Critical thinking
Students will learn various modes of inquiry through interdisciplinary curricula—problem-posing, investigating, conceptualizing—in order to become active, self-motivated, and empowered learners.
What This Means
Critical thinking is: 1) a set of information and belief generating and processing skills, and 2) the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior. (From: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766 )
In other words, it's the set of tools and skills we use to analyze the world around us and the information we're given. It's also not something we just use in specific circumstances, but a behavioral habit we apply continuously throughout the day.
In other words, it's the set of tools and skills we use to analyze the world around us and the information we're given. It's also not something we just use in specific circumstances, but a behavioral habit we apply continuously throughout the day.
5 Steps For Critical Thinking
Now For a Story...
John is applying at a community center. During the interview, in addition to run-of-the-mill job questions, the interviewer wants to know if he’s ever had any personal issues with alcohol, and asks for confirmation that he’s bisexual. They also want to know about a shoplifting incident when John was in high school. John is told that his answers will play a part in determining his suitability for the position.
Is this line of questioning acceptable or not (or in the gray in-between zone)? Why?
Is this line of questioning acceptable or not (or in the gray in-between zone)? Why?
Highlight the white text below if you want more contextual information.
[John is a volunteer mentor at the community center. He had disclosed the above information when he applied to be a mentor. The interviewer is looking for a mentor for a teen who has had issues with building because of his sexuality, which has led to him making some less than stellar choices to deal with the emotional fallout, including some misuse of alcohol. They're looking for the best fit for this teen, someone they can identify with and who can identify with their experiences.]
[John is a volunteer mentor at the community center. He had disclosed the above information when he applied to be a mentor. The interviewer is looking for a mentor for a teen who has had issues with building because of his sexuality, which has led to him making some less than stellar choices to deal with the emotional fallout, including some misuse of alcohol. They're looking for the best fit for this teen, someone they can identify with and who can identify with their experiences.]
When the class was discussing this scenario, almost everyone's initial reaction was 'Isn't that illegal?' They were offended that someone would ask those kinds of questions in 2016. One man, who was training as a social worker said that those kinds of questions were in fact legal to ask in job interviews for social work. They asked what kind of community center was it? What services did they provide? But the consensus was that yes, those questions were really inappropriate for someone applying for a job at a community center, they had nothing to do with the job, and why in the world would John be asked those kinds of things. In order to fill in information that wasn't explicitly provided, their brains made assumptions to fill in those details for them in a way that made the most sense from their knowledge and experiences. (Everyone does that; it's part of how our brains make sense of the world.) Once they realized they must be missing something and heard the extra details (in white above), the story made sense. An important part of critical thinking is learning to not make assumptions, and when you do, to challenge them. Think about how you reacted to the story. What assumptions did you make, or not make? What logical path did you go down as you processed the information and the possible explanations for it? Were the details what you thought they would be? Why?
Critical Thinking as an ideal, not a process
We all agree that thinking critically is important. But is it even possible?
Some of the most important cognitive breakthroughs of the 20th and 21st century have done a great deal to hurt the notion that humans are rational creatures. Some of these findings have been pretty alarming, not to mention unflattering. A lot of the research done by neuroscience has given many pop-sci journalists to declare the "death" of free will. And with free-will as a concept suddenly out of favor with academia, what can we do to recapture our rationality?
Well, the good news is that even if humans aren't instinctively rational, it is still possible to utilize critical thinking; it merely requires a restructuring our way of thinking. Try to be skeptical. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Turn a critical eye to everything- especially our most closely-held beliefs. That isn't to say that we should try to disprove or disbelieve things we believe deeply, but rather to engage in a strengthening process. If we believe something to be true, is it because there's actual evidence, or do we just wish it were true? If our beliefs are evidence-based, then this interrogation will only benefit us in the long run, because we can become accustomed to critiques and decide for ourselves whether or not they have a rational basis.
Some of the most important cognitive breakthroughs of the 20th and 21st century have done a great deal to hurt the notion that humans are rational creatures. Some of these findings have been pretty alarming, not to mention unflattering. A lot of the research done by neuroscience has given many pop-sci journalists to declare the "death" of free will. And with free-will as a concept suddenly out of favor with academia, what can we do to recapture our rationality?
Well, the good news is that even if humans aren't instinctively rational, it is still possible to utilize critical thinking; it merely requires a restructuring our way of thinking. Try to be skeptical. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Turn a critical eye to everything- especially our most closely-held beliefs. That isn't to say that we should try to disprove or disbelieve things we believe deeply, but rather to engage in a strengthening process. If we believe something to be true, is it because there's actual evidence, or do we just wish it were true? If our beliefs are evidence-based, then this interrogation will only benefit us in the long run, because we can become accustomed to critiques and decide for ourselves whether or not they have a rational basis.