critical thinking skills

Critical thinking skills

The basic elements of critical thinking is claims, Issues and argu-ments. Identification, analysis and evaluation is the key of critical thinking. Critical thinking refers to the skills and attitude, not the subject boundary, any intellectual or imagine the topic from the perspective of critical thinking to review.Critical thinking is based on the rational reflection and evidence of a problem that judge, namely "for deciding what to believe or do what is reasonable, reflective thinking, including" to clarify the significance, analysis, evaluation of evidence judgment, judgment of the appropriateness and are derived according to the conclusion of the skills. The "ideal" critical thinking is open and fair mind, will search for evidence, fully grasp the information, attention point of view and the reasons for others, not beyond the evidence assertions, ideas and opinions to consider different correction. The critical thinking process involves identifying and analyzing problems, to clarify the significance of the evaluation of evidence, evidence collection, investigation, conclusions, relevant information and to make a comprehensive judgment. Different from the logical judgment of argumentation, critical thinking beyond the single argument dimensions, creative elements, including the critical assessment of the evidence. We should foster critical thinking have the knowledge, skills, attitudes and habits, which allows them to and good at criticism.

Critical thinking education can be carried out through teaching or specialized course teaching mode. Set up a separate course of critical thinking, its course design should follow according to the specific situation, clarify the goal of teaching, to stimulate students' interest, using the framework, training, pay attention to the depth rather than breadth of critical spirit, bridge, major events, by using real or realistic cases, careful selection of cases, providing guided practice and timely feedback, test the students' understanding degree, consider the situation, to avoid the empty using technical jargon and carefully designed multiple choice principle.

Reference:Written by David Hitchcock(Qiming College,Huazhong University of Science & Technology,Wuhan 430074,China) Translated by ZHANG Yi-fan

a,ZHOU Wen-hui b(a.Department of Chinese Language & Literature;b.School of Foreign Languages,Huazhong University of Science & Technology,Wuhan 430074,China)