How to Teach Critical Thinking Robert H. Ennis, rhennis@illinois.edu The actual teaching of critical thinking is a function of many situation-specific factors: teacher style, teacher interest, teacher knowledge and understanding, class size, cultural and community backgrounds and expectations, student expectations and backgrounds, colleagues’ expectations, recent local events, the amount of time available to teachers after they have done all the other things they have to do, and teacher grasp of critical thinking, to name some major factors. I here suggest some general strategies and tactics gleaned from years of experience, research, and others’ suggestions. They are guidelines and must be adjusted to fit the actual situation. Underlying Strategies (The three underlying strategies are “Reflection, Reasons, Alternatives” (RRA): 1. 2. 3. Fundamental Strategies 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Tactics 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Mid-level Strategies 21. Be patient, but show that you are interested in their thoughts.
Argument Mapping Argument mapping is producing "boxes and arrows" diagrams of reasoning, especially complex arguments and debates. Argument mapping improves our ability to articulate, comprehend and communicate reasoning, thereby promoting critical thinking. Argument Mapping Tutorials from AusthinkArgument mapping is using graphical methods to display the structure of reasoning and argumentation. The technique is essential for advanced critical thinking. Can Computers Think? Robert Horn Website of one of the pioneers of argument mapping. Austhink Argument MappingArgument mapping page at the website of the Austhink, leaders in the application of argument mapping in education and in professional contexts. Visualizing Argumentation: Software Tools for Collaborative and Educational Sense-Making by Paul A. Dialog Mapping page of CogNexus InstituteDialog is a close cousin of argument mapping. Essays Discussion of the use of argument maps in teaching philosophy in the online journal Psyche. Software Reason! Online
5 tips to improve your critical thinking - Samantha Agoos History of Critical Thinking “The intellectual roots of critical thinking are as ancient as its etymology, traceable, ultimately, to the teaching practice and vision of Socrates 2,500 years ago who discovered by a method of probing questioning that people could not rationally justify their confident claims to knowledge. Confused meanings, inadequate evidence, or self-contradictory beliefs often lurked beneath smooth but largely empty rhetoric.” “He [Socrates] established the importance of seeking evidence, closely examining reasoning and assumptions, analyzing basic concepts, and tracing out implications not only of what is said but of what is done as well. His method of questioning is now known as "Socratic Questioning" and is the best known critical thinking teaching strategy. In his mode of questioning, Socrates highlighted the need in thinking for clarity and logical consistency.” More on critical thinking through the ages is available here. 1.
Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age - University of Michigan Most professions these days require more than general intelligence. They require in addition the ability to collect, analyze and think about data. Personal life is enriched when these same skills are applied to problems in everyday life involving judgment and choice. This course presents basic concepts from statistics, probability, scientific methodology, cognitive psychology and cost-benefit theory and shows how they can be applied to everything from picking one product over another to critiquing media accounts of scientific research. What kinds of things will you learn? How to get Smarter: A guide to critical thinking, cognitive biases, and logical fallacies | Life Lessons Welcome to the first of a ten part series: How to get smarter: A guide to critical thinking, cognitive biases, and logical fallacies. In this series we’ll be going deep into critical thinking, cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and so much more. In this article I’ll introduce you to five of the most important core principles (and biggest hindrances) to critical thinking and higher intelligence: Intellectual lazinessIntellectual honestyIntellectual dishonestyWillful ignoranceSelf-deception What is Critical Thinking and why is it so important? “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” – Socrates Before we begin: What is critical thinking, cognitive biases, and logical fallacies? Let’s start with some definitions: Critical thinking: “Critical thinking is the objective analysis of facts to form a judgment.” en.wikipedia.org Logical fallacy: “A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid.” www.thoughtco.com In other words we’re learning: Here’s why: 50. 49.
