Introduction to Critical Thinking

Click to edit Master title style,Click to edit Master text styles,Second level,Third level,Fourth level,Fifth level,*,Click to edit Master title style,Click to edit Master text styles,Second level,Third level,Fourth level,Fifth level,*,Introduction to Critical Thinking,Part II,Asking Analytical Questions using Elements of Reasoning,3 Key Questions,Why do we need critical thinking?,What is critical thinking?,What do we do to think critically?,The Three Dimensions of Critical Thinking,Reasoning,The process of,drawing conclusions or,figuring something out,Elements of Reasoning,Traits,of,the,Disciplined,Mind,Standards,for,Reasoning,Reasoning: three aspects,The quality of our thinking is largely reflected in the quality of our questions.,Circle Dots,Critical thinking is the way you do everything you do,LOGIC,OF,Instruction,Content,Student,Thinking,StandardsElementsTraits,What is involved in analyzing reasoning?,(Story, argument, point of view, subject),In other words, what elements must you account for in order for the analysis to be substantive?,Analyzing a Cartoon,Look at the cartoon and analyze it by asking questions.,Individually, write a series of questions that attempt to probe the meaning of the cartoon.,With a group, compare your questions with others. Add to your list.,Whenever we think,We think for a,purpose,within a,point of view,based on,assumptions,leading to,implications,and,conse -quences,.,We use,data,facts, and,experiences,to make,inferences,and,judgments,based on,concepts,and,theories,in attempting to answer a,question,.,Whenever we think,Elements,of,Thought,Purpose of the,Thinking,Goal, objective,Points of View,Frame of,Reference,Perspective,Orientation,Questions,at,Issue,Problem,Implications &,Consequences,Information,Data, observations,facts, experiences,Assumptions,Presuppositions,taking for granted,Concepts,Theories, laws,models,defini,-,tions,principles,Interpretation,& Inference,Conclusions,solutions,A CRITICAL THINKER,Considers the,Elements of Thought,Elements wheel,Eight Questions Students Can Routinely Ask When They Understand the Elements of Reasoning,What is the main,purpose,of the reasoning?,What are the key,issues, problems,and,questions,being addressed?,What is the most important,information,being used?,What main,inferences,are embedded in the reasoning?,What are the key,concepts,guiding the reasoning?,What,assumptions,are being used?,What are the positive and negative,implications,?,What,point of,view,is/should be represented?,Logic of a Cartoon,Now use the elements of reasoning to generate more questions for the same cartoon.,ALSO,Examine your original questions and identify which elements they target.,Key Points,Individually we can ask a limited number of questions,Collectively we can ask even more,However, when equipped with a framework, individually and collectively we can ask even more,We must routinely take our thinking apart,We must routinely,Take our,thinking,apart,Eight Questions Students Can Ask to Figure out the Logic of a Subject or Discipline:,What is the main,purpose,of the subject?,What are the key,issues, problems,and,questions,addressed within the subject?,What kinds of,information,are pursued within the discipline?,What types of,inferences,or judgments are made?,What key,concepts,inform the discipline?,What key,assumptions,underlie the discipline?,What are some important,implications,of studying the discipline?,What,points of view,are fostered within the discipline?,Eight Questions Students Can Ask to Figure out the Logic of a Character in a Story,What is the main,purpose,of the character?,What are the key,issues,and,problems,facing the character?,What is the most significant,information,the character uses in his or her reasoning?,What main,inferences,or judgments are made by the character?,What key,concepts,guide the characters reasoning?,What main,assumptions,guide the behavior of the character?,What are the most important,implications,of the characters thinking and behavior?,What is the main,point of view,of the character? Does that point of view change during the story? If so, how?,Questions Targeting the Elements of Thought,in a writing a paper,Purpose,: What am I trying to accomplish? What is my central aim or goal?,Information,: What information am I using in coming to that conclusion? What experience have I had to support this claim? What information do I need to settle the question?,Inferences/Conclusions,: How did I reach this conclusion? Is there another,way to interpret the information?,Concepts,: What is the main idea here? Could I explain this idea?,Assumptions,: What am I taking for granted? What assumption has led me to that conclusion?,Implications/Consequences,: If someone accepted my position, what would implications? What am I implying?,Points of View,: From what point of view am I looking at this