"Most formal definitions characterize critical thinking as the intentional application of rational, higher order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, problem recognition and problem solving, inference, and evaluation"

1. Critical Thinking
and Writing
Dr Ryan Thomas Williams

2. Critical thinking definitions
• "Most formal definitions characterize critical thinking as the intentional application of
rational, higher order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, problem recognition and
problem solving, inference, and evaluation" (Angelo, 1995, p. 6).
• “Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to
believe or do.” Robert Ennis

3. Critical thinking definitions cont.
• “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking, while you’re thinking, in order to make
your thinking better.” Richard Pau
• Critical thinking is the art of making clear, reasoned judgements based on interpreting,
understanding, applying and synthesising evidence gathered from observation, reading
and experimentation.(Burns & Sinfield, 2016 p94.

4. Why is critical thinking important
• Personal Life
• Professional Life
• Academic Life
• Academic success -Employability

5. Are you a critical thinker?
• Can you?
• Clarify your thinking so that you can break down a problem or a piece of information,
interpret it and use that interpretation to arrive at an informed decision or judgement
(for example designing a bridge, responding to an opinion piece or understanding a
political motivation).
• People who apply critical thinking consistently are said to have a critical thinking
mindset, but no one is born this way. These are attributes which are learnt and improved
through practice and application.

6. In academic
contexts
• In the academic context, critical thinking is most
commonly associated with arguments. You
might be asked to think critically about other
people's arguments or create your own. To
become a better critical thinker, you therefore
need to learn how to:

7. Examples of critical thinking
Below are four examples of critical thinking skills, mindsets and practices. This is by no
means an exhaustive list of all critical thinking skills because the skills you use will depend
on your specific context.
• Questioning skills
• Analytical skills
• Evaluation skills
• Synthesis skills

8. Questioning skills
How do I apply questioning skills?
• I question the relevance and reliability of what I hear, read or see.
• I question the authority and purpose of what I hear, read or see.
How do I apply a questioning mindset?
• I am inquisitive and curious.
• I always seek the truth, rather than accepting things without questioning.

9. Analytical skills
How do I apply analytical skills?
• I carefully examine ideas and information.
• I systematically consider all aspects of a problem and look at each element in its wider
context.
How do I apply an analytical mindset?
• I make connections between ideas.

10. Evaluation skills
How do I apply evaluation skills?
• I recognise (and avoid) flaws of reasoning.
• I consider what is implied in what I see, hear and read.
How do I apply an evaluation mindset?
• I compare different viewpoints and arguments, and point out their strengths and
weaknesses.

11. Synthesis skills
How do I apply synthesis skills?
• I use logic and reason to formulate my conclusions and arguments.
• I use strong evidence, based on analysis and evaluation, to support my conclusions.
How do I apply a synthesis mindset?
• I consider the bigger picture or context, and use strong evidence and reason to formulate
my conclusions, decisions, judgements and arguments.

12. Five simple strategies to sharpen your critical thinking

13. Critical thinking
definitions cont.
• Critical thinking is reflective
• Critical thinking involves standards
• Paul & Elder(2007)

14. Six Levels of Thinking - The
Revised Taxonomy (2001)

15. This three-stage model of
academic critical reading

16. Academic critical
reading
Description
• Who is the author?
• What is the main purpose and overall argument/conclusion of this text?
Analysis
• Is the author an expert/academic?
• What kind of reasons/evidence has the author provided for their main argument
and how relevant
• How convincing is the overall argument? Why (not)?
• Are there any assertions in the article/text that are unsupported?
• Is the conclusion reasonable?

17. Academic critical reading
Evaluation
• How is this text significant to your research? What
can be learnt from it?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of this text?
• How does this text relate to other information you
have read? Does it contradict, support or challenge
other evidence?

18. Description vs
critical analysis?
Cottrell 1999

19. Descriptive writing
• This is an essential element of academic writing but it
is used to set the background and to provide
evidence rather than to develop argument.
• When writing descriptively you are informing your
reader of things that they need to know to
understand and follow your argument but you are not
transforming that information in any way. This is
usually writing about things you have read, done
(often as part of reflective writing) or observed.

20. Critical writing
When writing critically, you are developing a reasoned argument and participating in academic
debate. Essentially you are persuading your reader of your position on the topic at hand. This is
about taking the information you have described and using it in some way. This could be writing
things like:
• why it is relevant to your argument,
• how it relates to other literature,
• how it relates to the focus of your assignment
• how a theory can be put into practice,
• why it is significant,
• why you are not persuaded by it,
• how it leads you to reach your conclusion.

21. Examples of critical writing vs
descriptive
Descriptive example
"Carl Rogers' theory of a person-centred
approach focuses on the freedom of the
individual to determine what values should be
used to measure successful personal outcomes
or benefit, and is particularly relevant for social
workers when wanting to take into account the
diverse needs of the client group."
Critical example
"Carl Rogers' theory of a person-centred
approach is particularly suitable for social
workers wanting to work with a client group
with diverse needs because it allows the client
to determine what values should be used to
measure successful outcomes, rather than
those externally determined by, for example,
the service, state or dominant culture in
society."