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Give three accurate definitions of critical thinking

Critical Thinking (definition #1) My definition of critical thinking
Critical thinking is an intellectual skill which is developed over time. It revolves around a good
question, issue, or problem accompanied by a sense of curiosity. Critical thinking takes the
question, issue, or problem and ones curiosity to examine the relevant information objectively.
This means that a critical thinker has an open mind and desires the best solution above their
preconceived thoughts and biases. However, this process takes effort in order to come to a
solution or explanation. More specifically, the process includes several important aspects. These
aspects are the careful consideration of multiple viewpoints, assessments of various arguments,
and judgements on the information which you have reviewed. This results in a supported result
which has been thoroughly considered. However, this is not the end of critical thinking. Critical
thinking is recognizing that your beliefs, even after you have critically thought through them, are
still fallible and one day they may need to be revised. This is because critical thinking is a lifelong process.
Critical Thinking (definition #2)
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully
conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from,
or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to
belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend
subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence,
good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. Critical thinking can be seen as having two
components: 1) a set of information and belief generating and processing skills, and 2) the habit,
based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior. It is thus to be
contrasted with: 1) the mere acquisition and retention of information alone, because it involves a
particular way in which information is sought and treated; 2) the mere possession of skills,
because it involves the continual use of them; and 3) the mere use of those skills (as an
exercise) without acceptance of their results. (Scriven and Paul, 2008)

Scriven, M. & Paul, R. (2008a) Defining Critical Thinking, Foundation for Critical
Thinking. Available at: http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/definingCT.cfm
Critical Thinking (definition #3)
(1) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that
come within the range of ones experience; (2) knowledge of the methods of logical enquiry and
reasoning; and (3) some skill in applying those methods. Critical thinking calls for a persistent
effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that
supports it and the further conclusions to which it tends. (Glaser, 1941, p. 5)
Glaser, E (1941) An Experiment in the Development of Critical Thinking New York:
Teachers College, Columbia University
Reflective Thinking (definition #4) although it is not officially defined as critical thinking, I
find this definition necessary to add to my portfolio.
Active, persistent, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed form of knowledge in the
light of the grounds which support it and the further conclusions to which it tends. (Dewey,
1909, p. 9)
Dewey, J. (1909) How We Think Boston, MA: D.C. Heath and Co.

Single paragraph descriptions of:

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The elements of reasoning (each element)
1. Purpose The purpose is what you wish to accomplish. Reasoning needs to have a clear
purpose which is significant, realistic, and relevant. To this end, your goals and objectives
will be met as long as they are connected to this purpose. As a critical thinker, if you do
not state your purpose and goals then you are unlikely to achieve them in the end.
Consider the following analogy. Imagine yourself lost in the woods after a long day of
hiking. The Sun is has just went down and you chart a course towards the setting Sun
because you know the Sun sets in the west and that is the direction you came from. Now
stop. Close your eyes and start turning in circles. Open your eyes. Which way is west?
Where are you going to go now? This is not to unlike not stating your purpose. At the
beginning you will be able to stay close to your goal, but the longer you reason without
stating you goal is like being spun around in the forest. You do not know how to get to
where you want to go because where you want to go is unknown or unclear.
2. Question-at-Issue This is your overarching question which your reasoning will be
addressing. This sets up your reasoning for success. It allows you to remain focused and
your reasoning will inevitably result in a conclusion which responds to your main question.
It is also very important to formulate your question in a relevant and clear way. The
question should spark in your mind certain criteria required to answer it. If the question
confuses others then it is unreasonable to think you will be getting the best answer
possible.
Example:

To what extent should Blooms taxonomy be used by teachers in

Alberta?
3. Information These are the facts and information which are used as evidence to achieve
your purpose. Information, by extension, is also used to answer or resolve the question-atissue and thereby engage in argumentation. It is important to note that if your reasoning is
not founded on data, information, or evidence, then you are simply not engaging in critical
reasoning. It is also imperative that the information you use is stated clearly, is accurate,
and relevant to your reasoning. To retain the spirit of inquiry, the information which is
being assessed needs to be evaluated fairly and without biases. This is perhaps the hardest
part of reasoning for many people.

