Critical Thinking (3)

CRITICAL THINKING

CRITICAL
THINKING

CRITICAL THINKING
Involves analyzing and evaluating an issue,
situation, etc. to make a decision, form an
opinion, judgment etc.
Involves:
• Analyzing
• Reasoning
• Evaluating
• Problem Solving
• Decision making

CRITICAL THINKING
• Elements of Thought

CRITICAL THINKING
• Be curious…ask questions
• Why are things the way they are?
• Wonder about “received wisdom”
• Ask…. “Can things be different?”
• Gather the facts. Facts are required
for correct judgment.
• Facts are supported by evidence

CRITICAL THINKING
• Examine the evidence and the source
• Seek and evaluate multiple sources of
info and different interpretations
• Determine character and integrity of the
source
• Ask…. “Is this evidence reliable?”
• Avoid emotional reasoning
• Passionate commitment is important
but critical thinking requires objectivity
and the ability to distinguish the
difference.

CRITICAL THINKING
• Analyze assumptions, and biases
• Including your own
• Do they influence the issue?
• Objectivity vs subjectivity
• Analyze character and integrity
• Check your intuition…your “gut”
• Think creatively
• Tolerate uncertainty
• Evidence may be weak or weakened
• I’m not sure and I don’t know are
acceptable results of

CRITICAL THINKING
• Blooms Taxonomy

WORKS CITED:
• By Kelly Lawless (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons
• Bailin, S. (1996). Critical thinking. In J. Chambliss
(Ed.), Philosophy of education: An encyclopedia.
London, United Kingdom: Routledge. Retrieved
from https://prxsbbcollege.lirn.net/login?url=http://search.credor
eference.com/content/entry/routpe/critical_thin
king/0