Critical Thinking

What is Critical Thinking?

CRITICAL THINKING is the active and systematic process
of
Communication
Problem-solving
Evaluation
Analysis
Synthesis
Reflection

both individually and in community to

Foster understanding
Support sound decision-making and
Guide action

Why is critical thinking important to

students?
Critical thinking is critical to

employers
Can you analyze situations?
Can you solve problems?
Can you communicate your

position logically?
Can you make good
decisions (based on data,
not feelings)?

Why is critical thinking important to student

learning?
College-level learning is deeper

than memorizing facts:

Science analyzing results of

experiments in light of existing

theories
Math selecting appropriate
problem-solving strategy for word
problems
Humanities putting literature and
art into historical context
Health fields evaluating patients
and making decisions in clinical
settings
Communications debate;
persuasive writing
Criminal justice/fire science
reacting correctly to simulations
Political science/sociology
analyzing others points of view

Why is critical thinking important to

society?
Failure in critical thinking are disastrous
Space Shuttle Columbia
Levee construction in New Orleans

Faulty critical thinking can lead to wrong

conclusions
Biased polls adversely affect public opinion
80 percent of Americans think the government is

hiding knowledge of the existence of aliens. 3 million

Americans believe they've had a possible encounter
with aliens

Students Whats in it for me?

Critical thinking in the world of

work
Medical evaluating patients

symptoms
Technology problem-solving
software/engineering solutions
Counter-terrorism synthesizing
intelligence to predict future events
Criminal justice/fire science
analyzing the scene whodunit?
Government solving problems like
hurricane relief
Education reflecting on student
success resulting from your
teaching
Business analyzing information to
detect trends; ethical decisions
Journalism communicating fairly

Students Whats in it for me? (continued)

Critical thinking in everyday life:
How should I prepare for a

hurricane? Should I evacuate?

What is the safest way to travel?
What is the slant of a news
story?
What are my real chances of
winning the lottery?
Why is my good friend angry at
me?
What questions should I ask
myself and my partner before
getting married?
Which phone company plan is
best for my needs?