1. The document discusses critical thinking, what it is, why it is important, and how to apply it. 2. It defines critical thinking as the deliberate exploration of experience for a purpose like understanding, decision making, or problem solving. 3. Critical thinking skills are important as they help determine the real problem, generate alternative solutions, and know when a problem is solved. 4. The document also discusses different problem solving methods that can be used with critical thinking like plan-do-check-act cycles, cause-and-effect diagrams, and decision trees.

1. Critical Thinking – What it is & How to Apply Nick Ursini, UBAM CCC Cincinnati Campus November, 26 2008

3. The Critical Thinking Flow Process November 26, 2008 Nick Ursini University of Phoenix Application & Review Ask the Right Question Fact Finding Evaluation & Review Consensus Building Thinking Beyond the Superficial Surface

4. What is Critical Thinking November 26, 2008 Nick Ursini University of Phoenix Dr. Edward DeBono provides insight when he said thinking is the deliberate exploration of experience for a purpose. The purpose might be understanding, decision-making, planning, problem solving, judgment, or taking action. Thinking is part of the “educational trinity” consisting of knowledge, intelligence, and thinking. We build knowledge by using our innate capability and apply it to the raw material called “information”.

5. Logic Versus Beliefs November 26, 2008 Nick Ursini University of Phoenix Inductive Logic: Human reasoning applied to situations when you cannot determine with absolute certainty that the conclusion is based on the available evidence. You can establish a PROBABILITY based on your risk tolerance for uncertainty. Deductive Logic: Human reasoning applied to situations when you can prove with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY that the conclusion is true if your premise is valid. The legal term, Re Ipso Facto, let the facts speak for themselves, best describes this form of logic. Beliefs: Human beliefs do not have a foundation in logic. They are based on human stories passed down from one generation to another. Many are based on anecdotal information. They are sometimes codified into a set of rules guiding human behavior. Beliefs have an important role to play in society. The foundation for all religions is a set of beliefs.

6. Why is Critical Thinking Important November 26, 2008 Nick Ursini University of Phoenix 1. Critical thinking skills help us determine the real problem and enable us to sort problems according to structures such as (A) Urgent and Critical (B) Urgent but Non-Critical and (C) Non-Urgent but Critical. 2. These skills help us differentiate between symptoms of a problem and the problem itself. 3. Critical thinking skills help us generate alternatives that are equally valid and distinctly different. 4. Critical thinking skills enable us to create metrics that help us know when a problem is solved. 5. Critical thinking enables us to avoid logic fallacies such as slippery slope, red herring, etc.

7. Avoid the Blame Game November 26, 2008 Nick Ursini University of Phoenix Blame ruins everything. It creates hostilities, scapegoats, and the avoidance of hard decisions that can solve problems. The human impulse to blame comes from our need to avert harm. We have appetites to be alert about who is doing wrong just as we have appetites to nourish ourselves. Often we blame others because we lack the skills to solve the problem. Blame is about the past and about words. Problem solving focuses on the future and is about actions. It is far more productive to evaluate and recalibrate than to judge someone else’ past actions or to demonize them. Critical thinking skills become the enablers to accomplish this goal.