issue? Is there another point of view I should consider?,Questions,: What question am I raising? What question am I addressing?,(Attach a detailed description of the experiment or laboratory procedure.),The main,goal,of the experiment is,The,hypothesis,(es) we seek to test in this experiment is(are),The key,question,the experiment seeks to answer is,The controls involved in this experiment are,The key,concept,(s) or theory(ies) behind the experiment is(are),The experiment is based on the following,assumptions,The,data,that will be collected in the experiment are,The potential,implications,of the experiment are,The,point of view,behind the experiment is,The Logic of an Experiment,Elements,of,Thought,Purpose of the,Thinking,Goal, objective,Points of View,Frame of,Reference,Perspective,Orientation,Questions,at,Issue,Problem,Implications &,Consequences,Information,Data, observations,facts, experiences,Assumptions,Presuppositions,taking for granted,Concepts,Theories, laws,models,defini,-,tions,principles,Interpretation,& Inference,Conclusions,solutions,A CRITICAL THINKER,Considers the,Elements of Thought,Elements wheel,Conscious and Unconscious thinking,Unconscious Level of Thinking,Information,Inference,Assumption,1. You see a man with a black eye,2. A police officer trails your car for several blocks,3. During class, a student asks “is this going to be on the test?”,4. You see a child crying next to her mother in a,grocery,store,5.,You see a man in tattered clothes sitting on a curb with a paper bag in his hand,He has been hit by someone,People who have black eyes have been hit,He is trying to catch me breaking the law,Anytime a police officer trails you he is trying to catch you breaking the law,This student is not interested in learning the subject,Students who ask questions like: “Is this going to be on the test?” are not interested in learning the subject,The mother has hurt the child,Whenever a child is crying next to her mother she has been hurt by her mother,He must be a bum,All men in tattered clothes sitting on curbs with paper bags in their hands are bums,(situation),Information,Assumption,Inference,1. Your teenage son is late coming home from a late night date,2. Your spouse is late coming home from work,3. You meet a beautiful woman with blond hair,4. You get an A on a history test.,5. Your spouse is talking to a member of the opposite sex at a late night party,A critical thinker considers the elements of reasoning,Activity Two:,Beginning to Figure Out the,Logic of Education,Using your beginning understanding of the elements of reasoning, take turns completing these statements.,The,purpose,of education is,The main,problem,(s) we face in educating our students is/are,If we truly educate students, some of the important,implications,are,Elements blank wheel,StandardsElementsTraits,Take your understanding of the elements of reasoning to the next level,Work in pairs.,Each person draws two circles,Using your best thinking, fill in your two circles with as much detail as possible:,One circle includes the main points about the elements.,One circle has questions you can ask when you understand the elements.,Elements wheel with directions,Elements of wheel add questions,Activity Three:,Beginning to Figure Out the Logic of a Subject or Discipline,Using your beginning understanding of the elements of reasoning, take turns completing these statements.,The,purpose,of the discipline is,Some of the main,questions,pursued within the discipline are,Some of the important,implications,of studying the discipline are,The Logic of Ecology,Goals of Ecologists:,Ecologists seek to understand plants and animals as they exist in nature, with emphasis on their interrelationships, interdependence, and interactions with the environment. They work to understand all the influences that combine to produce and modify an animal or given plant, and thus to account for its existence and peculiarities within its habitat.,Questions that Ecologists Ask:,How do plants and animals interact? How do animals interact with each other? How do plants and animals depend on one another? How do the varying ecosystems function within themselves? How do they interact with other ecosystems? How are plants and animals affected by environmental influences? How do animals and plants grow, develop, die, and replace themselves? How do plants and animals create balances between each other? What happens when plants and animals become unbalanced?,Information that Ecologists Use:,The primary information used by ecologists is gained through observing plants and animals themselves, their interactions, and how they live within their environments. Ecologists note how animals and plants are born, how they reproduce, how they die, how they evolve, and how they are affected by environmental changes. They also use information from other disciplines including