Lesson 9 Using Critical Thinking to answer questions
Start by stepping back
Remember you are “thinking about your thinking to make your thinking better” (Richard Paul)
Asking the questions
(a) What is the question asking?
(b) What do I have to do in order to answer it
Rather than;
“What is the answer?” will start this stepping back from the question process.
Using critical thinking
Q: Focus on the procedure you need to use to answer the question (systems)
E: Think through the systems(s) using the elements
D: Think it through using the discipline
S: Check your answer meets the standards of critical thinking
Question (Q)
Procedure you need to use to answer the question (systems)
Category 1 (facts)
You think out the answer using one system.
For example:
Find the slope of the line by solving y:2x + 6y = 5
System: the maths system for solving y.
What is the limbic system?
System; (either) psychology, neuro-psychology, biology,
Features; usually requires facts, sometimes you just “know” (internalized system) e.g. grammar rules, not “easy” questions but usually can follow rules to answer them e.g. maths
Category 2 (opinions)
You can think out the answer without a system OR don’t need a system to answer them.
For example
Who is your favourite character in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
Do you believe there is one God and why?
Are you for or against hanging for murder?
Features: asks for preference, reactions or personal opinions, takes skill to identify our preferences and reactions
Note: Category 2 questions can be answered using critical thinking or a system: explaining the causes of the preferences, to understand feelings (do we prefer or are we conditioned to prefer?)
Category 3 (reasoned judgment)
You think out the answer using more than one system.
For example
How can I improve my exam marks in Sociology?
System 1 -analyse teacher’s requirements and previous exams
System 2 Look at memory systems to help recall facts, critical thinking/reading and listening to improve overall understanding combined with
System 3 understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, time available, motivation etc.
In what major ways did Leonardo embody the spirit of the Renaissance?
System 1 Discover what Leonardo did
System 2 What is the Renaissance? What is its spirit
System 3: How much of system 2 fits in with Leonardo’s work.
Elements (E) http://vincysdp.blogspot.com/2004/12/lesson-7-elements-of-reasoning.html
Think through the systems(s) using the elements
In Category 1 and 2 questions in day to day life you may not need to apply all the elements to think it through just use the system or explain your reactions but in an academic setting you may improve your answer by turning C1 and C2 questions that use critical thinking techniques.
Category 3 questions need more thinking through with the elements such as:
1. What is the purpose of this question?
2. What concepts are used in this question?
Discipline (D)
Think it through using the discipline
What are the systems used by the subject you are studying e.g theories and laws in science, schools of thought (e.g. functionalists in Sociology), expert practices (e.g. accounting techniques), experiments, points of view, respected academic points of view (e.g. literary criticism, historical studies).
Using the discipline means that you chose to answer the question “biologically”, “psychologically”, “mathematically” with the fundamental and powerful concepts of that discipline.
Standards (S) http://vincysdp.blogspot.com/2004/12/lesson-8-standards-of-critical.html
Check your answer meets the standards of critical thinking
During work on the answer and after answering.
Such as:
Importance and relevance: have I met the main purpose in answering this question, have I focused on the most important elements in the question?
Sufficiency: Have I given enough evidence, have I looked at alternatives
Is it reasonable overall?
Based on Learning to Think Things Through, Nosich (Prentice-Hall 2001)
Remember you are “thinking about your thinking to make your thinking better” (Richard Paul)
Asking the questions
(a) What is the question asking?
(b) What do I have to do in order to answer it
Rather than;
“What is the answer?” will start this stepping back from the question process.
Using critical thinking
Q: Focus on the procedure you need to use to answer the question (systems)
E: Think through the systems(s) using the elements
D: Think it through using the discipline
S: Check your answer meets the standards of critical thinking
Question (Q)
Procedure you need to use to answer the question (systems)
Category 1 (facts)
You think out the answer using one system.
For example:
Find the slope of the line by solving y:2x + 6y = 5
System: the maths system for solving y.
What is the limbic system?
System; (either) psychology, neuro-psychology, biology,
Features; usually requires facts, sometimes you just “know” (internalized system) e.g. grammar rules, not “easy” questions but usually can follow rules to answer them e.g. maths
Category 2 (opinions)
You can think out the answer without a system OR don’t need a system to answer them.
For example
Who is your favourite character in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?
Do you believe there is one God and why?
Are you for or against hanging for murder?
Features: asks for preference, reactions or personal opinions, takes skill to identify our preferences and reactions
Note: Category 2 questions can be answered using critical thinking or a system: explaining the causes of the preferences, to understand feelings (do we prefer or are we conditioned to prefer?)
Category 3 (reasoned judgment)
You think out the answer using more than one system.
For example
How can I improve my exam marks in Sociology?
System 1 -analyse teacher’s requirements and previous exams
System 2 Look at memory systems to help recall facts, critical thinking/reading and listening to improve overall understanding combined with
System 3 understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, time available, motivation etc.
In what major ways did Leonardo embody the spirit of the Renaissance?
System 1 Discover what Leonardo did
System 2 What is the Renaissance? What is its spirit
System 3: How much of system 2 fits in with Leonardo’s work.
Elements (E) http://vincysdp.blogspot.com/2004/12/lesson-7-elements-of-reasoning.html
Think through the systems(s) using the elements
In Category 1 and 2 questions in day to day life you may not need to apply all the elements to think it through just use the system or explain your reactions but in an academic setting you may improve your answer by turning C1 and C2 questions that use critical thinking techniques.
Category 3 questions need more thinking through with the elements such as:
1. What is the purpose of this question?
2. What concepts are used in this question?
Discipline (D)
Think it through using the discipline
What are the systems used by the subject you are studying e.g theories and laws in science, schools of thought (e.g. functionalists in Sociology), expert practices (e.g. accounting techniques), experiments, points of view, respected academic points of view (e.g. literary criticism, historical studies).
Using the discipline means that you chose to answer the question “biologically”, “psychologically”, “mathematically” with the fundamental and powerful concepts of that discipline.
Standards (S) http://vincysdp.blogspot.com/2004/12/lesson-8-standards-of-critical.html
Check your answer meets the standards of critical thinking
During work on the answer and after answering.
Such as:
Importance and relevance: have I met the main purpose in answering this question, have I focused on the most important elements in the question?
Sufficiency: Have I given enough evidence, have I looked at alternatives
Is it reasonable overall?
Based on Learning to Think Things Through, Nosich (Prentice-Hall 2001)
posted by Miz John at 9:41 PM
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