Improve People’s Thinking Skills

Critical Thinking Skills
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Critical Thinking Skills
Many researchers have defined critical thinking and debated on whether it is leaned or a developmental process. Despite the contrary opinions, various researchers have agreed that critical thinking is “purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological or contextual considerations upon which judgment is based.” Moreover, critical thinking is considered to be a skilful and responsible thinking which guides good judgment since it requires one to apply various assumptions, competence, knowledge and have the ability to challenge their thinking. Other scholars assert that critical thinking requires individuals to engage in active reasoning and analyzing complex choices and making an appropriate judgment. Scholars have also argued that for individuals to be critical thinkers, they must possess the thinking skill which they have asserted that are not a fixed entity since they can be taught. In debating on which critical thinking skills are important, they agree that Bloom’s taxonomy provides an important base and they have revised the earlier version to develop six levels of critical thinking. They include: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. These skills enable students to think critically.
Critical thinking plays a vital role in promoting the learning environment. Many scholars have asserted that critical thinking is the process of solving problems through a thoughtful process that provides logical and rational solutions. This process involves verification and evaluation of information and creation of possible solutions. In general, this process requires learners to reject all answers that they think are incorrect and provide alternatives in a logical and thoughtful manner. Therefore, critical thinking is an active and complex process that involves logical thinking in order to accumulate knowledge necessary in drawing valid conclusions. Moreover, critical thinking is an outcome that can be achieved by one’s own thinking. Therefore, everyone needs to have critical thinking as the basic step of associating an idea with others. Many scholars have argued that critical thinking is the capacity of an individual to examine information from various sources and draw valid conclusions based on how it is understood. The information is processed in a thoughtful manner which involves analyzing and creating alternatives. Therefore, the conclusions can be justified through the available resources.
Based on the various studies that have been conducted by various scholars, there are various skills that one needs in order to think critically. However, many researchers have emphasized on the revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy to be the most important skills in the modern world. Therefore, they have asserted that there are several activities that critical thinkers should assume. First, reviewing opinions of others where learners are required to review the process used by others to arrive at their conclusions. They can review other people’s opinions by discussing them in groups in order to understand their reasoning. Second, evaluating the opinion where the learners should form their own judgments about the information. In this step, learners are supposed to think creatively in order to evaluate the information. Third, understanding where the learners are supposed to explain the provided arguments in their own words. However, this step proves to be challenging for students because they find it difficult in creating a concrete structure in their presentations. Fourth, personal reflections where the learners are required to reflect on various ways in which the idea can be improved. Fifth, analyzing the idea where learners are required to think critically about the learning process. The objective of this activity is to enable the learners to review their reasoning. Moreover, it involves a focus on self to enable them to be active in everything that happens around them. Sixth, participating in the development of alternative solutions where students are required to participate in forming opinions. In this step, learners are required to engage in a thoughtful thinking in order to support their reasoning.
Many scholars have likened the development of critical thinking skills to Piaget’s concrete and formal operations. If individuals have not reached the operations stage, they may not be able to use critical thinking skills effectively in handling abstract ideas. It should not be forgotten that Piaget’s cognitive development stages depends intellectual abilities and environmental factors. This implies that the learning environment is important for the development of critical thinking skills and it requires instructors to use the order of taxonomic skills as envisioned by Bloom.
* Remembering
This critical thinking skill involves the ability of individuals bringing to mind any information or knowledge that requires being recalled (Ritter et al., 2007). It might appear to be simple but to others is not as simple as it appears. Some individuals have difficulties in remembering things because the information had no significance the time they encountered it. Generally, remembering requires individuals to bring back to mind what they have already encountered or memorized. For example, when learners are asked a question by their instructor and manage to remember the information related to that question, they are believed to have mastered this skill of critical thinking. Managing to recall the relevant information enables them to respond to the question in a thoughtful manner. In group discussions, learners who are not getting what is required of them can be helped by their group members or ask the teacher to come and break it down to them in a manner that they can be able to recall what is required. These activities enable students to express their critical thinking skills.
* Understanding
Understanding involves taking in information, understanding it and being able to explain it in one’s own words. This skill enables learners to organize any information that they come in contact with, reflect it in their mind and describe it in their own words to demonstrate how they understand it (Ritter et al., 2007). This skill is different from remembering since it demonstrates the ability of learners to summarize a problem in their own words. For example, in a group discussion or classroom setting, a learner is able to answer a discussion question. If leaners respond to a member’s view, it implies that they understand what their friend or instructor was talking about. Another example, learners can demonstrate this skill by responding to their instructor’s explanation about a certain topic. Additionally, if an instructor was talking about advertisements and asked the learners to produce an advertisement and the learners might respond by producing relevant presentations of various products or give their understanding of the various types or channels of advertisements. In group discussions, the responses given demonstrate the desire of the learners to know more about something. If students are involved in group discussions more often, they are most likely to learn more and be able to understand what they are learning. Additionally, this will help them in remembering what they have learned which will make them feel better about the learning process.
* Applying
This skill demonstrates the ability of learners to put the information that they have learned into practice in a new way different from the one they learned (Schraw & Moshman, 1995). Learners may use various concepts that they learned in class to solve a number of daily activities. For example, they may apply algebra knowledge to determine how much they need to spend on gas to and fro school. Another example, if an instructor had organized the learners into various groups and asked them to discuss a certain topic, they may be able to organize themselves into various groups in order to solve a certain problem.
* Analyzing
This demonstrates the ability of a learner to break a whole to various parts that make it one and understand how those parts are related to one another and see the various factors and understand the inferences (Ritter et al., 2007). This skill is more abstract and is identified when learners begin to notice the patterns or question the motives. For example, learners can be asked to find one movie related to their topic of discussion. Those who manage to identify a relevant movie make their own judgments and decisions, and draw valid conclusions in relation to the topic are said to have mastered this skill. Group discussions are a strategy that provides learners with the ability to analyze and synthesize ideas through a collaborative process. Generally, group discussions enable learners to share their ideas in an interaction setting. By interacting with their fellow students, learners can learn from each other by analyzing and accepting other’s opinions as well as how to respect the ideas of others.
* Evaluating
This is the ability to determine the value of something by understanding how it works. This enables learners to make appropriate decisions and recommendations (Ritter et al., 2007). Learners demonstrate this skill if they begin questioning how various things are done and offer their own ideas on how they can be done differently. For example when learners are asked to complete a certain task in a group, they evaluate whatever happens when completing the task. They can ask each other various questions such as “what do you think?” or “why do you say so?” In general, learners evaluate the progress of their group discussion by questioning the various activities that they do in order to complete the task. Evaluating the group activities ensures that no step is left out or if more ideas are needed. On the other hand, they evaluated their performance and role in critical thinking.
* Creating
This is the ability of a learner to develop new ideas. After learners have understood how something works or the relationship between various patterns, they incorporate that information to create new ideas (Ritter et al., 2007). For example, learners may be request...