chemistry, meteorology and geology.,Judgments that Ecologists Make:,Ecologists make judgments about how ecosystems naturally function, about how animals and plants within them function, about why they function as they do. They make judgments about how ecosystems become out of balance and what can be done to bring them back into balance. They make judgments about how natural communities should be grouped and classified.,Concepts that Guide Ecologists Thinking:,One of the most fundamental concepts in ecology is,ecosystem,defined as a group of living things that are dependent on one another and living in a particular habitat. Ecologists study how differing ecosystems function. Another key concept in ecology is,ecological succession,the natural pattern of change occurring within every ecosystem when natural processes are undisturbed. This pattern includes the birth, development, death, and then replacement of natural communities. Ecologists have grouped communities into larger units called,biomes,regions throughout the world classified according to physical features, including temperature, rainfall and type of vegetation. Another fundamental concept in ecology is,balance of nature,the natural process of birth, reproduction, eating and being eaten, which keeps animal/plant communities fairly stable. Other key concepts include imbalances, energy, nutrients, population growth, diversity, habitat, competition, predation, parasitism, adaptation, coevolution, succession and climax communities and conservation.,Key Assumptions that Ecologists Make:,Patterns exist within animal/plant communities; these communities should be studied and classified; animals and plants often depend on one another and modify one another; and balances must be maintained within ecosystems.,Implications of Ecology:,The study of ecology leads to numerous implications for life on Earth. By studying balance of nature, for example, we can see when nature is out of balance, as in the current population explosion. We can see how pesticides, designed to kill pests on farm crops, also lead to the harm of mammals and birds, either directly or indirectly through food webs. We can also learn how over-farming causes erosion and depletion of soil nutrients.,Point of View of Ecologists:,Ecologists look at plants and animals and see them functioning in relationship with one another within their habitats, and needing to be in balance for the earth to be healthy and sustainable.,Activity Three:,Beginning to Figure Out the Logic of a Subject or Discipline,Using your beginning understanding of the elements of reasoning, take turns completing these statements.,The,purpose,of the discipline is,Some of the main,questions,pursued within the discipline are,Some of the important,implications,of studying the discipline are,Process,What important insights did you gain through doing these activities insights about the,elements of reasoning,?,How might you better foster use and understanding of the elements of reasoning in your classes?,Circle Dots,Elements of Reasoning,Conclusions, assumptions, points of view,Think of a difficult situation in your life, a problem in your relationship w/ someone, a decision you have to make, or something important about CT and education.,Formulate three good questions about that situation, using each of the three elements listed.,Answer the questions as well as you can.,For Example,Situation,(from a students point of view): Im considering dropping this course b/c it looks too hard.,Question,: What assumptions am I making about this situation?,Answer,: I am assuming it will be too hard I wonder if that is accurate?,Question,: What conclusion should I draw?,Answer,: My conclusion is to wait and see. I need more information.,Making the Standards Intuitive,For X in the questions below, substitute the name of your discipline (course). Then answer them.,In what ways is it necessary to be clear in X?,What are the areas where people are most likely to be inaccurate in X? What are the most important aspects of X to master?,What are the dangers of giving insufficient responses in X?,In what ways are depth and breadth central to X?,How is precision most important in X?,Discovering and Following out the Implications,Using the word,critical,in the sense of,critical thinking, what would you say are the main earmarks of critical reading?,What is the difference between reading your text and reading it critically?,How about critical listening?,What is the difference between listening to a lecture in a course and listening to it critically?,Can a person listen critically and not disagree at all?,Essential Idea:To learn well, we must write well.,Short Writing: PhysicsAcceleration and Velocity,You are Dr. Science, the question-and-answer person for a popular magazine called,Practical Science,. Readers of your magazine are invited to submit letters