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4. Conclusions and Interpretations These are both reasoned judgements which are results of
our reasoning. They are both supported by evidence which has been considered through
your reasoning. Conclusions and interpretations should flow easily from our evidences
from them. You also should see if there is homogeneity between your conclusions if there
are more than one. If there are any discrepancies then you may need to rethink your
reasoning. Furthermore, they should be free from fallacies in order to make them credible.
5. Concepts There are the big ideas within your reasoning. They may include powerful
thoughts theories, laws, rules, and principles which you use to think about things and give
meaning to the things which you experience. As you understand the role of concepts in
your reasoning you will have to see critically think about the concepts themselves. You
must decide whether each concept is relevant and important in and of themselves or how
they are intertwined with each other.
6. Assumptions These are the underlying beliefs which you bring to the discussion.
Another way of saying this is that assumptions are unspoken conventions which you
believe are common to all the parties. Assumptions are sometimes taken for granted in
reasoning with others. Some peoples assumptions can be very different than others. It is
important to note that these assumptions play a significant role in reasoning because they
often time initially direct your reasoning. However, your assumptions may be reasonable
or unfair, clear or unclear, consistent or contradictory.
Example: When talking about struggling students, teachers often assume that all
of the underachieving students have a lower potential than those who excel.
However, not only is this is an assumption, but it is also an unfair assumption.
Some students are not being offered the opportunities and environments which
they need to thrive and achieve their fullest potential.
7. Implications and Consequences These are the outcomes of your reasoning.

They

logically follow from your evidence. Both implications and consequences lend themselves
to the eventual conclusions and interpretations. These are what you make decisions on
every day of your life. You reason what the implications are of the decisions you are about
to make. They are also very important in education.
Example: After reviewing the information, a teacher needs to decide how he or
she should teach the next lesson on algebra. You begin to think of how you taught

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it today and ask yourself what worked and who it worked for. You then choose a
technique to teach the lesson tomorrow in a certain way. You then reason what
are the implications of teaching it in that way. Will a specific technique benefit
those who struggled today? Will the time be spent purposeful? Etc.
8. Point of View This is the perspective or position from which you reason or view the
issue, question, or problem. All reasoning occurs in some point of view. Inevitably, your
point of view is the way you view the something and this comes to the surface in your
reasoning. Sometimes your point of view will be too narrow and you may need to broaden
it. If you do not, it may result in an unfair conclusion. In other circumstances, your point
of view may be too broad and you might need to narrow it. To know the scope of your
reasoning takes time and practice. An analogy of the way your point of view works is the
imagery of a lens and a mirror. Your point of view is like a lens because it acts as the way
you see the world. Your point of view is also like a mirror because you interpret the world
from your perspective.
The intellectual standards (each standard)
1. Clarity This standard has to do with the transparency of your statements or thoughts. It
allows your readers to understand what you are trying to say. Without clarity, the reader
is lost or is left to guess what you are trying to tell them. In order to achieve any
progress, you must give clear instruction, description, and illustrations.
a. Clarifying Question: Could you elaborate further on that point?
2. Accuracy Accuracy is different than clarity in subtle yet decipherable ways. This
standard has to do with the truthfulness and plausibility of any given statement. To be
clear, plausibility extends to whether or not the statement can be verified.

