1. Critical Thinking  A key academic skill  Required for successful study

2. As opposed to everyday thinking...  Crucial for everyday personal survival.  Instinctive. e.g. when you receive the correct change at the shops or stop at traffic lights

3. “Everyday” Thinking “Everyday” Thinking In everyday interactions, people tend to:  believe what they are told to believe  rely on others to think for them  rely on personal opinions and feelings These strategies are UNCRITICAL

4. “Uncritical” thinkers make Assumptions Take the meaning of something for granted (e.g. assume it is true just because they happen to agree with it) AND Generalisations Make a conclusion or express an opinion from only a few facts (e.g. see something happening once & assume it always happens that way)

5. The opposite of critical thinking… Emotionalism Arguing from personal experience Something is true because you wish, hope or feel it to be true. Intellectual laziness Receives information without questioning it Hears something said and suspects it will do ‘Closed-mindedness’ Not open to the opinions of others Challenges others without listening

6. Critical thinking involves: asking questions thinking for yourself using higher order thinking skills problem solving suspending judgment being skeptical

7. Critical thinking :  Identifies complex ideas  Recognises that all information is presented in an edited form  Analyses other points of view  Looks for evidence  Expresses ideas in your own words  References the work of others

8. Critical thinking…  Considers an issue carefully from different angles  Evaluates evidence given  Considers implications: where would this lead to?  Recognises alternatives: are there other points of view that need consideration?

9. Barriers to critical thinking  Family background  Cultural background  Education  Personality

10. A pen is a pen, isn’t it? Practice: Critically Thinking about a pen

11. Asking questions…  Which questions should I ask?  Are some questions better to ask than others?  How do I ask the right questions?  Should I question the answers to the questions that I ask?  Should I question the question?

12. Ask questions of the text…  What was the point of producing this text?  What is the main message I am supposed to take from this?  What does the author/producer want me to believe/accept?  What reasons have they offered to support their position?

13. Summary of critical thinker:  Considers many viewpoints;  Considers motives and biases;  Considers unpopular views;  Considers own prejudices;

14. Critical thinking helps you decide:  What to believe about an issue  How to defend what you believe  How to evaluate the beliefs of others

15. Critical Thinking Strategies  who says so?  is this fact?  is this opinion?  how can I apply it to my studies ?

16. Who says so?  I say so – my experience is the authority for the truth.  They say so – cultural consensus or common sense is the authority.  Science says so – some aspect of the scientific method is the authority.  We say so – some already established rule is the authority.  God says so – a sacred text or tradition is the authority.

17. Identifying Facts  Things that you can definitely prove?  Things that have happened in the past?  Definite words such as is, was, has….  Specific measurements?  Statements made by reputable authorities…?

18. Judging Opinions  Does this statement contain indefinite words such as could, possibly, might and should?  Does this statement refer only to the feelings of a person?  Would it be difficult to find evidence to support this statement?

19. What made A reach that conclusion when B decided this? Did B carry our a different approach to her research? Why are their conclusions different? Why are their explanations different? A critical approach asks questions…

20. English and Maori are both spoken in New Zealand.Fact If someone lives in New Zealand, that means they can speak English and Maori. Assumption. All people who live in New Zealand should speak English and Maori.Opinion. Can you think critically?

21. Critical thinking will help you…  identify other people’s positions  evaluate the evidence  weigh up opposing arguments  identify flaws in arguments  read between the lines  recognise persuasive techniques  live in the 21 st century!

22. In nursing, critical thinking includes… cultural safety making sound decisions coping with unfamiliar cultures and situations improving patient care applying nursing practice, nursing theory to individual situations

23. References Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: an introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: Macmillan. Simpson, E., & Courtney, M. (2002). Critical thinking in nursing education: literature review. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 8, 89 – 98.

24. Critical thinking…  Reason Argues from solid evidence  Intellectual honesty Receives information and seeks to understand where it came from  Open-mindedness Assumes that other points of view are possible and valid

25. Critical Thinking is about using:  reason,  intellectual honesty,  and open-mindedness (Kurland, 1995).