Critical Thinking

The obvious place to start discussing critical thinking is to talk about thinking itself. What is it? Can we get better at it?

There are lots of ways of thinking about thinking!! Sometimes thinking is an unconscious act. Have you ever solved a problem in your sleep? Have you ever set a problem aside only to find that the solution presents itself to you in the middle of a meeting? Thinking isn't always verbal. Sometimes we think in images instead of words. What about your dreams? Is that a form of thinking?

Vincent Ruggiero has developed a more formal definition for thinking that we can use in the context of academics. In The Art of Thinking, he writes "Thinking is any mental activity that helps formulate or solve a problem, make a decision, or fulfill a desire to understand. It is a searching for answers, a reaching for meaning." He reminds us that the mind engages in all sorts of processes in support of thinking:

• careful observation
• memorizing
• remembering
• wondering
• imagining
• inquiring
• evaluating
• judging

Can you get better at it? Yes, indeed you can.

• Be Aware. The best place to start is by being aware, by being thoughtful. You'll want to examine your own ideas about knowledge, truth, and opinion.
• Challenge Yourself. You'll want to challenge yourself, to push yourself in problem solving, in investigating, in identifying and defining.
• Be Critical. Don't think of criticism as a negative term. To be critical ofsomething is to assess it in terms of strengths and weaknesses-it's not about tearing something apart!
• Communicate. Finally, you'll want to be able to articulate what you discover in the process of thinking thoughtfully about something. Communicating what you've discovered is essential.

In The Confident Student, Carol Kanar reminds us that critical thinking is not passively taking in information. To be critical thinkers we must be actively engaged in the process of making meaning out of something. Kanar says that we need to determine what our assumptions are and be willing to change them. She says we need to predict-that is, we need to anticipate what is in the reading, ask questions, and have a purpose when we take notes, read, or study. In addition, Ms. Kanar suggests that critical thinking involves interpretation. We must look for evidence, seek patterns and think about implications. Finally, she asks that we evaluate what we've been looking at. Is this material reliable, objective or useful?

What it all boils down to is NOT how smart you are and NOT what your IQ measures. Rather it is your
willingness to be actively engaged in thinking about the world before you, rather than being asleep as you look out at the vast series of possibilities that lie before you. Be bold-go out and take it on!!

	Critical Thinking	Non-Critical Thinking
View of knowledge:	shades of gray - strives for depth interdisciplinary knowledge is open intertwined with thinking	black and white - superficial level unidisciplinary knowledge is closed independent of thinking
View of thinking:	rational and consistent strives to learn how to think holistic/webbed original/insightful multiple frames of reference	irrational and inconsistent stirves to learn what to think unidisciplinary/linear second hand think one or limited frame of reference
Strategies for thinking:	suspends closure explorer/probing questioning fair-minded active collaborative/communal precise language	strives for closure dogmatic/avoiding doubting ego-/ethnocentric/emotional passive authoritative vague language

From University of Saskatchewan, Library Instruction Guide

Critical Thinking Website:

http://www.criticalthinnking.org

Goal Setting

Adapted from chapter two, "Setting Goals and Solving Problems," in The Confident Student by Carol Kanar

Characteristics of Reachable Goals

A reachable goal is realistic. Set goals that are realistic for your situation, your skills, talents and interests. For weekly goals, don't choose something that is uncharacteristically demanding for you. You can always do more than your stated goal so build in success by choosing something realistic.

A reachable goal is believable and possible. You are the key person here so don't set a goal that you don't believe in. Make sure that you believe you can do it and that it is possible to do in the time you've set aside.

A reachable goal is measurable. If your long term goal is "to be successful" you will be more likely to reach that goal if you say it in concrete and specific terms. For instance, you might say that you want to be earning $40,000 a year by the time you are 28. For a weekly goal, move beyond statements like I want to do better in all my classes. Instead, promise your self that you will read two chapters of history by Saturday.

A reachable goal is flexible. Sometimes our plans change; sometimes we get sick. Be prepared to reassess and revise your goal if necessary. If you are too sick to study, you may have to revise your goal of reading two chapters of history by extending the time to Monday.

A reachable goal is controllable. Make sure you are in charge of your goal. If friends suggest that the best way to pass a class is to study old tests but you know your learning style demands chapter outlines to get the material down, stick with what works for you. You are in control. 

Learning Styles

How do you learn best? Have you ever thought that you might be more effective in your classes if you fully understood the methods for learning and studying that work best for your learning style? This section is designed to allow you to assess your learning style and provide some ideas for strategies that will help you to be more effective in the classroom. Remember, we all learn in different ways but everyone can learn effectively.

