

6. Critical Thinking
 Critical thinkers are
 skeptical - approach texts with suspicion
 Active - ask questions and analyze
 Seek sound inferences and insightful analogies
 Open – challenge their own beliefs and investigate competing evidence
 Passive, non-critical thinkers
 Simplistic view of the world
 Black and white
 See questions as “yes” or “no” with no subtleties
 Fail to see complexities
 Fail to recognize related elements
 Egotistical view of the world
 Their facts are only relevant facts
 Their own perspective the only sensible one
 Their goal the only valid one

7. Critical Thinking
 Formulating the questions
 For example, critical analysis when translating the meaning of
work
 What is the purpose of the work, book, or study?
 What is the author trying to accomplish?
 What issues or problems are raised?
 What data or evidence are given?
 What concepts are used to organize this data, these experiences?
 How is the author thinking about the world?
 Is the thinking justified from our perspective?
 How is it justified from the creator’s perspective?
 How can we enter that perspective to appreciate what merit it may
have?

8. Developing Discussion Questions to Promote
Critical Thinking
 (a) “What are the implications of _________?”
 (b) Why is ________ important?
 (c) What is another way to look at ______?
 Questions that ask students to reflect on their own
thinking processes and to identify what particular
form of critical thinking they are using --- that is
thinking about thinking.
 Now, please refer to the two handouts for extensive
questions to elicit critical thinking.