Second stage exercise in critical thinking:
Critical thinking studies a topic or problem with open-mindedness.
This exercise outlines the second stage of applying a critical thinking approach to developing and understanding a topic.
With the second stage:
- Refine/revise the topic
either narrowing or broadening it according to outcomes of research
- Rank or indicate the importance
of three sources of research
- Clarify any opinion, prejudice, or bias their authors have
While an opinion is a belief or attitude toward someone or some thing,
a prejudice is preconceived opinion without basis of fact
while bias is an opinion based on fact or research.
- Identify key words and concepts that seem to repeat
Is there vocabulary you need to define?
Are there concepts you need to understand better?
- In reviewing your research, are there
Sequences or patterns that emerge?
Opposing points of view, contradictions, or facts that don’t “fit?”
Summarize two points of view that you need to address
- What questions remain to be answered?
Critical thinking, first stage helped you to
- Develop a statement of the topic
- List what you understand, what you’ve been told
and what opinions you hold about it
- Identify resources available for research
- Define timelines and due dates
and how they affect the development of your study
- Print the list as your reference
With this second exercise,
think in terms of how you would demonstrate your learning for your topic
How would you create a test on what you have learned?
How would you best explain or demonstrate your findings?
From simple to more complex (1-6) learning operations:
- List, label, identify: demonstrate knowledge
- Define, explain, summarize in your own words: Comprehend/understand
- Solve, apply to a new situation: Apply what you have learned
- Compare and contrast, differentiate between items: analyze
- Create, combine, invent: Synthesize
- Assess, recommend, value: Evaluate and explain why
Summary of critical thinking:
- Determine the facts of a new situation or subject
without prejudice
- Place these facts and information in a pattern
so that you can understand and explain them
- Accept or reject your resource values and conclusions
based upon your experience, judgment, and beliefs