If the

statement which you make is uncheckable, you may need to revise the statement in order
to achieve accuracy.
a. Clarifying Question: Is that really true?
3. Precision Precision is related to both clarity and accuracy. However, having clarity and
accuracy does not guarantee precision. This standard deals with the level of detail. More
specifically, the level of detail is context specific. This means that the level of precision

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is not universal in nature. Depending on the circumstances you may need a higher level
of detail, or a more rigorous explanation of criteria.
a. Clarifying Question: Could you be more specific?
4. Relevance Similarly with precision, relevance is related to clarity, accuracy, and
precision. However, you can be clear, accurate, and precise without being relevant
towards a question, issue, or problem. This standard deals with the strength of the
relationship between what you are saying or thinking and the issue, question, or problem
at hand.
a. Clarifying Question: How is the information connected to the current issue?
5. Depth Furthermore, you can be clear, accurate, precise, and relevant, but still lacking in
depth. This standard deals with the simplification of a more complex issue, problem, or
question. Therefore, without depth, you fail to acknowledge the complexities of an issue
which clearly needs a higher degree of exploration.
a. Clarifying Question: What complex structures might need exploring in order to
address this issue?
6. Breadth This standard considers the degree of which you are open-minded, identifying
related and alternative perspectives, and are fair to these diverse viewpoints. You must
recognize that your insights into an issue is not always going to be correct and this begins
with searching for the different ways to look at the issue.
a. Clarifying Question: Is there another point of view which needs to be considered?
7. Logic When you think you often bring an assortment of thoughts together. These
thoughts are organized into combinations which are either mutually supporting or
internally inconsistent. The difference between the two is to say your thoughts are
respectively logical or illogical.

Being logical deals with your argumentation, the

relations between your premises, and your conclusions which follow. A simple way
question which can help you distinguish if something is logical is to ask whether or not
what is being said even makes sense.
a. Clarifying Question: Does that follow from what you said? If so, how does that
follow?
8. Fairness While you are reasoning or thinking you bring many previous thoughts and
feelings with you. It is imperative to make sure that these are not making your reasoning

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or thinking biased or closed off to certain ideas. This is where the standard of fairness
comes into play.

It is important to remain fair in your thoughts, evaluations, and

judgements in order to be a good critical thinker. You must distinguish yourself as a fair
minded person before you engage in and critical thinking in order to have quality results.
a. Clarifying Question: Am I being too sympathetic to this point of view and not
others?
Critical inquiry This is the process and mentality associated with questioning an issues or
problem, entertaining the necessary information, followed by a critical examination of that
information, and finally resulting in a reasoned judgement. It begins with a curious and open
minded spirit towards new, and existing, ideas. Being and critical inquirer means you are able to
mentally grapple with a given issue, question, or problem until you arrive at a judgement.
However, this does not have to be an aggressive endeavor like mentally grapple suggests. This
is because emotions can impact critical inquiry but it should not be the driving or motivating
feature of it.
A reasoned judgment This is the outcome of critical evaluation. Once information is evaluated
and the arguments considered, you are ready to compare the arguments and internally contrast
the information with each other. Once this is done you may then make a reasoned judgement.
This is possible because you have reviewed those things which are relevant and have given
weighted consideration to the information and arguments. Therefore, a reasoned judgement is an
opinion, outcome, or conclusion which is supported by evidences which have been critically
evaluated.
Example: After studying assessment techniques in education, you make a reasoned
judgement that giving percent grades to elementary students is less meaningful than to award
letter grades.
An issue This is anything which is a cause for debate, discussion, and inquiry. It is caused by a
controversy, difference of opinion, or disagreement. Without one of these causes you do not
have an issue. It is through critical inquiry and critical thinking where issues can be turned into
solutions and you may move onto a new issue which needs resolving.

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Example: If technology being overused in my school? Perhaps a better, more relevant
question is whether or not you are overusing technology in your classroom.
Criteria These are the basis for what critical evaluation is based on. Criteria are what specify
what is relevant to the inquiry. Once the criteria are outlined, you can then make your critical
evaluations on them and then culminate in making your reasoned judgements. Criteria can also
specify the degree of precision which is necessary.
Example: Consider the issue posed in the above definition about technology. The criteria
to answer this question may be 1) how many hours a day are your students using technology, 2)
on a case by case basis, if technology the most effective way to learn a specific concept, 3) is
your use of technology in line with acceptable standards (to name a few possible criteria).
Sound argument All sound arguments are deductive arguments with true premises. Sound
arguments are also always going to be valid. This results in a true conclusion which you can
figuratively take to the bank.

