Sometimes students do not seem to see the usefulness of critical thinking in the university education they receive. Many defend the idea that it is more important to know the techniques to be applied in the professional field and do not see the importance of critical and analytical thinking. How can you teach critical thinking to your students?
Thanks Gustavo Eduardo Toledo Lara for this discussion. Critical thinking is an objective analysis of facts to formulate a judgment and it is a self-directed, organized, and self-correcting process.
What are the signs of critical thinking?
1. Independence of thinking.
A critically thinking person asserts something, evaluates something, expresses ideas independently of other people. This does not mean, of course, that he is always original, that is, he says something that no one has said before. You can agree with someone's point of view, but not because it was expressed by a very authoritative person. But because the argumentation of this point of view seems to be the most convincing.
In order to teach our children to think independently, we must give them such an opportunity. They should have the freedom to express their assumptions, seek confirmation for them, or be convinced that they are wrong. It is necessary, as far as possible, to avoid presenting ready-made conclusions. If one cannot do without them - it is impossible to get to everything solely by oneself - it is necessary to explain how these conclusions were obtained, on what arguments they are based.
2. Information is not the goal of thinking, it is its starting point, an impetus to its beginning.
Quite often, students of all ages are asked: why is it necessary to study this or that subject? - answer: to know. Learn the multiplication table, Ohm's laws, signs of NEP - in order to know them? Agree, this approach to educational activities actually makes it meaningless. It's like working hard and hard to have money. Not in order to buy something necessary or desirable with them, but so that they simply were.
But on the other hand, it is also wrong to neglect the process of searching and accumulating information. An empty head cannot think. Thinking critically means making reasoned conclusions, not unfounded statements.
3. The purpose of thinking is to solve a problem.
To teach a person to think critically, you must first teach him to see the presence of a problem, to formulate it. Our needs are very diverse, so the problems to be solved are also very different. They can be very practical. Or purely cognitive. When we are faced with the area of the not yet cognized, we doubt the truth of the knowledge we have. If we are clearly aware of the problem and want to solve it, our activities will be much more productive.
4. Striving for convincing argumentation.
When we not just assert something, but support our point of view with reference to facts, experimental data, existing theories, and the like, then at the same time we agree that there may be facts, data, theories that support a different point of view. We agree to listen to the arguments of the opponent. And they are internally ready to admit his correctness if he is more convincing. Or start looking for additional facts, data, theories to convince him.
In general, the ambiguity of many words sometimes gives rise to misunderstanding, different interpretations of the same term. When we say the word "criticism", most often we mean the search for negativity, rejection of some position. But teaching critical thinking does not mean teaching constantly to be in opposition.
To be critical of information means not to take unsubstantiated statements on faith; be able to assess the strength of arguments, compare different positions, develop your own point of view. Again, not on the basis of an emotional attitude to any fact, but on the basis of its rational analysis.
And here I would like to emphasize the importance of using critical thinking not only for the successful educational activities of our students, but also for their life in general. If they learn to think in this way, they will be very difficult to manipulate.
5. Critical thinking is social.
In order to assess the strength of your arguments, you need to tell someone about them. Hear objections. Or poykik new, more convincing evidence together.
The lesson, built in the framework of the technology of critical thinking, contains three main phases.
1. Call.
Getting started is the formulation of the problem to be solved. The teacher, of course, can formulate it himself. And if he does it competently, and then just as competently organizes other stages of the lesson, he will undoubtedly succeed. The goals will be achieved: knowledge is obtained, skills are formed. Pedagogy is not a sphere of life where problems are solved in only one way.
This means that it is necessary that our students see the problem on their own. For example, they realized that their knowledge on some issue is incomplete or contradictory.
2. Comprehension of the content.
What in the classical formulation is called the study of new material. Only the message is different: we are working with him not in order to study it, but in order, having mastered it, to solve the problem posed by us ourselves.
