This document discusses challenges students face with critical thinking at university. It presents scenarios for three students - Dajian struggles with information overload when researching online; Sasha lacks subject knowledge and feels confused after lectures; Alan lacks confidence to ask questions in class. The reader is asked to identify each student's challenge and provide advice. Feedback confirms Dajian faces information overload, Sasha lacks subject knowledge, and Alan's issue is confidence to engage critically. Suggested advice includes using the library catalogue instead of internet for Dajian, comparing notes with peers for Sasha, and preparing a question in advance for Alan.

1. Page 1 of 3
Critical Thinking at University: An Introduction
How would you overcome the challenges to critical thinking?
How would you overcome the challenges to critical thinking?
In this exercise, you are asked to consider comments from three students.
Please identify which critical thinking challenge each student is facing. What advice
would you give them?
Question 1
What challenge is Dajian facing?
Dajian: “For my first essay, the marking criteria said to read widely. I tried to find
some information on the internet but got too many irrelevant results. It was hard to
tell whether the information was reliable."
A – Information overload
B – Subject knowledge
C – Confidence to engage critically
Question 2
What advice would you give Dajian to overcome information overload.
Question 3
What challenge is Sasha facing?
Sasha: "Sometimes I am not sure I understand what I am being told in lectures. I
often leave class feeling confused and unsure about what I was supposed to take
away from it and how I should build on what we are covering."
A – Information overload
B – Subject knowledge
C – Confidence to engage critically

2. Page 2 of 3
Question 4
What advice would you give Sasha to overcome subject knowledge.
Question 5
What challenge is Alan facing?
Alan: "Whenever tutors ask if we have any questions in classes I always hesitate to
ask my questions because I worry they are stupid."
A – Information overload
B – Subject knowledge
C – Confidence to engage critically
Question 6
What advice would you give Alan to overcome this challenge?
Educator feedback on page 3.

3. Page 3 of 3
Educator feedback
Feedback to Question 1
The correct answer is information overload.
Feedback to Question 2
One key strategy would be for Daijian to use his library catalogue rather than an
internet search engine. We will discover more ways of overcoming such challenges
in the next few steps.
Feedback to Question 3
The correct answer is subject knowledge.
Feedback to Question 4
One key strategy would be for Sasha to compare her notes with peers. We will
discover more ways of overcoming such challenges in the next few steps.
Feedback to Question 5
The correct answer is confidence to engage critically.
Feedback to Question 6
One key strategy would be for Alan to prepare one question or comment ahead of
the class. We will discover more ways of overcoming such challenges in the next few
steps.