Academic Debate and Critical Thinking Dr. Senik Tahir Mahmood

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking (CT) It’s a type of learning that promotes active learning in your academic/educational process, career and everyday life. Two types of learning: Passive learning vs. Active learning (CT)

Socratic method Ancient Greece It is a reflective reasoning Beliefs and actions Continuous or lengthy series of questions and answers withier a claim is true always which refutes a moral assertion by sometimes true, partly true, or false. Leading an opponent to draw a conclusion probing questions were used to determine whether claims to knowledge based on authority could be rationally justified with clarity and logical consistency.

Sumner, W. G. (1940) “[Critical thinking is] . . . the examination and test of propositions of any kind which are offered for acceptance, in order to find out whether they correspond to reality or not. The critical faculty is a product of education and training. It is a mental habit and power. It is a prime condition of human welfare that men and women should be trained in it. It is our only guarantee against delusion, deception, superstition, and misapprehension of ourselves and our earthly circumstances.”

OR “Critical thinking is that mode of thinking—about any subject, content, or problem—in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use.” (p.1) Therefore, “Critical thinking is the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances.” (p.1) http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/consequential- validity-using-assessment-to-drive-instruction/790

Therefore "purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based"[5] "includes a commitment to using reason in the formulation of our beliefs"[6]

Skills observation, interpretation, analysis, inference, context skills evaluation, explanation CT employs logic, clarity, credibility, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, significance, and fairness.

OR 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. It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at- issue; assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and frame of reference. (National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking, 1987)

Critical Thinking Subjected to Of Apply Guiding Information Gathering: observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication Examination Process: conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information Structure and Elements to be examined: purpose, problem, or question-at- issue; assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and frame of reference Subjected to Of Apply Universal intellectual values and standards: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness Guiding belief and action Individual Trait and traits required : Active learning Skillful Self directing Self discipline Self monitoring Self correcting

OR CT is a self directed process through which we take conscientious steps or helping us to think at the highest levels of quality There are two states of thinking: Green thinking Red thinking

1. Green Thinking A mix of Low quality level and high quality level of thinking An unconsciously guided thinking that is instinctive , automatic and spontaneous Spontaneous, Subconscious, Uncontrolled, Impulsive, Self protecting, Unanalyzed, Reflexive , Self validating No separation between high quality and low quality thoughts (valid and non valid thoughts) Thought are affected by confusion, stereotypes, prejudices and non assessing itself

2. Red Thinking Red Thinking stops and assesses itself before going forward. Disciplined, Seeks the truth, Self assessing, Critical Thinking, Self correcting, Probing In red thinking mode, we actively work to eliminate prejudices, biases, dysfunctional thinking from our thinking. We actively work on our thinking. We rigorously apply intellectual standards to our thinking. Educated mind

Our Education Before Sustentative learning Read, write, hear, say, apply CT is more to recognize the way you do everything you do

Purpose Trying to be well informed Staying focused Willing to evaluate alternatives Taking a supportable position Seeking precision Proceeding in a logical and orderly manner Being sensitive to others’ positions

Exercise 1 TED ED video

Midterm Evaluation: Academic Presentations Content: Tile slide including the topic title and the presenter’s name Background information (1-2 slides) Claim, theory, argument or hypothesis (1 slide) Pros or positive aspects supported by literature (1 slide) Cons or negatives aspects supported by literature (1 slide) Durations: Total time for the proposals 5-10 mins. Each slide may take 1-2 mins. Students will be graded for: The adaptation of the content information Flow of the presentation and language Reference style must be based on Harvard referencing style as in the following format:

Harvard Referencing Style Book: Last name, First initial. and Last name, First initial. (Year published). Title. City: Publisher, Page(s). Journal Article: Last name, First initial. (Year published). Article title. Journal, Volume (Issue), Page(s). Newspaper article: Last name, First initial. (Year published). Article title. Newspaper, Page(s). Newspaper Articles Found on a Database or a Website Last name, First initial. (Year published). Article title. Newspaper, [online] pages. Available at: url [Accessed Day Mo. Year].