Transcript What is Critical Thinking Skills? Critical thinking Skills

Introduction:
What is Critical Thinking Skills?
Critical thinking Skills is about changing the
way you think about the way you think
(going beyond the information given).
*You as a critical thinker have thoughts, beliefs,
and viewpoints.
Your mission is to direct these thoughts, beliefs
and viewpoints to be more rational and accurate in
order to be able to solve problems correctly.
Purpose of Thinking
• The purpose of thinking is to collect
information and to make the best possible use
of it.
• Our mind works to create fixed concept
patterns, we cannot make the best use of new
information unless we have some means for
restructuring the old patterns and bringing
them up to date by creating new patterns and
escape from the dominance of the old ones.
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Thus, a critical thinker is willing to explore,
question, and search out answers and
resolutions.
Thinking is a skill that can be taught and
improved with practice and training.
Skillful refers to the proficiency, competency
and facility of performing a certain task in a
short period of time.
Studies support and affirm that good thinking
is essential in meeting the challenge of living in
a technologically oriented, multicultural world.
-The brain is divided into three major parts:
a.
b.
c.
Forebrain
Midbrain
Hindbrain
• The forebrain consists of two cerebral
hemispheres, one on the left side & one on the
right.
• The two hemisphere differ anatomically and
functionally, the division of labour between the
two hemisphere is called lateralization.
• In most humans, the left hemisphere is
associated with matters that deal with details
or analysis, such as:
language, mathematics, chemistry, critical
thinking, problem solving, and decision making.
• Right hemisphere is more associated with
matters such as:
painting, imagination, perception, and creative
thinking.
Thinking skills is used by many schools and universities,
especially by employers as a measure of how well an
individual will perform on the job.
In general, critical thinking involves both:
A- Problem solving.
B- Reasoning.
An ideal critical thinker has to:
1- make observations.
2-be curious, ask relative questions.
3- examine beliefs, assumptions, and opinions against facts.
4- recognize and define problems.
5- assess the validity of statements and arguments.
6- make wise decisions and find valid solutions.
7- understand logic and logical argument.
Recognizing a problem
• In recognizing any problem, we will focus on the two
types:
1- Severe problem.
2- Important problem.
We all face problems in our daily life, some of them are simple
and some are complex. Thus, in order to be able to solve a
problem. You have to determine that you have one.
Once you did so, you need to do prioritizing for that particular
problem then decide whether it needs an immediate solution
or not.
What is a problem?
• A problem is a question or situation that calls
for a solution.
- The hardest form of problem is the question,
why?
- Because we do not have one straightforward
answer.
1- Severe problems:
• Severe problems have the following criteria:
1- require immediate solutions (actions).
2- may need the involvement of others who have more
experience.
3- the longer they remain, the complex they become
(dramatically).
Example: a break in your house plumbing, because
water will continue to leak damaging everything it
contacts with such as furniture, carpeting and walls.
2- Important problems:
• Here, the problems seen as important and
unimportant (less important) according to the
person’s priorities.
• What distinguishes this type of problems from the
other type is that it does not require an immediate
intervention.
Example: education, pollution, healthcare, and
environment.
What we are going to do here is ranking the most &the
least important problem to deal with.
 The cost of problem solving:
• When you are on budget, money is an issue when
determining the importance of problems.
• If you face two or more problems that require a
payment to solve, and you do not have the money
enough to take care of everything at once, you need
to determine what needs attention first and what
can wait.
Road block to recognizing a problem:
• Sometimes we cannot recognize a problem
because our desire not to deal with it, or
trying to avoid taking action or responsibility.
• (no recognition means no responsibility).
 What could result of avoiding dealing with
the problem?
Kinds of Thinking
• De Bono differentiated between vertical thinking
and lateral thinking.
• Vertical thinking is related to moving forward by
sequential steps each of which must be justified
(more like critical thinking).
• Lateral thinking is closely related to insight,
creativity and humour.
• Lateral and vertical thinking are complementary,
skill in both is necessary.
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Intelligence
• There have been many definitions for
intelligence: the ability to remember information,
the ability to process numbers quickly, the ability
to adjust… and so on..
• Now it is defined as (a) “that which a properly
standardized intelligence test measures”.
• (b) The ability to learn from experience, think in
abstract terms, and deal effectively with one’s
environment.
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• Intelligence is hereditary, therefore it is an
ability not a skill.
• We may improve it by learning and education,
it is not a one-dimensional entity falling on a
straight-line continuum.
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Multiple Intelligences
• People are not more intelligent or less
intelligent as much as they are intelligent in
different ways.