Example with true premises: All teachers in Alberta have a Bachelors degree in
Education.

I am a teacher in Alberta.

Therefore, I have a Bachelors degree in

Education.
Valid argument This is a logically based argument. It has a structure which can guarantee an
outcome. This is to say that if the premises are true then the conclusion will be true. Another
way of putting this is to say that if the premises are true then the conclusion cannot be false.
Therefore, this makes a valid argument has the strongest logical relationship between the
premises and the conclusion.
Note: All valid argument are deductive argument.
Deductive argument This particular argument is a link argument by which the arguer seems to
have intended the truth of the premises guarantee the truth of the conclusion. The structure of
the argument is organized in such a way that the conclusion follows from the premises and
attempts to guarantee the truth of the conclusion. This type of argument can be distinguished

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from others by looking at the degree of certainty it offers (i.e. deductive arguments have a higher
degree of certainty when compared with inductive arguments).
Entailment This is the relationship which exists between a premise and a conclusion. The
relationship says that if the premises are true then the conclusion must be true.
Clarification: If the premise A implies the conclusion B and A is a true statement, then B
must be a true conclusion.
Counter Example: Notice that there is no entailment in the following argument.
Standardized testing is the best form of assessment in Alberta. Therefore, teachers
in Alberta have too many vacation days.
Valid deductive argument This is an extension of a deductive argument. More specifically, a
valid deductive argument is such that if the premises are true then the conclusion must also be
true. It is ultimately a truth preserving argument because it has a truth preserving argument
form. This relationship is called entailment.

Example with hypothetical premises: All aliens would be good kindergarten teachers.
Drama teachers are aliens. Therefore, all drama teachers would be good at kindergarten.

Inductive argument This type of argument has a conclusion which is supported by one or more
premises. However, there is not entailment between the conclusion and the premises. The
premises are linked and provide at most support for the conclusion. This also means that if there
is weakness in the premises there is weakness in the conclusion. Therefore, to try and discredit a
inductive argument it is useful to try and find weakness in its premises.
Strong, inductive argument This is an extension of an inductive argument. More specifically,
this type of argument says that is the premises are true then the conclusion is most likely true.
Therefore, there is no guarantee in the conclusion. At best, you can continually make the
argument stronger, but never achieve a surety.
Example: Students at Raymond High School have achieved above the provincial average
in the past three years.

Raymond High School has exclusively hired graduates from the

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University of Lethbridge for the past three years. Therefore, hiring University of Lethbridge
graduates will increase your schools achievement.
A fallacy This is an argument which has more persuasive power than its conformational value.
All fallacies have two aspects in common. The first aspect is a logical weakness. This means
that there exists in some form where the logic of the argument falls apart. This results in an
invalid argument. The other aspect is a rhetorical effect. This is the illusion which the fallacy is
trying to demonstrate. It wows, misleads, and illogically argues towards another issue in order to
try and argue in their favor.
Example: [Ad Hominem]
Brayden Wirzba I think that professional development is a pillar is becoming a better teacher
throughout your life.
Professor X I did not see you at last years South Western Alberta Teachers' Convention
Associations (SWATCA) convention. It is clear you dont even care about PD in the first
place.
Three fallacies (student selected)
1. Red Herring This fallacy is potent because it misleads and distracts from the issue,
problem, or question which is being addressed. It is also important that the red herring
is outwardly plausible, but ultimately irrelevant to the actual issue. Therefore, you will
come to a false conclusion based on unrelated premises. Thus the argument has not been
subject to critical thought and thereby is incredible.
a. Logical Error: you are misleading and redirecting the argument to something that
is an offshoot from the argument. It appears as though you are still on the same
argumentative trail, but you have been fooled into arguing along a different path.
A path which is more persuasive in the short term.
b. Rhetorical Effect: this fallacy makes you draw false conclusions based on
misleading arguments. You are making conclusions based on premises which are
seemingly focused on the original argument but are nevertheless irrelevant.
2. Ad Hominem There are three types of ad hominem: namely abusive, genetic, and
circumstantial. All have a common persuasive power. They all try and distract from the