Five Elements of Effective Thinking Do you want to come up with more imaginative ideas? Do you stumble with complicated problems? Do you want to find new ways to confront challenges? Of course you do. So do I. But when is the last time you thought about how you think? Do you have a process for making decisions? Just as with any skill, some of us are better at thinking than others. We’re seduced into believing that brilliant thinkers are born that way. Nothing could be further from the truth. Often, these geniuses practice learnable habits of thinking that allow them to see the world differently. I came across The Five Elements of Effective Thinking, authored by Dr. They make a pretty bold claim in the introduction. You can personally choose to become more successful by adopting five learnable habits, which, in this book, we not only explain in detail but also make concrete and practical. The five habits are: 1. Let’s explore each of these a little. Understand Deeply Make Mistakes Fail to succeed. Raise Questions Change
Yes, Your Opinion Can Be Wrong Thursday, July 23, 2015 at 6 a.m. I have had so many conversations or email exchanges with students in the last few years wherein I anger them by indicating that simply saying, "This is my opinion" does not preclude a connected statement from being dead wrong. It still baffles me that some feel those four words somehow give them carte blanche to spout batshit oratory or prose. And it really scares me that some of those students think education that challenges their ideas is equivalent to an attack on their beliefs. -Mick Cullen I spend far more time arguing on the Internet than can possibly be healthy, and the word I’ve come to loath more than any other is “opinion”. There’s a common conception that an opinion cannot be wrong. 1. 2. I’ll help you with the first part. There’s nothing wrong with an opinion on those things. To quote John Oliver, who on his show Last Week Tonight referenced a Gallup poll showing one in four Americans believe climate change isn’t real: Who gives a shit?
25 Top Rated Online Courses – Personal Growth Mind and Soul Create a Perfect Morning Routine You will learn how to create a morning routine filled with purpose, presence, and peace. You’ll be more energized, productive, and content — all before the start of your workday. Start your morning by doing things that feed your soul and make you happy. This course will teach you how to hack your learning, reading, and memory skills, empowering you to learn faster and more effectively. Learning how to think is more important than learning what to think. Boost your confidence and self esteem, handle fear of rejection, learn powerful body language, feel great about yourself. A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment This course, based on an award-winning class offered at the Indian School of Business and at The University of Texas at Austin draws content from a variety of fields, including psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral decision theory to offer a tested and practical recipe for leading a life of happiness and fulfillment.
La parola di un esperto vale più di quella degli altri La parola di un esperto vale più di quella degli altri << Il bello di internet è che si possono trovare informazioni su qualunque argomento, che dicono tutto ed il contrario di tutto. Il brutto è che la maggior parte di queste informazioni sono inattendibili e su internet gli incompetenti e gli esperti vengono messi sullo stesso piano. >> Non è vero che tutte le opinioni hanno la stessa importanza. E no, Facebook, youtube ed i blog non sono una fonte seria. La diffusione dell'ignoranza e del populismo, unita ad una crescente anarchia culturale, ha stravolto il concetto di giusto e sbagliato, ha cominciato a produrre situazioni abominevoli sulla diffusione di informazioni che è riuscita ad arrivare perfino in politica. Riportiamo da qui un articolo che ben evidenzia ed approfondisce questa situazione. Attenzione, scopo di questo scritto non è sancire il principio di autorità nella scienza, concetto ridicolo. Di cosa stiamo parlando?
Decision Making: A Guide to Smarter Decisions and Reducing Errors Few things will change your trajectory in life or business as much as learning to make effective decisions. The decision-making principles in this article aren’t pulled out of thin air. They’re the result of many years of experience and experimentation. They draw upon the combined expertise of some of history’s deepest thinkers. They summarize the core insights and skills from influential books on decision-making. In this guide, we’ll cover: Ready? No one Taught you How to Decide I started working at an intelligence agency on August 28, 2001. My computer science degree lost its value after a few promotions. Just out of school, I found that my decisions affected not only my employees but their families. There is no class called “decision making.” Most of us operate like a carpenter with only a hammer. To fill my mental toolbox, I looked around my organization and found some mentors. Thanks to the internet, I was no longer limited to the best teachers in my organization or university. 1. 2.
Carl Sagan Presents His "Baloney Detection Kit": 8 Tools for Skeptical Thinking Photo by NASA via Wikimedia Commons It is sometimes said that science and philosophy have grown so far apart that they no longer recognize each other. Perhaps they no longer need each other. And yet some of the most thoughtful scientists of modernity—those who most dedicated their lives not only to discovering nature’s mysteries, but to communicating those discoveries with the rest of us—have been fully steeped in a philosophical tradition. This especially goes for Carl Sagan, perhaps the greatest science communicator of the past century or so. Sagan wrote a number of popular books for layfolk in which he indulged not only his tendencies as a “hopeless romantic,” writes Maria Popova, but also as a “brilliant philosopher.” In one chapter of his book, “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” Sagan laid out his method, proposing what he called “A Baloney Detection Kit,” a set of intellectual tools that scientists use to separate wishful thinking from genuine probability. Related Content: