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Critical Thinking

Presented by the Learning Center

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Presentation Agenda

  • What is Critical Thinking?
  • NACE Competencies
  • Bloom’s Taxonomy
  • Critical Thinking in Everyday Life
  • Critical Thinking in Academics
  • How to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the workshop, students will be able to:

  • define metacognition and identify strategies to be intentional about their studying
  • explain the study cycle and apply it to their academics.
  • utilize self-regulated learning to identify areas of improvement and increase effectiveness of studying.

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Is a hot dog a sandwich?

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What is Critical Thinking?

  • Oxford Language Definition�Noun: the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.

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  • University of Louisville�Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

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  • Wikipedia�The analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments in order to form a judgement by the application of rational, skeptical, and unbiased analyses and evaluation

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Critical thinking is the ability to understand information and know what do with it.

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NACE Competencies

  • National Association of Colleges and Employers
  • Competencies for a Career-Ready Workforce
    • Career & Self-Development
    • Communication
    • Critical Thinking
    • Equity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Professionalism
    • Teamwork
    • Technology

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Bloom’s Taxonomy

Restating in your own �words. Summarizing.

Using information to solve problems. Identifying connections.

Identifying components, determining arrangement, logic, and semantics.

Making decisions and �supporting your views.

Combining information to form a unique product.

Memorizing word-for-word. �Not necessarily understanding.

Evaluation

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

Create

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Bloom’s Taxonomy

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Bloom’s Taxonomy

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Bloom’s & Academics

Level of Bloom’s needed to make A’s or B’s…

…in high school

…in college

Create

3%

15%

Evaluation

3%

23%

Analysis

13%

35%

Application

25%

14%

Comprehension

35%

6%

Knowledge

21%

7%

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Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

Describe how you use critical thinking skills in various situations.

  • Day-to-day Decisions
  • Job/Internship
  • Leadership Role
  • Hobbies

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Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

Observation: noticing and predicting opportunities, problems, and solutions

Analysis: gathering, understanding, and interpreting data/information

Inference: drawing conclusions based on relevant data/information and personal knowledge/experience

Communication: sharing and receiving information with others verbally, nonverbally, and in writing

Problem Solving: gathering, analyzing, and communicating information to identify and troubleshoot solutions

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Critical Thinking in Academics

Describe how you use critical thinking skills in various situations.

  • Classroom
  • Study Strategies
  • Time Management

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Critical Thinking in Academics

  • Metacognition
    • Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes
    • Planning how to approach a learning task
    • Using appropriate skills and strategies to solve problems
    • Self-assessing and self-correcting approach to completing tasks
  • Self-Regulated Learning
    • Create a plan for each learning task and �set expectations
    • Plan what to do when obstacles arise
    • Stick with your strategies and monitor progress
    • Evaluate performance and results with goals, �not with others

Plan & Set Goals

Use Strategies &�Monitor Performance

Reflect & Adapt

Cycle of Self-Regulated Learning

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Use Bloom’s to Guide Your Studying

Knowledge: recall information as presented

Study Methods: flashcards, lists, timeline

Questions to Ask: What do you remember about ______________? How would you define _______________? How would you identify_________________? How would you recognize ____________________? What would you choose _______________? Describe what happens when _________________? How is (are) ________________? Where is (are) ________________? Which one ________________? Who was _________________? Why did _______________? What is (are) __________________? When did __________________? How would you outline __________________?

Create

Evaluation

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

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Use Bloom’s to Guide Your Studying

Comprehension: summarize facts or identify the main idea

Study Methods: discuss with a partner, explain the main idea, write a summary

Questions to Ask: How would you compare ____________? Contrast ____________________? How would you clarify the meaning ________________? How would you differentiate between ____________________? How would you generalize __________________? How would you express ________________? What can you infer from ____________________? What did you observe ________________? How would you identify __________________? How can you describe _____________? Will you restate ________________? Elaborate on _____________. What would happen if ________________? What is the main idea of _________________? What can you say about _______________?

Create

Evaluation

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

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Use Bloom’s to Guide Your Studying

Application: use ideas to solve problems

Study Methods: find examples, work practice problems, create a study guide

Questions to Ask: What actions would you take to perform _________________? How would you develop _____________ to present _______________? What other way would you choose to _______________? What would the result be if ________________? How would you demonstrate ____________________? How would you present _________________? How would you change _________________? How would you modify _____________? How could you develop __________________? Why does _______________work? How would you alter ____________ to ______________? What examples can you find that ______________? How would you solve _________________?

Create

Evaluation

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

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Use Bloom’s to Guide Your Studying

Analysis: examine concepts and break them down into basic parts

Study Methods: generate a list of contributing factors, determine importance of different elements, think about it from a different perspective

Questions to Ask: How can you classify _____________ according to ______________? How can you compare the different parts _____________? What explanation do you have for __________________? How is _______________ connected to __________________? Discuss the pros and cons of _________________. How can you sort the parts ________________? What is the analysis of _________________? What can you infer _________________? What ideas validate ______________________? How would you explain ____________________? What can you point out about ________________?

Create

Evaluation

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

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Use Bloom’s to Guide Your Studying

Evaluation: make judgements based on appropriate criteria

Study Methods: decide is you like, dislike, agree, or disagree with an author or decision, determine which approach or argument is most effective.

Questions to Ask: What criteria would you use to assess _______________? What data was used to evaluate ____________? What choice would you have made _______________? How would you determine the facts ______________? What is the most important _____________? What would you suggest ____________? How would you grade ____________? What is your opinion of ______________? How could you verify ____________? Rate the ____________. Rank the importance of ______________. �Determine the value of ______________.

Create

Evaluation

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

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Use Bloom’s to Guide Your Studying

Create: combine parts of knowledge into a whole idea

Study Methods: build a model, teach information to others, design an experiment

Questions to Ask: What alternative would you suggest for ______________? What changes would you make to revise __________________? How would you explain the reason ______________? How would you generate a plan to ________________? What could you invent ______________? What facts can you gather ________________? Predict the outcome if _______________. What would happen if _________________? How �would you portray ______________? Devise a way to _____________. How �would you compile the facts for _____________? How would�you improve _____________?

Create

Evaluation

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

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How can you improve your�critical thinking skills?

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How to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

  • Evaluate new information
  • Consider the source
  • Ask lots of questions
  • Understand that questions may have more than one answer
    • subjective vs. objective information
  • Follow up with research
  • Find examples and connections
  • Form an opinion
  • Identify transferable skills and how they can be applied to academics
  • Reflection

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Closing Reflection

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Something still circling around in your head.

Something that stuck out to you.

Something that squared away with your thinking.

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