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original argument by distracting you through attacking the person instead of the
argument. This results in the opponent being defensive and feeling attacked which
results in their focus shifting from an argumentation to preservation. It is typical that the
ad hominem is inappropriate and incorporates some information about the other to help
discredit the argument.
a. Logical Error: you are attacking a person based on where their ideas may have
come from, their history, or the current state of affairs. Therefore, you have
provided no basis for rejecting what is actually being claimed.
b. Rhetorical Effect: this fallacy makes the challengers claim sound absurd because
it came from a flawed source.
3. Straw Person This fallacy is similar to ad hominem because it involves attacking an
argument or position. However, before you attack the argument o position you must first
create an alternate version of the argument or position. This creation is a view that the
arguer does not hold but it appears that they do. Then and only then can you begin to
attack this version of the argument and thereby attempt to discredit their original
argument.
a. Logical Error: you are criticizing an argument or position that does not directly
reflect the original argument or position. Therefore, you have provided no basis
for rejecting what is actually being claimed.
b. Rhetorical Effect: this fallacy makes the challengers claim sound absurd because
you have drawn focus from the original claim to a straw form of the argument.
Fallacy of affirming the consequent This is an invalid argument and therefore it is a fallacy. To
explain this fallacy I will use the following logical structure:
Let P be a premise and Q a conclusion.
A logical argument is: If P, then Q.
A fallacy of affirming the consequent: If Q, the P.
The fallacy arises when there is a confusion between necessary and sufficient conditions. Q is a
necessary condition for P in this logical structure. Conversely, P is a sufficient condition for Q.
Note: Not to confuse with Modus Tollens which a negation of Q implies a negation of P. This is
a logical argument.

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Loaded language This is specific wording which attempts to influence the hearer by appealing
to them through the language they use. People are easily swayed by smooth and charismatic
speakers. This draws in unsuspecting people to their side of the argument. Needless to say,
loaded language is persuasive because it appeals to your emotions.
Factual judgment This is a judgement which focuses on describing or explaining some
dimension of the natural world and its phenomena. The name can be misleading at time. When
factual judgements are made, they are not absolute truths or facts. They are still fallible and may
need to be revisited in the future.

Factual judgements can be subdivided into the two

subcategories of descriptive judgements and explanatory judgements. A descriptive judgement is

simply a description of a position or condition. However, an explanatory judgement tries to
explain a phenomena. This can also be further subdivided into causal explanations and reasoned
explanations.

Nevertheless, explanatory judgements are justified by argumentation and

reasoning. This results in a link between information and the judgement.

Example: [descriptive] Alberta Education allocated an additional one million dollars to
math education in elementary schools in October 2015.
Example: [explanatory] Alberta Education allocated the additional one million dollars
because math inquiry needs a little extra help in Albertas elementary schools.
Evaluative judgment This is a judgement which measures and assesses a thing, action, or
phenomenon. This is a broad category for three subcategories. There are respectively ethical
judgements, aesthetic judgements, and instrumental judgements. An ethical judgement makes
decisions based on what is right or wrong, good or bad. Aesthetic judgements are those
judgements which evaluate the sensory sensations. This judgement is often associated with the
arts and other sensory aspects of life (e.g. food). Lastly, instrumental judgements are made when
there is an issue of how to come to a certain outcome. There are often a number of different
means which will lead to the desired outcome, but instrumental judgements are made to reason
the best method.
Examples: Given in the order ethical, aesthetic, then instrumental.

It is wrong to use physical punishment in 21st century classrooms.

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I like your schools official logo.

Teaching students to be critical thinkers is the best way to prepare them for life after
school.

Interpretive judgment This is a judgement which deals with inferring meaning (i.e. interpreting
information). More specifically, they involve deriving meaning through a particular framework.
The following are the criteria for evaluating an interpretive judgement and will give clarity to
what an interpretive judgement is.
1. Is the judgement consistent with the evidence and the area of study where it originates or
is best suited for?
2. Inclusiveness Does the judgement account for all the evidence?
3. Coherence Does the judgement make sense?
Naturalistic fallacy This is a fallacy where you try and come to a judgement on an issue which
has an evaluation aspect but which has been based on something factual.

