critical thinking exercise for adults

critical thinking exercise for adults

Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Adults

1. Introduction

Critical thinking has become the core competency of modern learning. It is considered as the set of higher order thinking skills. Developing critical thinking skills in adult learners through innovative distance learning. Paper presented at the 11th World Conference of the International Council for Open and Distance Education, September 1999, Birmingham, UK by Dr. Shirley A. Adams. Central to the transformation of the learner is the transformation of the teacher role from one of directive authority to that of facilitator. In this context, the development and implementation of a model for virtual enquiry-based learning was conceived with the intention of fostering critical thinking skills in undergraduate nursing students. A community of learners is dependent on guidance from both tutors and peers with the aim of furthering knowledge and creating meaningful discussion. An environment rich in collaboration and student-centered learning is at the heart of a virtual enquiry-based model. The use of technology in the form of multimedia and discussion boards was seen as the key to promoting student autonomy and motivation in a 21st-century educational context. A partnership between the School of Nursing, University of Nottingham and Centre for Learning and Teaching in Art and Design, University of the Arts, London enabled the sharing of research into the potential of virtual learning environments in respect to knowledge construction and learning communities. This partnership resulted in the design and development of two virtual enquiry-based learning packages. Retrospective evaluation of these packages suggests that on completion, students exhibit an increase in reflection, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. A sense of empowerment and ownership over their learning was evident in a clearer understanding of the process of enquiry and an ability to apply this to future study. The success of this project showed evidence of effective transformation in the students’ learning and provided a foundation for further development of critical thinking skills in adult learners through supported constructivist learning.

2. Understanding Critical Thinking

Summary The main theme in the essay is that a better quality of life will come about if the learner has the wisdom that comes with understanding and the ability to think and act with that understanding. (Paul and Elder, 2001) The essay provides a system that asks the right questions in a step-by-step fashion. A yes answer to a year’s worth of experience with this system is asserted to improve the quality of the learner’s life and it is suggested that there indeed may be some value to doing this. Overall, this is a good essay for the adult learner. It avoids irrelevant reasoning and explanations on its questions, which is beneficial to someone who has likely come to college with the goal of a quick and relevant education.

The essay is directed to the adult learner who wishes to improve his or her critical thinking skills. It provides a simple, easy-to-follow, six-step model. Each step is detailed in questions that are specifically constructed to lead the learner to the skill that the question addresses. This essay appears to be an easy-to-understand informative discourse on the subject of critical thinking but is in reality quite partial and biased. The bias is not as a result of the questions themselves, since the questions are quite general and can be seen as universally applicable. The bias occurs in the essay because the questions have correct answers that reflect the ideal critical thinker’s response. This in turn suggests that the ideal critical thinker’s response is the correct answer to the question posed. Although the textbook recommends the Socratic method of questioning whereby the teacher plays a role as a question asker, the essay could potentially be used as an answer key to the questions. This would turn the six-step model of critical thinking into a question and answer review sheet for the multiple-choice test. Considering the context of this model of critical thinking, namely that it appears in academic ethics text, it is likely that the answer key question and review sheet would be used in the preparation for the test. This would defeat the purpose of the critical thinking exercise and cause the student to associate ethics questions with a set of memorized correct responses.

3. Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

After a plan of action has been determined, it is wise to evaluate the end solution in a mental rehearsal implementing the consequences of an action based on the assumptions implied by the plan. Often it is the overt action that will change a problematic situation. We cannot always be certain that something will work, but through this method of evaluation, we can attempt to ensure the best possible decision. Failure to do this may result in a variety of mistakes known as “fuzzy thinking” in which unclear beliefs and desires fail to result in effective action. Due to the nature of this process, situational logic, relevancy, and credibility will all be tested, and it may reveal a new problematic situation in which previous thinking is applicable.

Next, you must begin to attack the identified problem, separating it into parts to find the most efficient solution. It is useful to use previous critical thinking on a similar subject as useful information may not be at the front of memory. You should also incorporate past knowledge of similar situations, and if this is a new type of problem, employ methods for solving that kind of problem and evaluate their effectiveness after the solution has been implemented. This is formally known as “inference,” a mode of reasoning that can be singular or complex, purposeful, and goal-directed. Inferential errors are what plague the consumer of thinking. Errors may be caused by a biased interpretation affecting our judgment or our ability to evaluate a problem may be hampered by our own conclusions on a previous similar situation.

The first step in applying critical thinking to a given situation is to determine whether a situation is in fact a problem. Simply stating it as “I have a problem” is not a clear enough manifestation of the issue at hand for developing a useful solution. You must ask yourself, “How do I know I have a problem?” or “Is this the real issue?” Do this and you will find you’re on the right track.

4. Overcoming Barriers to Critical Thinking

Individuals with a strong negative self-concept are often resistant to objective self-examination, and this reluctance makes it difficult to think critically about their beliefs. People who have vested interests in a certain idea may only seek out evidence that supports their beliefs, ignoring any contradictory information. A common cause of this is the experienced thinkers’ inability to separate their thoughts and emotions from logic. For many people, an ego defense results in viewing change as a threat. Because critical thinking can require a person to admit that they’ve been wrong, or to change their mind, it can be a difficult process. The thinker must then be disposed to entertain other perspectives and be willing to rethink their position on a subject. It’s important to note that individuals who have strong basic beliefs that influence their views on certain issues will have to work much harder to develop those skills. On the whole, it’s clear that one of the most influential factors in whether a person can think critically is his or her prevailing mood or affective state. If a person is feeling negative or is experiencing psychological strain, it can be a daunting task to think critically about anything. In such a case it may be best to postpone the thinking process. Finally, virtually all people have some cognitive or affective barriers to critical thinking, and a large part of overcoming those barriers is being aware of them. With effective strategies and the desire to improve, accompanied by practice, virtually anyone can improve their critical thinking abilities.

5. Conclusion and Next Steps

Through our work here, we have learned a great deal about critical thinking. In order to build critical thinking skills and positive critical thinking habits of mind in small groups and communities, it is necessary to develop a supportive environment. A supportive environment can foster open-mindedness, continuous improvement, and self-regulation. All these elements are essential in developing critical thinking and long-term change. Open-mindedness can be nurtured by being receptive to the thoughts and ideas of others (2011). In a small group this might mean, taking a few minutes after someone has contributed an idea, to entertain the idea and ask some follow-up questions. At the end of this time, the group can reflect upon whether this idea contributed to their goal and if they employed open-minded behaviors. This can provide opinions about how well the idea was entertained from group members. If open-mindedness led to more effective decision making, the group can conclude to allocate definite time in the future, encouraging this behavior. In communities, it is fundamental to democracy to ensure that a wide array of views and perspectives are considered in decision making. Community leaders can implement strategies where differing perspectives are sought out and respected to addressing the implications of group decisions on various groups (2011).