Lesson 10 Using Critical Thinking to examine motivation

Working with the Elements of Reasoning

The questions are examples of what you might ask yourself if you were to address the question

Why am I studying at Community College?

1. What’s my main purpose to studying at College? What other goals or objectives do I hope to accomplish?
   Are there any alternatives to this answer?
   
2. What is the key question at issue or problem studying to College is addressing? How can I phrase my main purpose as a question?
   Are there any alternatives to this answer? (This question should be asked of every question)
   
3. What is the most important information I am using to reason through this issue? What other information or data does the person need in this piece of reasoning?
   
4. What are my major conclusions? How am I answering the main question at issue?
   
5. What are the main concepts my reasoning depends on.
   
6. What are the main assumptions I am making in this piece of reasoning?
   
7. What are the main implications and consequences of my choice to study at College? What are some of the unforeseen consequences of studying?
   
8. What is my point of view of the question? What other points of view are necessary to understand this question?
   
9. What is the context of the issue? What circumstances that led up to the studying at College? What is the background of my decision to study at College?
   
10. What alternatives are there? What alternative answers could you reasonably give to the preceding questions?

Examine your answers using the standards of critical thinking.