CRITICAL THINKING: Thinking Outside the Box

1. CRITICAL THINKING: Thinking Outside the Box Student Success Programs Edison College

2. What is Critical Thinking? • ASKING QUESTIONS! • Distinguishing FACT from Opinion • Challenging Assumptions

3. Ask Questions • Why? • When? • How? • Where? • What If….? • Critical Thinkers stop to RECONSIDER what they take for granted.

4. Distinguish FACT from Opinion • FACT: information presented as objectively real It’s raining outside. • Opinion: a belief, conclusion or judgment This is the worst rainstorm ever.

5. Challenge Assumptions • Assumption: an idea or statement accepted as true without proof • Consider this STATEMENT: Kids who stay by themselves after school get into trouble with drugs, so mothers should not work outside the home. • Assumptions: Drug use is caused by lack of supervision. Mothers who stay at home always supervise their children.

6. Why is Critical Thinking Important? IN SCHOOL: • When you think critically about lectures or readings rather than just learn them for a test, you will RETAIN the information. • Students with high critical thinking skills have higher grade point averages (GPA). • Critical thinking skills improve reading comprehension.

7. Why is Critical Thinking Important? AT WORK: • Employees who ask questions about making improvements will be more likely to be promoted. AT HOME: • Self confidence and a sense of control over your life • Improved decision making skills.

8. Break the Rules and WIN! These discoveries were made by Thinking Outside the Box: • Velcro was “invented” when thistles got stuck on a man’s socks! • Roll-on deodorant was adapted from the ball point pen!

9. Obstacles to Critical Thinking • Failure to listen • Lack of knowledge • Rigid Beliefs • Wishful Thinking • Laziness (desire for quick results) • Stereotyping • Circular Reasoning • Cultural Differences

10. Are YOU a Critical Thinker? How many of these statements express your beliefs?: 1. “Figuring out what people really mean by what they say is important to me” 2. “No matter how difficult a problem is, there’s a simple solution.” 3. “I hold off on making decisions until I’ve thought through my options.” 4. “I hate when teachers discuss problems instead of just giving us the answers.”

11. Are YOU a Critical Thinker? 5. “Rather than relying on someone else’s notes, I prefer to read the material myself.” 6. “I don’t waste time looking things up.” 7. “Even if a problem is tougher than I expected, I’ll keep working on it.” 8. “I prefer jobs where the supervisor says exactly what to do and how to do it.” 9. “I always do better in jobs where I’m expected to think things out for myself.” 10. “If I believe something strongly, no one else’s opinion matters.”

12. Critical Thinking Resources Black, Robert Alan. Off-the-Wall, Out-of-the-box, Unconventional Thinking Can Lead Us to Success. 2003. www.cre8ng.com/workshops/workshops_whacky.pdf Carroll, Robert Todd. Becoming a Critical Thinker. Boston: Pearson Publishing, 2004. Carter, Carol, et al. Keys to Success. 2nd ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998 Chaffee, John. Thinking Critically. 6th ed. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2000. Facione, Peter. Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts. Santa Clara University: California Academic Press, 1998. http://www.insightassessment.com/pdf_files/what&why98.pdf Miller, Marcia and Martin Lee. Problem Solving and Logic. New York: Scholastic, 1998 Roberts, Judy. Effective Study Skills. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999. Sofo, Francesco. Open Your Mind. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin, 2004.