Critical Thinking

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Critical Thinking
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What is CT?

• Purposeful
• Multi-disciplinary
• Imposes Criteria
• Systematic
• A fitness training for the mind

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Stages of CT
Ideal
Master
Advanced
Practicing
Beginner
Challenged
Not Reflective
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Elements of Thinking

1. Information
2. Purpose
3. Point of View
4. Problem or Question
5. Concepts
6. Assumptions
7. Consequences Implications
8. Interpretation Inference

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CT Skills

1. Gather Complete Information
2. Understand Terms Language
3. Look for Hidden Assumptions
4. Look for Answers Appropriate to the Complexity of
   the Situation
5. Question What Information You Have
6. Become Aware of Emotional Blocks

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CT Process

1. Identify Restate the Claim
2. Identify Evidence Relevant to the Claim
3. Evaluate the Quality of the Evidence
4. Evaluate the Validity of the Claim
5. Summarize

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In Summary

• Critical Thinking is
• Disciplined, self-directed thinking
• Thinking that displays mastery of intellectual
  skills abilities
• Thinking about thinking to make it more clear,
  more accurate, and more defensible

Richard Paul (1992) Critical Thinking What Every
Person Needs to Survive in a Rapidly Changing
World