In this case, a variety of forms of work can be used. The teacher can explain the material, tell. Only this story should be built taking into account the need to develop the critical thinking of the audience.
It is even better if independent work of students is organized with various sources of information. It is only important to choose them correctly. If, for example, in the proposed material it is impossible to find answers to the questions that have arisen, then the cognitive interest awakened at the stage of the call may fade away.
Actually, it's not bad if some questions remain unanswered for now, but more on that later.
3. Reflection.
At this stage, there is a return to those problems, questions, assumptions that were formulated at the stage of the challenge. By exchanging views on the information received, systematizing it, the guys draw conclusions about which of the assumptions were correct and which were not. Figure out what is the best way to solve the problem.
And if something was not solved, a new problem is formulated, which will need to be worked on in the next lesson. Thus, the cycle will be closed. More precisely, we will smoothly move to the next turn of the spiral.
It is far from always possible to implement all three stages in one lesson. Therefore, it is often advisable to plan in the mainstream of this technology not a separate lesson, but the study of a topic, section, possibly the entire course. A stage can take a very long time. Let's say the stage of reflection will take a whole lesson.
An interesting trick - "reading with stops"
The narrative text serves as the material for it. At the beginning, students determine by the title of the text what will be discussed in the work. In the main part of the lesson, the text is read in parts. After reading each fragment, students make assumptions about the further development of the plot.
The teacher's task is to find the best places to stop in the text. This strategy helps students develop an attentive attitude to the point of view of another person and calmly reject their own, if it is insufficiently reasoned or the arguments turned out to be untenable.
Another creative technique - "Do you believe that ..."
The class is divided into two teams. One team makes fantasy guesses and the other analyzes them.
Another technique is "Working with a questionnaire"
This technique can be used when introducing new material at the stage of independent work with a textbook. Children are offered a number of questions to the text, to which they must find answers. Moreover, questions and answers are given not only in a direct form, but also in an indirect one, requiring analysis and reasoning, relying on one's own experience. After an independent search, a frontal check of the accuracy and correctness of the answers found, sifting out unnecessary ones is necessarily carried out.
Reception "I know, I found out, I want to know"
This technique can be used both at the stage of explaining new material and at the stage of consolidation. For example, when studying the creativity of A.S. Pushkin's children independently draw up a table of what they knew about Pushkin and his works, what they learned new, what his poems and what they would like to know. Working with this technique is often beyond the scope of one lesson. The column "I want to know" gives rise to the search for new information, work with additional literature.
Reception "Brainstorming"
This technique allows not only to activate younger students and helps to solve the problem, but also forms non-standard thinking. This technique does not place the child in the framework of correct and incorrect answers. Students can express any opinion that will help find a way out of a difficult situation.
Reception "Corners"
It can be used in literary reading lessons when compiling a description of one of the heroes of a work. The class is divided into two groups. One group prepares evidence, using the text and their life experience, of the positive qualities of the hero, the other - about the negative ones, supporting their answer with extracts from the text. This technique is used after reading the entire work. At the end of the lesson, a joint conclusion is made. This technique teaches children a dialogue, a culture of communication.
Reception "Writing creative works"
Reception has proven itself well at the stage of consolidation of the studied topic. For example, children are invited to write a continuation of the work they like from a section or write a fairy tale or a poem themselves. This work is done by children, depending on their level of development, everyone is happy to do this work.
Trick of Critical Thinking "Creating a Quiz"
I turn to this technique after studying a topic or several topics. Children independently, using educational texts, prepare questions for a literary reading quiz, then unite in groups, and a competition is held. Sometimes each group chooses the best - the "expert", and then the whole class asks the "experts" questions.
"Logical chain"
After the text, students are encouraged to build events in a logical sequence. This strategy helps in retelling texts.
Cluster ("bunch")
The essence of this technique of critical thinking in the framework of literary reading is the selection of semantic units of the text and their graphic design in a certain order in the form of a bunch. You can use this technique at all stages of the lesson: at the stage of challenge, reflection, reflection, or as a strategy for the lesson as a whole.
