This document discusses critical thinking skills and provides a 5-step model for critical thinking: 1. Stop and think before diving into an issue to focus thoughts. 2. Recognize assumptions and separate facts from fiction by questioning one's own positions and theories. 3. Remain objective and avoid bias when evaluating information by considering multiple perspectives. 4. Draw conclusions by making logical decisions after separating facts from assumptions and objectively analyzing information. 5. Plan a course of action by considering next steps like sharing findings or solving a problem.

1. Adan Bulale, MPA

7. Before you answer the items that follow, reflect on your school experiences. Maybe
it was last year—or as long as 20 years ago. Can you remember the types of
questions your teachers asked you? Not the content of the questions but rather the
difficulty level of the questions? Were you asked to memorize lists of terms and “spit
them back” (known as a lower-order thinking skill), or did you have to understand
and analyze and evaluate terms and concepts (higher-order thinking skills)?

8. There are no right answers for the questions below. It’s okay if you cannot recall exactly which
type of questions you most often faced; remember as best you can. As with all of the reflective
activities in this text, write from your heart. This exercise is not meant for you to answer just
like your classmates—or to match what you may think the instructor wants to see. Take your
time to give a respectful and responsible general accounting of your experiences with critical
thinking. A truthful self-assessment now will help you build on skills you possess while
developing those you lack.

9. For each of the following items, circle the number that best describes your typical
experience with critical thinking. The key for the numbers is as follows:
0 = never, 1 = almost never, 2 = occasionally, 3 = frequently, 4 = almost always, 5 =
always
When considering your past schoolwork, how often:

12. Self-Assesment Practice
● Lower-order thinking skills experience. Add up your scores for items 1, 2, 3, and 8. Divide
by 4. Write your answer here:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Using the key explanations provided for each number (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) for this activity, complete
this sentence: When it
comes to thinking, I have _________ used lower-order thinking skills.
Higher-order thinking skills experience. Add up your scores for items 4, 5, 6, and 7. Divide by 4.
Write your answer here: ...................................................

13. Self-Assesment Practice
Using the key explanations provided for each number (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) for this activity,
complete this sentence: When it comes to thinking, I have _________ used higher-
order thinking skills.

15. Critical thinkers demonstrate command of basic information about an issue as they logically,
precisely, and systematically examine the issue from many sides—even if that examination
may uncover information that differs from a deeply held personal belief. College life exposes
students to situations that will challenge what they already “know” to be certain. For instance,
your opinion may tell you there is no need to read the textbook assignments or come to class
every day. However, as you gain experience—such as failing quizzes or exams—you may revisit
and then change that mindset. You may also “know” that you can exist on minimal sleep. But a
few weeks into the semester, you may question that “truth.”

16. Active learning involves many forms of thinking. Some people use the terms critical
thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking interchangeably, freely substituting
one term for another.
A more precise view would be to think of each as a distinct thinking process; one
leads to the other; one builds on the previous and uses deeper thinking skills.

18. If you have a Facebook account and have ever received a “friend” request, you were using
critical-thinking skills to make your decision to “confirm” or “quietly ignore.” We all have done
this. Critical thinking is not new. But still, aren’t you amazed by the number of people who
seem to stumble through life making one uninformed decision after another? (And it is even
more worrisome to think that there are people who vote without using critical-thinking skills!)
Let’s examine a model that will help you make sure you are thinking critically and not, in fact,
using noncritical “stinkin’ thinkin’.”

20. Step #1. STOP AND THINK
● This is old yet sage advice. Before you can start the critical-thinking process, you have to
stop all of the chatter and distractions in your mind. Prior to diving into an issue, pause,
take a breath, and focus your thoughts.

21. Step #2. RECOGNIZING ASSUMPTIONS:
Separating Fact from Fiction
● When we assume (make an assumption), we make a decision based on many things—but
not necessarily facts. Consider an assumption to be a theory, paradigm, or one’s view of
the world. When we assume, we accept something to be correct. We may or may not have
actual proof, but we believe the opinion or position to be accurate.

22. Step #2. RECOGNIZING ASSUMPTIONS:
Separating Fact from Fiction
When we question assumptions, we evaluate whether what we assume to be true is
actually true.
We may assume, for example, a political candidate is telling the truth because he belongs
to the political party we belong to. Or we assume posting a comment on a social media
site will never be seen by anyone except our “friends.” Or maybe a student assumes she
cannot be an engineer because females just cannot do math.

23. Step #2. RECOGNIZING ASSUMPTIONS:
Separating Fact from Fiction
Each of these assumptions is based on an opinion. Sometimes, that opinion comes from past
experience; other times, it evolves from personal prejudices and biases. The problem with
assumptions is that they can very easily be more fiction than fact. Critical thinking requires
that you understand the issue or situation in front of you. That requires that you question your
own positions, theories, and assumptions.

24. Step #3. EVALUATING INFORMATION:
Remaining Objective and Unemotional
Think about this: In the case of Snyder v. Phelps (2011), the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of the United States issued an opinion that said, in part, “As a nation we have chosen . . . to
protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”
Another judge stated in a dissenting opinion, “Our profound national commitment to free and
open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case.” The final
8–1 decision held that the First Amendment does in fact protect hurtful speech in public.

25. Step #3. EVALUATING INFORMATION:
Remaining Objective and Unemotional
When you read what the two justices said, do you automatically gravitate to one
side of the debate? If you are like most people, you probably do. Be careful in this
step. Avoid confirmation bias. That is, don’t let your preconceived ideas get in the
way of an unbiased decision.

26. Step #3. EVALUATING INFORMATION:
Remaining Objective and Unemotional
Can you see beyond the emotion and objectively judge the information that is
before you? Did the judges actually say these things? Do you understand the
vocabulary? Do you need additional facts? Once you have determined that the
information presented is actually factual, you are on your way to understanding
whether an argument is credible or not.

27. Step #4. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS: Making
a Decision
The next step of our critical-thinking model logically follows the preceding two.
Once you have separated fact from fiction and have objectively analyzed and
evaluated the information presented, you are in a good position to make a decision
about what you have before you.

28. Step #5. PLAN OF ACTION
Once you have a basic understanding of the facts and have formed your educated
opinion about the issue at hand, you are ready to plan your next step. This could
range from thinking about the findings to sharing them with someone else to using
the information to solve a problem.

30. Using C.A.R.L. to Understand Critical Thinking
Certain terms and concepts constantly pop up when talking about critical thinking.
Here are four such terms:

32. ■ Clarity. Facts and arguments are presented clearly and unambiguously.
■ Accuracy. The information presented is factual.
■ Relevance. The information presented relates to the argument or problems at hand.
■ Logic. The position makes sense.

33. In 1956, educational pioneer Benjamin Bloom developed a six-tier thinking skills
model that has become the backbone of the critical-thinking process. Again, these
terms, listed in Table 2, are commonly used with critical thinking. Become familiar
with them.

48. I rest my case! Any
questions or comments?