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How to think effectively: Six stages of critical thinking

youtube video on critical thinking

Credit: Elder / Paul

  • Researchers propose six levels of critical thinkers: Unreflective thinkers, Challenged thinkers, Beginning thinkers, Practicing thinkers, Advanced thinkers, and Master thinkers.
  • The framework comes from educational psychologists Linda Elder and Richard Paul.
  • Teaching critical thinking skills is a crucial challenge in our times.

The coronavirus has not only decimated our populations, its spread has also attacked the very nature of truth and stoked inherent tensions between many different groups of people, both at local and international levels. Spawning widespread conspiracy theories and obfuscation by governments, the virus has also been a vivid demonstration of the need for teaching critical thinking skills necessary to survive in the 21st century. The stage theory of critical thinking development, devised by psychologists Linda Elder and Richard Paul , can help us gauge the sophistication of our current mental approaches and provides a roadmap to the thinking of others.

The researchers identified six predictable levels of critical thinkers, from ones lower in depth and effort to the advanced mind-masters, who are always steps ahead.

As the scientists write , moving up on this pyramid of thinking “is dependent upon a necessary level of commitment on the part of an individual to develop as a critical thinker.” Using your mind more effectively is not automatic and “is unlikely to take place “subconsciously.” In other words – you have to put in the work and keep doing it, or you’ll lose the faculty.

Here’s how the stages of intellectual development break down:

Unreflective thinker

These are people who don’t reflect about thinking and the effect it has on their lives. As such, they form opinions and make decisions based on prejudices and misconceptions while their thinking doesn’t improve.

Unreflective thinkers lack crucial skills that would allow them to parse their thought processes. They also do not apply standards like accuracy, relevance, precision, and logic in a consistent fashion.

How many such people are out there? You probably can guess based on social media comments. As Elder and Paul write , “it is perfectly possible for students to graduate from high school, or even college, and still be largely unreflective thinkers.”

Challenged thinker

This next level up thinker has awareness of the importance of thinking on their existence and knows that deficiencies in thinking can bring about major issues. As the psychologists explain, to solve a problem, you must first admit you have one.

People at this intellectual stage begin to understand that “high quality thinking requires deliberate reflective thinking about thinking”, and can acknowledge that their own mental processes might have many flaws. They might not be able to identify all the flaws, however.

A challenged thinker may have a sense that solid thinking involves navigating assumptions, inferences, and points of view, but only on an initial level. They may also be able to spot some instances of their own self-deception. The true difficulty for thinkers of this category is in not “believing that their thinking is better than it actually is, making it more difficult to recognize the problems inherent in poor thinking,” explain the researchers.

Thinkers at this level can go beyond the nascent intellectual humility and actively look to take control of their thinking across areas of their lives. They know that their own thinking can have blind spots and other problems and take steps to address those, but in a limited capacity.

Beginning thinker

Beginning thinkers place more value in reason, becoming self-aware in their thoughts. They may also be able to start looking at the concepts and biases underlying their ideas. Additionally, such thinkers develop higher internal standards of clarity, accuracy and logic, realizing that their ego plays a key role in their decisions.

Another big aspect that differentiates this stronger thinker – some ability to take criticism of their mental approach, even though they still have work to do and might lack clear enough solutions to the issues they spot.

Practicing thinker

This more experienced kind of thinker not only appreciates their own deficiencies, but has skills to deal with them. A thinker of this level will practice better thinking habits and will analyze their mental processes with regularity.

While they might be able to express their mind’s strengths and weaknesses, as a negative, practicing thinkers might still not have a systematic way of gaining insight into their thoughts and can fall prey to egocentric and self-deceptive reasoning.

How do you get to this stage? An important trait to gain, say the psychologists, is “intellectual perseverance.” This quality can provide “the impetus for developing a realistic plan for systematic practice (with a view to taking greater command of one’s thinking).”