"Bunches" is a graphical technique for organizing material. The rules for its application are very simple.
We single out the center - this is a topic, rays - large semantic units depart from it, and from them the corresponding terms and concepts. Many teachers compare this technique to a solar system model.
The cluster system captures more information than students receive from regular writing work.
When organizing work with younger schoolchildren, I invite them to head the semantic blocks or give ready-made questions. It is enough to carry out such work 2-3 times for this technique to become technological. Pupils enjoy using clusters.
HeadScratchers - Workshops
www.headscratchers.com/Workshops.html?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Workshop%20-%20Must%20include%20certain%20keywords&utm_term=%2Bcritical%20%2Bthinking%20%2Btraining&utm_content=Problem%20Solving%20Decision%20Making
Critical Thinking Courses
www.udemy.com/topic/Critical-Thinking/?matchtype=b&msclkid=7b30a0da76291204ee3ac0b7dd5a0173&utm_campaign=BG-Orig-LongTail_la.EN_cc.BE&utm_content=deal4584&utm_medium=udemyads&utm_source=bing&utm_term=_._ag_1213861149266198_._ad__._kw_%2BCritical%20%2BThinking%20%2BTraining_._de_c_._dm__._pl__._ti_kwd-75866522554367:loc-4125_._li_83569_._pd__._
This is a skills who student must have during his/her academic and research cycle. This is improving by training courses.
Critical thinking, We would like to thank dr. Pushkin Sergey Viktorovich for the clear & sufficient answers, & I personally completely agree with him.
Excellent analysis from dr.Pushkin Sergey, totally agree with this analysis.
Critical thinking is the analysis and confrontation of reality against regulations and obligations!
Dear Gustavo Eduardo Toledo Lara!
Thanks for the good question!
I think that this issue goes beyond the scope of university education and should be tackled in stages. It is associated with the formation of a creative personality capable of thinking independently, generating ideas, making bold non-standard decisions, and arguing for them.
Best wishes!
With deep respect, Vоlоdymyr Naumchuk
In the residency program of post graduate medical degrees, the inbuilt student centric systems design to develop the creativity. The rubric system of assessment are stratified from lower order thought to higher order thought. Creativity is highest stratum of assessment. The ciriculum spells out:what proportion of creativity we expect from each course /"procedure.
So as a teacher how I play my role in teaching/facilities my stedents critical thinking?
I try to expose them to various form of patient starting from simple to complicated to mask cases on inpatient and outdoor. Taking history to judicial investigations to patients diagnosis and management every where he has to go through critical thinking. My job is to only interact, supervise and give feed back after enpowerinrig him to take all the responsibility of the patient. He is also in charge of teaching junior students.
I belive in a similar way every ciriculum of out come based education are designed.
So ciriculum devolpement is very crutial job.
Teachers job is to arrange tools, follow the stratifed component of each course, enpowerinrig the student)("student centric,) supervising and getting feed back every day. Finally his assesment should be not on yearly. But from every day's /weekly performance where at least some component of creativity will be assessed.
Imagination is key to teaching critical thinking in school. Teachers should seek out new ways for students to use information to create something new. Art projects are an excellent way to do this. Students can also construct inventions, write a story or poem, create a game, sing a song—the sky’s the limit.
The very system of teaching, based on the authority of the professor, is in conflict with critical thinking.
An useful way is showing to students a controversial discussion between different authors on the same topic, ask them to read the original works and ask them to take their personal position in the debate.