This fallacy is

especially prevalent when you try and make moral judgements based on something in nature.
Example: The Brown-Headed Cowbird
The cowbird raises her babies with forced, surrogate cowbirds. The mother will lay her eggs in
another birds nest and remains close to her nest to ensure the surrogate takes care of her babies.
Therefore, as teachers, we should be able to bring in parents to teach everyone in the class. Then
the teachers can work on paperwork and planning. It will also allow them to remain in the
classroom and make sure that the parents are doing a good job.
Dialectic This is simply the argumentative discussion, debate, or interchange between several
sides which is centered on an issue. A common form of this is a conversation between two
people who hold different views. The dialectic is constructive when all parties want to establish
the truth through critical inquiry.
List the Guidelines for reaching a reasoned judgment (page 177)

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This is a list which guide your critical inquiry and making evaluations. Considering all of the
following points can give you confidence that your judgement is sound and rooted in good
evidence.

Ensure that the relevant arguments, abjections, and responses have been identified.

Evaluate the individual arguments.

Establish, if possible, which view bears the burden of prod.

Assess the possibilities in light of alternatives.

Consider differences in how the issues and arguments are framed.

Recognize points that may be valid in various views.

Synthesize the strengths of different views into the judgement.

Consider whether your own personal convictions and experiences may be coloring your
judgement.

Identify and describe three critical thinking activities for classroom use single paragraph
descriptions for each entry.
SEE-I This critical thinking activity is a great way to give students an opportunity to think
critically about a topic, word, or issue. SEE-I stands for:
State
Elaborate
Example
Illustrate
Students begin by stating a definition of the word, topic, or issue. They are then asked to
elaborate upon their definition to provide more clarity, depth, and breadth. After you sufficiently
explain the issue, the students give an example and an illustration. This allows students to think
critically, be creative, and deepen their knowledge about the subject. This is both a benefit for
the students and can be an assessment tool for the teachers to check for students knowledge.
Mind Mapping This critical thinking activity is another great way to help students improve and
display their critical thinking skills. This activity is especially useful when students are about to

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write an essay for any subject. It begins with a question or topic which needs to be discussed or
debated. From there, students need to construct and argument. They will create either linked or
deductive arguments (or both) which lead to their conclusion.
Debate This critical thinking activity promotes critical thinking skills by asking students to
defend their side of the argument, listen to the oppositions stance, and to form rebuttals. All are
critical thinking skills and are fostered through practicing debates. There are many interesting
outcomes which follow from debates which are difficult to achieve in other activities. For
example, students are asked to remain supportive of one side or the other. There will often be
some who want to be defending this point of view and others who will not. Nevertheless, they
have to try and best argue for that point of view without switching. Therefore, students need to
look hard for good claims and strong conclusions. It will also promote some students to put off
their biases and focus on defending their stance. Perhaps they will even be supporting their
biases and this can be a teachable moment about what critical thinking is.
Picture of the Day This critical thinking activity is a simple activity which you can do in any
class, any grade, and at any time. I think it is most effective at the beginning of the day or after
lunch in order to kick start students thinking skills. The idea is a simple one but has large
outcomes. It starts by the teacher choosing a good picture. Students are asked to list the
following:
1. List 5 observations
2. List 5 inferences
3. List 5 predictions or conclusions
This helps students try and see things in multiple ways and predict outcomes in multiple ways. It
also reinforces critical thinking terminology. It can be extended by having students share some
of their lists with neighbors and they can further broaden their horizons and have constructive
conversations with their friends.
References

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Bailin, S., Battersby, M. (2010) Reason in the balance: an inquiry approach to critical thinking,
McGraw-Hill Ryerson limited.
Class Notes (2015) Education 4391, Critical Thinking. Instructor: Lance Grigg