“We must teach in such a way that students come to understand the power in knowing that whenever humans reason, they have no choice but to use certain predictable structures of thought: that thinking is inevitably driven by the questions, that we seek answers to questions for some purpose, that to answer questions, we need information, that to use information we must interpret it (i.e., by making inferences), and that our inferences, in turn, are based on assumptions, and have implications, all of which involves ideas or concepts within some point of view,” explain Elder and Paul.

One doesn’t typically get to this stage until college and beyond, estimate the scientists. This higher-level thinker would have strong habits that would allow them to analyze their thinking with insight about different areas of life. They would be fair-minded and able to spot the prejudicial aspects in the points of view of others and their own understanding.

While they’d have a good handle on the role of their ego in the idea flow, such thinkers might still not be able to grasp all the influences that affect their mentality.

Advanced thinker

The advanced thinker is at ease with self-critique and does so systematically, looking to improve. Among key traits required for this level are “intellectual insight” to develop new thought habits, “ intellectual integrity” to “recognize areas of inconsistency and contradiction in one’s life,” intellectual empathy ” to put oneself in the place of others in order to genuinely understand them, and the “ intellectual courage” to confront ideas and beliefs they don’t necessarily believe in and have negative emotions towards.

Master thinker

This is the super-thinker, the one who is totally in control of how they process information and make decisions. Such people constantly seek to improve their thought skills, and through experience “regularly raise their thinking to the level of conscious realization.”

A master thinker achieves great insights into deep mental levels, strongly committed to being fair and gaining control over their own egocentrism.

Such a high-level thinker also exhibits superior practical knowledge and insight, always re-examining their assumptions for weaknesses, logic, and biases.

And, of course, a master thinker wouldn’t get upset with being intellectually confronted and spends a considerable amount of time analyzing their own responses.

“Why is this so important? Precisely because the human mind, left to its own, pursues that which is immediately easy, that which is comfortable, and that which serves its selfish interests. At the same time, it naturally resists that which is difficult to understand, that which involves complexity, that which requires entering the thinking and predicaments of others,” write the researchers.

So how do you become a master thinker? The psychologists think most students will never get there. But a lifetime of practicing the best intellectual traits can get you to that point when “people of good sense seek out master thinkers, for they recognize and value the ability of master thinkers to think through complex issues with judgment and insight.”

The significance of critical thinking in our daily lives, especially in these confusing times, so rife with quick and often-misleading information, cannot be overstated. The decisions we make today can truly be life and death.

A drawing shows a person's side profile on the left, with dashed lines leading to a second drawing on the right where the facial features are replaced by a question mark, hinting at a lack of perceptivity.

Critical Thinking Video Series: Critical Thinking Explained

Critical thinking is something we do every day, without realizing it. Although we may think critically about simple tasks such as shopping for a tomato or deciding which movie to see, we don’t always apply critical thinking skills to important, controversial issues.

Statistics demonstrate that students who participate in critical thinking activities (discussions and debates) are more likely to become engaged citizens than students without critical thinking experience. This video explores ways in which we can use critical thinking to sift through the inaccurate, misleading and biased news and information we receive, thereby making more informed decisions on the issues that affect us most.

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How to teach critical thinking to beginners

Sarah Ivory explains how she teaches critical thinking through application rather than theory, tasking students with applying three core elements of the process in their regular classes

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Sarah Ivory

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.css-1txxx8u{overflow:hidden;max-height:81px;text-indent:0px;} It’s time: how to get your department off X

Deepfakes are coming for education. be prepared, campus webinar: the evolution of interdisciplinarity, emotions and learning: what role do emotions play in how and why students learn, relieve student boredom by ‘activating’ lectures, key details.

