Using critical thinking to conduct effective searches of online resources. Brem, Sarah K. & Andrea J. Boyes. Sarah K. Brem, Arizona State University Andrea J. Boyes, Jasper Creek Education, Inc. While the number of online databases and other resources continues to rise, the quality and effectiveness of database searches does not. Over 80% of academic, public and school libraries offer some form of Internet access (American Library Association, 2000); thousands of full-text electronic journals and serials are available online.
However, Hertzberg & Rudner (1999) found that most searches are cursory and ineffective, and they provide extensive recommendations regarding the mechanics of searching. A firm grounding in the mechanics of searching is vital, but an effective search is also an exercise in inquiry and critical thinking. We begin searching a topic with certain questions; as we collect information, we form hypotheses about the topic. Metacognition is thinking about thinking (Butler & Wynne, 1995): What do I know? How can we improve metacognition in online searching? Talk it out. Figure 1. Critical thinking. Critical thinking is a type of clear, reasoned thinking. According to Beyer (1995) Critical thinking means making clear, reasoned judgements.
While in the process of critical thinking, ideas should be reasoned and well thought out/judged.[1] The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking defines critical thinking as 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.'[2] Etymology[edit] In the term critical thinking, the word critical, (Grk. κριτικός = kritikos = "critic") derives from the word critic, and identifies the intellectual capacity and the means "of judging", "of judgement", "for judging", and of being "able to discern".[3] Definitions[edit] According to the field of inquiry [weasel words], critical thinking is defined as: Skills[edit] In sum:
Becoming a Critic Of Your Thinking. Learning the Art of Critical Thinking There is nothing more practical than sound thinking. No matter what your circumstance or goals, no matter where you are, or what problems you face, you are better off if your thinking is skilled. As a manager, leader, employee, citizen, lover, friend, parent — in every realm and situation of your life — good thinking pays off. Poor thinking, in turn, inevitably causes problems, wastes time and energy, engenders frustration and pain. Critical thinking is the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances. The general goal of thinking is to “figure out the lay of the land” in any situation we are in. We all have multiple choices to make. What is really going on in this or that situation? Successfully responding to such questions is the daily work of thinking. Ask yourself these — rather unusual — questions: What have you learned about how you think?
Strategies for Clarifying Your Thinking 2. 3. Open-minded inquiry. Abstract This is a brief guide to the ideal of open-minded inquiry by way of a survey of related notions. Making special reference to the educational context, the aim is to offer teachers an insight into what it would mean for their work to be influenced by this ideal, and to lead students to a deeper appreciation of open-minded inquiry. From assumptions to zealotry, the glossary provides an account of a wide range of concepts in this family of ideas, reflecting a concern and a connection throughout with the central concept of open-mindedness itself. An intricate network of relationships is uncovered that reveals the richness of this ideal; and many confusions and misunderstandings that hinder a proper appreciation of open-mindedness are identified. Introduction Many people would agree with John Dewey and Bertrand Russell that open-mindedness is one of the fundamental aims of education, always elusive but eminently worth pursuing.
Glossary Further Reading Hare, William. (2004). Chapter One: Critical Thinking in Psychology.