Critical Thinking can be defined as an integrated combination of skills that are used to problem-solve a real life situation. It integrates critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem-solving and written communication skills to answer open-ended questions about realistic situations. Background information like work-related documents, letters, emails, voicemails, client interviews, research reports, newspaper articles, photographs, diagrams, tables, charts and transcripts can all be used in solving these problems. Students use these items to discover a collective outcome to their problem which very often is not found in just one course but are cumulative of all their courses.  While problem-solving, students can-

• Discover, synthesize and utilize evidence from different source materials
• Distinguish between emotional arguments, facts and opinions
• Incorporate behavioral choices such as providing good customer service, factoring in Emotional EQ (similar to IQ) or leadership skills
• Use tabular and figural presentations of data
• Deal with inadequate, ambiguous and/or conflicting information
• Spot deception and logical holes in the arguments made by others
• Recognize information that is or is not relevant to the tasks at hand
• Identify additional information that would help to resolve issues
• Weigh, organize and synthesize information from various sources
• Present their ideas clearly and justify the basis for their points of view

By using critical thinking skills, students are able to:

• Articulate complex ideas
• Examine claims and evidence to determine the best available solution to a problem
• Support ideas with relevant reasoning and examples
• Sustain a coherent and productive discussion or conversation with others
• Select the correct style of effective written communication in their personal and work lives

More Critical Thinking Content Elements:

Critical Thinking adds a second level of thinking that analyzes and assesses ordinary thinking.

• Ordinary Thinking is spontaneous and non-reflective.
• Critical Thinking raises the bar to the level of conscious realization by analyzing, assessing and reconstructing.

Critical Thinking includes the ability to:

• Analyze the logic of situations and problem-solve
• Express and ask clear and precise questions
• Check information for accuracy and relevance
• Distinguish between raw information and someone’s interpretation of it
• Recognize assumptions guiding inferences
• Identify prejudicial and biased beliefs, unjustifiable conclusions, misused words and missed implications
• Notice when our viewpoint is biased by our selfish interests including the historical time/ culture we live in, the gender we are, the spiritual beliefs we hold and the profession we have chosen

Critical Thinking includes the ability to:

• Monitor egocentrism in your thought and life
• Make a commitment to fair-mindedness
• Recognize the difference between thinking, feeling and wanting
• Connect academic subjects to your life and problems
• Learn both intellectually and emotionally
• Make the relationship to your mind conscious and deliberate

 Intellectual Standards:

• Clarity
• Accuracy
• Precision
• Relevance
• Depth
• Breadth
• Logicalness
• Significance
• Fairness