This video will cover:

00:53  The challenge of defining critical thinking for students who are new to the concept

02:10  Why critical thinking is better taught to beginners through application than theory

03:11  How to teach the three key elements of critical thinking for beginners

Do you drive a car? So, can you tell me how the carburettor works? Or about the importance of wheel differential? Maybe you can – and if you want to be a Formula 1 driver, that’s great. But a vast majority of us just need to know the fundamentals of how to drive. In your first driving lesson, did you sit in the driver’s seat? Or did the instructor pop the hood and say, ‘So this is how it works…”

My name is Dr Sarah Ivory, I’m a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, and I’m going to explain how this analogy applies to introducing critical thinking to your university students, and the stunning results you will see in your students if you choose to do this explicitly – but carefully – and not in the way that critical thinking is traditionally introduced.

Following a number of years of postgraduate teaching, I took on the challenge of redesigning our first-year undergraduate offering. And I soon realised that these students were intelligent and enthusiastic, but they didn’t know how to think critically.

So I thought I would explain it to them, I’d explain what critical thinking is and how to do it. And I just couldn’t explain it. I could do it; it’s my bread and butter, it’s what I do every day.

But when actually explaining how, I got caught up in long-winded and not useful explanations, which ended with saying “so you need to…think…more…critically”.

But what does that actually mean, and how should they do it?

So I started looking into it, and I found that resources for students often jumped from generalist study skills all the way to critical thinking as a philosophical idea comprising logical proofs, laws of thought and Aristotle.

And there is nothing wrong with that. If you want to be an expert in critical thinking, this is important – in the same way that if you want to be a Formula 1 driver, you need to understand your car. But our students, especially our young students, don’t need this, not when they are just first being introduced to the idea.

What they need is something that is understandable and – and this is key – something they can apply and do. I want to explain why those two things are different and equally important.

I developed a definition of critical thinking in my book, and it draws on many other experts, and it is this: “Critical thinking is a cognitive process of actively and carefully evaluating the reasoning and evidence behind knowledge and arguments and developing defensible knowledge and arguments ourselves.”

This makes the concept understandable. But it does not make it useable. A student can learn this definition off by heart, they can even understand what it means, and still not be able to think critically.

Let’s return to our car analogy. They need some time in the driver’s seat. They need to press the accelerator and feel the vehicle move. A definition of driving doesn’t make us a driver, any more than a definition of critical thinking makes us a critical thinker.

So I introduced three simple aims of critical thinking which I teach my students. I teach them this on day one, and I come back to it in every lecture and, importantly, they know that each of these aims is one of the three criteria by which I will assess all of their assessments.

The big three aims of critical thinking, that I teach, are:

  • quality of argument
  • strength of evidence
  • and clarity of communication.

Purists among you may suggest that “clarity of communication” is a communication rather than a thinking aim, and they’d be right. But communication of our arguments and evidence is essential to developing and improving these through discussion and critique.

These three aims are simple, yes. But they are also the foundation stones of more complex critical thinking, logical proofs et cetera, that can come later if students are interested.

To teach “quality of argument”, I suggest you use argument maps which visually depict a claim, which is a position or a proposition, which is linked to a premise, or hopefully a number of premises, which represent the line of reasoning.

Students can practise developing their own argument maps for the topics of your specific lecture, of your specific discipline.

For “strength of evidence”, it is really important to demonstrate when evidence is needed, and how to assess different types of evidence. This can be discipline- and topic-specific.

But I find that the key here is if I explain to students why I want them to use certain sources, why academic sources, and also when other sources are either useful or acceptable. Then they engage more in making their own judgements about those sources of evidence.

Finally, it is essential to get your students to practise both written and spoken arguments, and that is their “clarity of communication”.

At the end of each of my tutorials, I allocate 10 minutes for students to sit and draw an argument map based on a claim I write up on the board linked to whatever I was just teaching. I ask them to write a paragraph then explaining their argument map.

Towards the end of semester, when they’re just a little bit more confident, I will then ask people to talk, to speak up and to talk us through their argument.

The first time my students attempt this, it is a disaster, lots of descriptive writing, incoherent, unlinked facts or opinions. By the end of semester, just 12 weeks later, they are getting it. And to be clear, I don’t mark these.

Students come to the realisation themselves on what is working in their written or spoken arguments, and what isn’t. That is, the quality of their critical thinking.