• The type of intelligence displayed by Michael
Jordan on a basketball court is different than
that of Robin Williams creating comedy. Each
domain utilizes a different type of intelligence
to achieve mastery.
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• Howard Gardner defined intelligence as the
“ability to solve problems or create products
which are valued within a culture setting”.
Instead of a single entity with many facets,
Gardner has identified nine intelligences, all of
which work together as a system:
1. Linguistic intelligence: is the ability to use
words to describe or communicate ideas.
Example.. poet, writer, storyteller, comedian,
public speaker, public relations, politician,
journalist, editor, or professor.
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2. Logical-mathematical intelligence: is the
ability to perceive patterns in numbers or
reasoning, to use numbers effectively, or to
reason well. Examples.. mathematician,
scientist, computer programmer, statistician,
logician, or detective
3. Spatial intelligence: is the ability to perceive
the visual-spatial world accurately (not get lost)
and to transform it. Examples.. hunter, scout,
guide, interior decorator, architect, artist, or
sculptor.
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4. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: is expertise
in using one’s body. Examples.. actor, athlete,
mime, or dancer.
5. Musical intelligence: is the ability to
recognize and produce rhythm, keys and timber;
to express musical forms; and to use music to
express idea. Examples.. composer, director,
performer, or musical technician.
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6. Interpersonal intelligence: is the ability to
perceive and appropriately respond to the
moods, temperaments, motivations, and needs
of other people. Examples.. counsellor,
administrator, manager, coach, co-worker, or
parent.
7. Intrapersonal intelligence: is the ability to
access one’s inner life, to discriminate one’s
emotions, intuitions, and perceptions, and to
know one’s strengths and limitations.
Examples.. religious leader, counsellor,
psychotherapist, or writer.
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8. Naturalistic intelligence: is the ability to
recognize and classify living things (plants,
animals) as well as sensitivity to other features
of the natural world (rocks, clouds). Examples..
naturalist, hunter, scout, farmer, or
environmentalist.
9. Existential intelligence: is the ability to
recognize issues about human existence.
Example… philosopher, or religious man.
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• Each one of these nine intelligences operates
independently of the other: meaning that if
one is strong in music it does not necessarily
mean one will be strong in mathematics.
• Each intelligence is independent of the other,
yet all of them, working together, are used to
solve problems.
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The importance of Thinking Skills
• Effective thinking strategies allow us to
acquire the necessary knowledge and apply it
appropriately.
• If we want students to be proficient thinkers,
we must learn:
– Critical thinking
– Creative thinking
– Problem solving
– Decision making
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Barriers of Successful Thinking
1. Cognitive Barriers: such as inflexibility, low
self esteem, lack of information
2. Social Barriers: such as conservative or
dictatorial societies
3. Psychological Barriers: such as extreme
emotions, lack of motivation, fear of failure.
4. Biological Barriers: such as mental
retardation
5. Environmental Barriers: such as isolated
areas
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2.2 Defining a Problem
Here, you will learn how to differentiate between
real problem and perceived problems.
Before come up with an effective solution, we
should identify the actual problem that needs to be
solved before we do anything else.
You may mistake the more obvious consequences
of a problem for the actual problem because you
could be busy, so whatever irritates you the most
gets the greatest amount of attention.
-There are two common results that occur when you
solve something that is not your actual problem:
1- Your solution will be unsatisfactory. (it fails to
deal with the real problem.)
2- Further decisions will have to be made to solve
the real problem.
Example: you heard a weird noise in your car, however,
instead of taking it to your mechanic to be checked, you
assumed a problem with your muffler, so you replaced it
with a new one, but the noise became worse.
What happened in this scenario?
 How can we define the real problem?
1- Get the information you need, even if you
have to ask for it.
2- Do not be tricked into solving offshoots
(perceived problems), or other consequences of
your problem instead the problem itself.
3- Do not be overwhelmed when you are faced
with what looks like a giant problem.
 How can you distinguish between real problems and
their symptoms or consequences:
1- Avoid making assumptions:
What is assumption? It is an idea based on too little or
not very good information.
Example: you work in a convenience store, you Started to
arrive late at work after facing car problems, so you
began to rely on the public transportations, however, you
were shocked by your manager decision to fire you.
What went wrong here?
2- Think the situation through:
Ask yourself, what is really happening?
It means before dealing with the apparent problem,
look underneath it if solving this problem may result
in another problem or set of problems.
So, think it through allows you to define the issues
you face now and helps you anticipate the problems.
 Road block to defining a problem:
Often the biggest impediment to defining a problem is speed,
especially when you are busy, you are fooled to deal with the
superficial evidences.
Mostly, dealing with such problems result in bigger and more
complicated problems.
End of Chapter One