Learning without thought is labour lost
Confucius 551 – 479 BCE
Chinese philosopher
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Thinking and recall series
Critical thinking I
Strategies for critical thinking in learning and project
management
Critical thinking studies a topic or problem with
open-mindedness.
This exercise outlines the first stage
of applying a critical thinking approach to developing and
understanding a topic. You will:
- 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
First stage:
Define your destination, what you want to learn
Clarify
or verify with your teacher or an "expert" on your subject
Topics can be simple phrases:
"The
role of gender in video game playing"
"Causes of the war before 1939"
"Mahogany trees in
Central America"
"Plumbing regulations in the suburbs"
"Regions of the human brain"
- Develop your frame of reference, your starting point,
by listing what you already know about the subject
- What opinions and prejudices do you already have about this?
What have you been told, or read about, this topic?
- What resources
are available to you for
research
When gathering information, keep an open mind
Look
for chance resources that pop up!
Play the "reporter" and follow
leads
If you don't seem to find what you need, ask librarians or
your teacher.
- How does your timeline and due dates affect your research?
Keep in mind that you need to follow a schedule.
Work back from
the due date and define stages of development,
not just with
this first phase, but in completing the whole project.
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 them
- Accept or reject the source values and
conclusions based upon your experience,
judgment, and beliefs
Thinking and recall series
Website overview:
Kiosk guides for learning are a freely accessible educational environment that offers strategies to recognize and realize learning objectives. We accept individual differences without regard to ability and creed; sexual and affectional orientation; caste, tribal and national affiliation; individual, familial and collective history. Our suggestions should be thoughtfully considered for appropriateness and guidance to your situation, relying on elders, mentors, cohorts and/or professionals to achieve learning objectives and outcomes.