I can confidently drive a car. I can even put myself in difficult situations like driving on the other side of the road. And I still don’t know how a carburettor works.

Thank you for your time.

Sarah Birrell Ivory is a lecturer in climate change and business strategy at the University of Edinburgh Business School.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered directly to your inbox each week,  sign up for the Campus newsletter .

For more resources on this topic, go to  Collection: Teaching critical thinking .

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Thinking Critically

By Learning Commons Web Team on June 6, 2022 |Tagged with:

Websites & Videos

Articles & websites.

Bloom’s Taxonomy (Website, UBC EOAS)

Check out this UBC webpage to learn about the six levels of the cognitive domain from knowledge to evaluation.

Growth vs. Fixed Mindset (PDF, Business in Greater Gainesville)

A useful infographic that describes the difference between fixed and growth mindsets and how these can affect achievement.

Foundation for Critical Thinking (Website, The Foundation for Critical Thinking)

A website dedicated to cultivating critical thinking skills that features various resources and events.

Critical Thinking 101 (YouTube, UBC LEAP)

A video that provides an introduction to the spectrum of authority and how to create a compelling argument on a topic.

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5 tips to improve your critical thinking - Samantha Agoos

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Let’s Begin…

Every day, a sea of decisions stretches before us, and it’s impossible to make a perfect choice every time. But there are many ways to improve our chances — and one particularly effective technique is critical thinking. Samantha Agoos describes a 5-step process that may help you with any number of problems.

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What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas.  Critical thinking has been the subject of much debate and thought since the time of early Greek philosophers such as Plato and Socrates and has continued to be a subject of discussion into the modern age, for example the ability to recognise fake news .

Critical thinking might be described as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking.

In essence, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.

Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that they do not.

Critical thinkers will identify, analyse and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct.

Someone with critical thinking skills can:

Understand the links between ideas.

Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.

Recognise, build and appraise arguments.

Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.

Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.

Reflect on the justification of their own assumptions, beliefs and values.

Critical thinking is thinking about things in certain ways so as to arrive at the best possible solution in the circumstances that the thinker is aware of. In more everyday language, it is a way of thinking about whatever is presently occupying your mind so that you come to the best possible conclusion.

Critical Thinking is:

A way of thinking about particular things at a particular time; it is not the accumulation of facts and knowledge or something that you can learn once and then use in that form forever, such as the nine times table you learn and use in school.

The Skills We Need for Critical Thinking

The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making.

Specifically we need to be able to:

Think about a topic or issue in an objective and critical way.

Identify the different arguments there are in relation to a particular issue.

Evaluate a point of view to determine how strong or valid it is.

Recognise any weaknesses or negative points that there are in the evidence or argument.

Notice what implications there might be behind a statement or argument.

Provide structured reasoning and support for an argument that we wish to make.

The Critical Thinking Process

You should be aware that none of us think critically all the time.

Sometimes we think in almost any way but critically, for example when our self-control is affected by anger, grief or joy or when we are feeling just plain ‘bloody minded’.

On the other hand, the good news is that, since our critical thinking ability varies according to our current mindset, most of the time we can learn to improve our critical thinking ability by developing certain routine activities and applying them to all problems that present themselves.

Once you understand the theory of critical thinking, improving your critical thinking skills takes persistence and practice.

Try this simple exercise to help you to start thinking critically.

Think of something that someone has recently told you. Then ask yourself the following questions:

Who said it?

Someone you know? Someone in a position of authority or power? Does it matter who told you this?

What did they say?

Did they give facts or opinions? Did they provide all the facts? Did they leave anything out?

Where did they say it?

Was it in public or in private? Did other people have a chance to respond an provide an alternative account?

When did they say it?

Was it before, during or after an important event? Is timing important?

Why did they say it?

Did they explain the reasoning behind their opinion? Were they trying to make someone look good or bad?

How did they say it?