Critical thinking with students means that they can take information and analyze it, draw conclusions, form and defend opinions with data to back it up, reflect on their work, and approach problems in a systematic way. https://blog.mimio.com/are-your-students-thinking-critically
Assigning a specific problem is one of the best avenues for teaching critical thinking skills. Leave the goal or “answer” open-ended for the broadest possible approach. This is the essence of asking essential questions requiring the discovery and synthesis of knowledge through critical thinking https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/critical-thinking/teaching-critical-thinking-skills
Check https://www.waldenu.edu/online-bachelors-programs/bs-in-elementary-education/resource/seven-ways-to-teach-critical-thinking-in-elementary-education?v=amp
Also check https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/critical-thinking/teaching-critical-thinking-skills
For me teaching poetry and applying literary criticism theories in the given texts, given examples of brilliant analyses presented by well-known critics is the best way of teaching critical thinking .. good question.. thank you.
Basically, the student should be in the center, not the teacher. this is the main concept of new teaching and learning.
Роль философских дисциплин, а также этики как ядра морали, исключительно важна применительно к университетскому образованию. Университетское знание в его классическом глубинном значении нацелено на формирование личности, а не человека-функции. Основной целью философии является формирование критического мышления, культуры мышления, а также нравственного императива.
My colleagues & I have discussed critical thinking and how to inculcate it in students several years ago at Research Gate. For example, please see my contribution in June 2018:
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_there_a_correlation_between_inquiry-based_learning_and_the_development_of_critical_thinking_skills_among_nursing_students
Also in this link which took my answer from Research Gate in November 2017:
https://faqs.tips/post/any-suggestions-how-to-develop-studentsx27-21st-century-critical-thinking-skills.html
Also this one taken from RG at an earlier date:
https://faqs.tips/post/what-is-the-best-way-to-reliably-assess-studentsx27-critical-thinking-skills.html
Critical thinking is most important for students to understand as it not only provides the foundation for valid logical arguments to establish one's point but also makes one realize what is not logical. The study makes clear what appears to be logical and sound argument, but is not so. My students love the subject.
Teaching with case studies is one way of teaching critical thinking. Team based learning also reinforces critical thinking skills.
Critical thinking helps in choosing the sources on which we rely during training, teaches us to see cause-and-effect relationships, generalize and structure information, argue our position and see weaknesses in the positions of others. Critical thinking is important when studying subjects in which it is necessary to be able to reason, since the only correct answer to the question does not exist: history, philosophy, political science, social science. The higher the level of critical thinking, the easier it is to master the university program.
Encourage them to read lots of stories. They have to conceptualize and crystallize to deliver in an understandable way. By doing so, slowly, they may acquire thinking skills. Such skills can't be taught rather they should acquire by practicing regular reading and writing. In western countries, reading and writing is a subject like science, maths, social, etc. Only reading....reading...allow them to think can easily become creative and critical thinker.
Am sorry i really want to know
Nowadays students dont want to umderstant concets or methods they only depend solely on crammong rot learning gabage in gabage out
See the following link: https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/03/02/teaching-students-think-critically-opinion
See also the following link: https://parentingscience.com/teaching-critical-thinking/
Also see the following link: https://www.teachbetter.com/blog/strategies-to-increase-critical-thinking-skills-in-students/
Kindly see also the following link: https://www.acc.edu.au/blog/critical-thinking-essential-skill/
https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/03/02/teaching-students-think-critically-opinion
A few other techniques to encourage critical thinking are:
Use analogies.
Promote interaction among students.
Ask open-ended questions.
Allow reflection time.
Use real-life problems.
Allow for thinking practice.
Oct 2, 2019
https://www.teachbetter.com › blog
Strategies to Increase Critical Thinking Skills in students - Teach Better
http://blog.futurefocusedlearning.net/teaching-critical-thinking-skills,pls.check this link
https://parentingscience.com/teaching-critical-thinking/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=HhTD6rtby5q_GUG3tEArrqeD9IwyjkgxZoVMt83WoNs-1637573483-0-gaNycGzNB6U,Also check this link
https://www.wikihow.com/Teach-Critical-Thinking?amp=1,Also this link may be useful.
Personally, reading books and dwelling on them afterwards, probably even enter into discussions with people online about it, is what I would advise.
- Badges
- Science topic