to Dr. Science, who answers them in “Dear Abby” style in a special section of the magazine. One day you receive the following letter:,Dear Dr. Science:,Youve got to help me settle this argument I am having with my girlfriend. We were watching a baseball game several weeks ago when this guy hit a high pop-up straight over the catchers head. When it finally came down, the catcher caught it standing on home plate. Well, my girlfriend told me that when the ball stopped in midair just before it started back down, its velocity was zero, but its acceleration was not zero. I said she was stupid. If something isnt moving at all, how could it have any acceleration?,Ever since then, she has been making a big deal out of this and wont let me kiss her. I love her, but I dont think we can get back together until we settle this argument. We checked some physics books, but they werent very clear. We agreed that I would write to you and let you settle the argument. But, Dr. Science, dont just tell us the answer. Youve got to explain it so we both understand because my girlfriend is really dogmatic. She said she wouldnt even trust Einstein unless he could explain himself clearly.,Sincerely, Baseball Blues,Can this relationship be saved? Your task is to write an answer to Baseball Blues. Because space in your magazine is limited, restrict your answer to what can be put on a single five-by eight-inch card. Dont confuse Baseball and his girlfriend by using any special physics terms unless you explain clearly what they mean.,Analyzing Assignments,What is the purpose of this assignment?,What intellectual skills does it target?,What are the key concepts students are to engage?,What types of questions should students ask when working through the problem?,What are we, as instructors, assuming when giving such an assignment? Are our assumptions sound?,Principle of Leverage,“A small amount of writing preceded by a great amount of thinking.” (Bean, 80).,Design short writing assignments that target one or two key concepts.,Design the assignment to require that students explain the concept, differentiate the concept(s) from related and opposite concepts, contextualize/exemplify the concept.,Psychology: Operant Conditioning,Consider the following problem:,In the morning, when Professor Catlove opens a new can of cat food, his cats run into the kitchen purring and meowing and rubbing their backs against his legs. What examples, if any, of classical condition, operant conditioning, and social learning are at work in this brief scene? Note that both the cats and the professor might be exhibiting conditioned behavior here.,You and some fellow classmates have been discussing this problem over coffee, and you are convinced that the other members of your group are confused about the concepts. Write a one- to two-page essay that sets them straight.,Analyzing Assignments,What is the purpose of this assignment?,What intellectual moves are we asking students to make?,What connections are students challenged to make? (content and process),If we regularly ask students to engage in such work, then what insights / skills should we expect to see developed?,Analytical Framework,The elements of reasoning provide concepts that, when critically engaged, direct our thinking in a way that can lead to greater insight.,They are a system probing system.,Help foster critical thought by giving assignments that explicitly focus student thinking in directions that require reasoning through a problem or issue.,Key Point,Student thinking is easily confused.,We want to guide student thinking, or model for them the process of asking background and follow-up questions.,Too many questions can confuse students.,Make prompts succinct: give one question instead of many questions.,Common Problem,In the graveyard scene of Hamlet, Shakespeare alters his sources by adding the clownish gravediggers. How does the presence of the gravediggers influence your interpretation of the scene? Do you think they are funny? Absurd? Blasphemous? How does Hamlets attitude toward the gravediggers affect the scene? Do you think it is appropriate to sing while digging a grave? What about the jokes they tell? Is the scene really lighthearted? Etc,Confusing,In the graveyard scene of Hamlet, Shakespeare alters his sources by adding the clownish gravediggers. How does the presence of the gravediggers influence your interpretation of the scene?,(Phrased as a single question forces students to frame a single answer as a thesis: focuses their thinking),Clearer,Present a proposition (thesis) that students defend or refute.,Give students a problem or question that requires a thesis answer.,Ask students to follow an organizational structure that requires a problem-thesis pattern.,Thesis Governed Thinking,Mathematics Example,Write a letter to the editor against sales tax on the grounds of it be