Were they happy or sad, angry or indifferent? Did they write it or say it? Could you understand what was said?

What are you Aiming to Achieve?

One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is to decide what you are aiming to achieve and then make a decision based on a range of possibilities.

Once you have clarified that aim for yourself you should use it as the starting point in all future situations requiring thought and, possibly, further decision making. Where needed, make your workmates, family or those around you aware of your intention to pursue this goal. You must then discipline yourself to keep on track until changing circumstances mean you have to revisit the start of the decision making process.

However, there are things that get in the way of simple decision making. We all carry with us a range of likes and dislikes, learnt behaviours and personal preferences developed throughout our lives; they are the hallmarks of being human. A major contribution to ensuring we think critically is to be aware of these personal characteristics, preferences and biases and make allowance for them when considering possible next steps, whether they are at the pre-action consideration stage or as part of a rethink caused by unexpected or unforeseen impediments to continued progress.

The more clearly we are aware of ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, the more likely our critical thinking will be productive.

The Benefit of Foresight

Perhaps the most important element of thinking critically is foresight.

Almost all decisions we make and implement don’t prove disastrous if we find reasons to abandon them. However, our decision making will be infinitely better and more likely to lead to success if, when we reach a tentative conclusion, we pause and consider the impact on the people and activities around us.

The elements needing consideration are generally numerous and varied. In many cases, consideration of one element from a different perspective will reveal potential dangers in pursuing our decision.

For instance, moving a business activity to a new location may improve potential output considerably but it may also lead to the loss of skilled workers if the distance moved is too great. Which of these is the more important consideration? Is there some way of lessening the conflict?

These are the sort of problems that may arise from incomplete critical thinking, a demonstration perhaps of the critical importance of good critical thinking.

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In Summary:

Critical thinking is aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes in any situation. In order to achieve this it must involve gathering and evaluating information from as many different sources possible.

Critical thinking requires a clear, often uncomfortable, assessment of your personal strengths, weaknesses and preferences and their possible impact on decisions you may make.

Critical thinking requires the development and use of foresight as far as this is possible. As Doris Day sang, “the future’s not ours to see”.

Implementing the decisions made arising from critical thinking must take into account an assessment of possible outcomes and ways of avoiding potentially negative outcomes, or at least lessening their impact.

  • Critical thinking involves reviewing the results of the application of decisions made and implementing change where possible.

It might be thought that we are overextending our demands on critical thinking in expecting that it can help to construct focused meaning rather than examining the information given and the knowledge we have acquired to see if we can, if necessary, construct a meaning that will be acceptable and useful.

After all, almost no information we have available to us, either externally or internally, carries any guarantee of its life or appropriateness.  Neat step-by-step instructions may provide some sort of trellis on which our basic understanding of critical thinking can blossom but it doesn’t and cannot provide any assurance of certainty, utility or longevity.

Continue to: Critical Thinking and Fake News Critical Reading

See also: Analytical Skills Understanding and Addressing Conspiracy Theories Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

IMAGES

  1. What is critical thinking?

    youtube video on critical thinking

  2. What Is Critical Thinking?

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  3. CRITICAL THINKING

    youtube video on critical thinking

  4. Critical Thinking

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  5. 7 Steps For Critical Thinking (1-hour class!)

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  6. 5 tips to improve your critical thinking

    youtube video on critical thinking

COMMENTS

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  2. What is Critical Thinking?

    Critical Thinking encompasses six vital skills: problem solving, analysis, creative thinking, interpretation, evaluation, and reasoning. These skills are inc...

  3. CRITICAL THINKING

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  4. 5 tips to improve your critical thinking

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  5. Critical Thinking Channel on YouTube

    In an effort to supply the mainstream internet media with substantial content on critical thinking, Socratic questioning, ethical reasoning, egocentric and socio-centric barriers to critical societies and other relevant topics, the Foundation for Critical Thinking has opened a YouTube Channel with excerpts from our various video collections.

