1. Transferable Skills Development
MGT 495
Lecture - 8
FACILITATOR
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Majid Mahmood Bagram

2. Critical Thinking Skills-II2

3. A Necessary Condition to the Development of Critical Thinking is:
A Questioning
Mind!

4. Language
The landscape of the mind.
The software of the brain.

5. Language Words can have two kinds of meaning: Denotative Connotative
What does each mean?

6. Language Denotative: Dictionary meaning: What is an apple?
edible, usually rounded fruit.

7. Language Connotative: Suggestions beyond the dictionary meanings.
What do you think of when you hear the word apple?

8. Language
Food, Pie, a computer, keeps the doctor away, etc.

9. METACOGNITION
“Until you KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW’ you do not own your knowledge, and so you do not know anything.”

10. Classification of Brain
Left Brain Thinking
Right Brain Thinking
Logical
one thing at a time
sequential operation
writing & symbols
mathematical
spoken memory
Emotional
integrating inputs
dreams
holistic solutions
intuition
visualizing
Springer, S., & Deutsch, G. (1993). Left brain, right brain (4th ed.). New York: W. H. Freeman and Co.

11. Brain Fitness
Like the body, the brain has its own form of fitness or excellence.
To achieve brain fitness, the brain must learn to:
take charge of itself,
energize itself,
press forward when difficulties emerge,
become attentive, and reflective
Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder,
The Foundation for Critical Thinking Press, 2010

12. Critical Thinking
Thinking is the hardest work, which is probably why so few engage in it.
Henry Ford
Some people’s minds close up & they live on their intellectual fat.
William Lyon

13. Critical Thinking Quotes
We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them Albert Einstein
Discovery is seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what nobody else has thought Unknown
The human mind once stretched by a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions Oliver Wendell Homes

14. Thinking Errors Denial Projection Rationalization
Refuse to accept reality.
Projection
We see in others what is really happening to us.
Rationalization
Lying to ourselves about the real reasons for our behaviors and feelings.

15. Thinking Errors Personalization Polarized Thinking Catastrophizing
Thinking in which the world revolves around an individual
Polarized Thinking
There is only black or white – no gray
Catastrophizing
Always consider the worst possible outcome (all the time)

16. Thinking Errors Selective abstraction Overgeneralization
Focusing on one detail of a situation and ignoring the larger picture
Overgeneralization
Drawing broad conclusions on the basis of a single incident.

17. COMPONENTS OF CRITICAL THINKING
Skills
Dispositions
Knowledge

18. The Power of Knowledge
We should have knowledge in an area to think critically about the area.
There is no substitute for information, facts, assumptions, and data in critical thinking

19. Critical Thinking Dispositions
Anticipating situations that require reasoning
Confident in reasoning ability
Curious
Wants to know the truth
Open to others point of views
Aware of biases

20. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Interpretation – clarifying meaning

21. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Analysis – examining ideas, identifying arguments, analyzing arguments

22. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Evaluation – assessing claims, assessing arguments

23. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Inference – drawing conclusions

24. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Explanation – stating results, justifying procedures, presenting arguments

25. Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Self-regulation – self examination, self correction

26. Challenges/Barriers to
Critical Thinking
“It’s true because I believe it” (innate egocentrism)
“It’s true because we believe it” (innate sociocentrism)
“It’s true because I want to believe it” (innate wish fulfillment)
“It’s true because I have always believed it.” (innate self-validation)
“It’s true because it is in my selfish interest to believe it.” (innate selfishness)

27. Thinking & Winning Your Mind is Your Most Important Weapon:
With a good one, other weapons are more useful, sometimes unnecessary
With a poor one, other weapons are useless to achieve victory
Exercise your brain as well as your body

28. Thinking & Winning
You are only as good as your mind--it is your best weapon for survival
Knowledge is a force multiplier and the key to successful adaptation
Learn how to learn for yourself

29. So . . .
You must PRACTICE good thinking skills—they don’t happen by accident
If you don’t do it, it won’t get done
If not now, when? If not here where? If not you, who?

30. Characteristics of Critical Thinkers:
Strive for understanding
Are honest with themselves
Base judgment on evidence
Are interested in other people’s ideas
Control their feelings/emotions

31. Characteristics of Critical Thinkers:
They keep an open mind
They are highly observant
Identify key issues and raise questions
Obtain relevant facts
Evaluate findings and form judgments

32. In thinking critically,
Conclusion
In thinking critically,
we take command of the meanings we create.

33. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Majid Mahmood Bagram
FACILITATOR
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Majid Mahmood Bagram