  6. What is the best YouTube video for learning critical and logical

    Seeking advice on a specific video that can help individuals enhance their critical thinking and logical reasoning skills. This video is a good example of why our natural instincts aren't always reasonable. It's also a cool party trick. Check Rationality rules & philosophy vibe. Check out the podcast 'Skeptics Guide to the Universe' I ...

  7. Critical Thinking Lessons

    TED-Ed lessons on the subject Critical Thinking. TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. ... Lessons Watch video-based lessons organized by subject and age; ... Thinking & Learning How to quit your job — without ruining your career - Gala Jackson. Lesson duration 06:13 115,817 Views. 05:21. Philosophy What if ...

  8. How to think effectively: Six stages of critical thinking

    Key Takeaways. Researchers propose six levels of critical thinkers: Unreflective thinkers, Challenged thinkers, Beginning thinkers, Practicing thinkers, Advanced thinkers, and Master thinkers. The ...

  9. Critical Thinking Video Series: Critical Thinking Explained

    Statistics demonstrate that students who participate in critical thinking activities (discussions and debates) are more likely to become engaged citizens than students without critical thinking experience. This video explores ways in which we can use critical thinking to sift through the inaccurate, misleading and biased news and information we ...

  10. What is Critical Thinking?

    In this video, you'll strategies to improve your critical thinking skills. Visit https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/problem-solving-and-decision-making/what-is-cri...

  11. 5 tips to improve your critical thinking

    But there are many ways to improve our chances — and one particularly effective technique is critical thinking. Samantha Agoos describes a 5-step process that may help you with any number of problems. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV ...

  12. What Is Critical Thinking?

    Critical thinking is the deliberate practice of analyzing and evaluating information to draw sensible and sound conclusions. You can become a better critical thinker by playing the skeptic; avoiding cognitive bias; being curious; and applying the rules of logic. When you can do all this, you'll be in a much stronger position to decipher complex ...

  13. Critical Thinking Lessons

    TED-Ed lessons on the subject Critical Thinking. TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. ... Lessons Watch video-based lessons organized by subject and age; ... Thinking & Learning Can you outsmart the fallacy that divided a nation? Lesson duration 04:42 726,938 Views. 05:12. Psychology How do you know what's true

  14. Critical Thinking Lecture: an introduction to critical thinking

    A short 10 minute academic lecture on critical thinking skills by Academic English UK: includes a definition, alternative thinking styles, Bloom's Taxonomy, ...

  15. How to teach critical thinking to beginners

    This video will cover: 00:53 The challenge of defining critical thinking for students who are new to the concept. 02:10 Why critical thinking is better taught to beginners through application than theory. 03:11 How to teach the three key elements of critical thinking for beginners

  16. Thinking Critical

    Wes is a christian, husband, father and comic industry YouTuber. He has commanded satellites, worked inside a mountain and served in the Afghan War. He has journeyed the globe from Alaska to ...

  17. Thinking Critically

    A useful infographic that describes the difference between fixed and growth mindsets and how these can affect achievement. A website dedicated to cultivating critical thinking skills that features various resources and events. A video that provides an introduction to the spectrum of authority and how to create a compelling argument on a topic.

  18. Lessons Worth Sharing

    1. The element of Purpose provokes us to examine the intent of a specific claim or statement.2. This second element of critical thinking, Question, prompts us to clearly identify the problem or issue at the core of any given line of reasoning. Without a clear and specific question, it may be difficult to clearly define issues or challenges.3.

  19. The Foundation for Critical Thinking

    The Foundation for Critical Thinking, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is the world's oldest think tank dedicated to critical thinking. We and our sister organization, The Center for Critical Thinking, aim ...

  20. Critical Thinking

    The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making. Specifically we need to be able to: Think about a topic or issue in an objective and critical way.

  21. Master Critical Thinking: Essential Guide Book Summary

    Upgrade Your Thinking: Tom Chatfield's Ultimate Guide to Critical Thinking.In today's fast-paced world, critical thinking is more important than ever. In thi...