Assessing Your Learning Style

The first step in the process is to assess your learning style. Please take one of the following inventories. These inventories are meant to give you valuable feedback about your learning style but should not be considered diagnostic or predictive.

http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

After the assessment be sure to look at the helpsheets associated with each learning modality. You will find lots of helpful study and test taking tips.

Learning Style Strategies

Once you have completed one of the inventories (or both!), you'll have an indication of your learning style preferences. Though all of us are able to learn in all of the modes, we tend to have preferences for certain styles. The following information may then be helpful as you work to modify how you study, prepare for exams, read your assignments or take notes during lectures in new and more interesting ways.

VISUAL LEARNERS Organize work and living space to avoid distractions. Sit in the front of the room to avoid distraction and away from doors or windows where action takes place. Sit away from wall maps or bulletin boards. Use neatly organized or typed material. Use visual association, visual imagery, written repetition, flash cards, and clustering strategies for improved memory. Reconstruct images in different ways - try different spatial arrangements and take advantage of blank spaces on the page. Use note pads, Post-Its, to-do lists, and other forms of reminders. Use organizational format outlining for recording notes. Use underlining, highlighting in different colors, symbols, flow charts, graphs or pictures in your notes. Practice turning visual cues back into words as you prepare for exams. Allow sufficient time for planning and recording thoughts when doing problem-solving tasks. Use test preparation strategies that emphasize organization of information and visual encoding and recall. Participate actively in class or group activities. Develop written or pictorial outlines of responses before answering essay questions.

READING/WRITING LEARNERS Use a combination of handouts, textbook and lecture notes when studying. Rewrite the ideas and principles into other words. Make lists and organize them into categories and sections. Turn charts and flows into words. Seek to explain pictures and examples in words. Seek out professors who use words well and provide lots of information in their lectures. Read and write your notes again and again. Organize diagrams and graphs into statements. Imagine your lists arranged as multiple choice questions and distinguish one from the other. Make use of extra information recommended by instructors such as manuals, dictionaries, and glossaries.

AUDITORY LEARNERS Work in quiet areas to reduce distractions, avoiding areas with conversation, music, and television. Sit away from doors or windows where noises may enter the classroom. Rehearse information rally. Attend lectures and tutorials regularly. Discuss topics with other students, professors and GTAs. Ask others to hear your understanding of the material. Use mnemonics, rhymes, jingles, and auditory repetition through tape recording to improve memory. Practice verbal interaction to improve motivation and self-monitoring. Use tape recorders to document lectures and for reading materials. Remember to examine illustrations in textbooks and convert them into verbal descriptions. Read the directions for tests or assignments aloud, or have someone read them to you, especially if the directions are long and complicated. Remind yourself to review details. Use time managers and translate written appointment reminders into verbal cues. Use verbal brainstorming and tape recording writing and proofing. Leave spaces in your lecture notes for later recall and 'filing'. Expand your notes by talking with others and collecting notes from the textbook. Read your notes aloud. Practice writing your answers using old exams and speak your answers.

KINESTHETIC LEARNERS Keep verbal discourse short and to the point. Actively participate in discussions. Use all of your senses - sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing. Use direct involvement, physical manipulation, imagery, and "hands on" activities to improve motivation, interest, and memory. Organize information into the steps that were used to physically complete a task. Seek out courses that have laboratories, field trips, etc. and lecturers who give real life examples. Use case studies and applications (example) to help with principles and abstract concepts. Allow for physical action in solving problems. Read or summarize directions, especially if they are lengthy and complicated, to discourage starting a task without instructions. Use taped reading materials. Use practice, play acting, and modeling to prepare for tests. Allow for physical movement and periodic breaks during tests, while reading, or while composing written assignments. Role play the exam situation. Teach the material to someone else. Write practice answers, paragraphs or essays.

 

 

Learning Styles strategies from Student Success Center, Purdue University North Central and Muskingum College Center for Advancement of Learning.

Listening Habits

Poor Listening Habits	Good Listening Habits
1. Calling a subject boring. Poor listeners will tune out if they decide the subject is boring.	A good listener listens closely for information that is important or useful.
2. Criticizing the speaker.A poor listener finds fault with the speaker (what they look like, wear, etc.) or says that the speaker can't have anything worthwhile to say.	A good listener realizes that looks are not important and will listen for ideas rather than seeking things to criticize.
3. Overreacting. Poor listeners disagree so strongly with the speaker that they miss the rest of the talk.	A good listener listens with the mind, not the emotions, and simply jots down a disagreement to ask about later
4. Listening for facts only. Poor listeners don't think about the "big picture" or main ideas that go along with the facts.	A good listener wants to see how the facts explain the ideas and the evidence supports arguments, and realizes facts are important only in relation to principles, ideas, and arguments.
5. Faking attention. Poor listeners lock eyes onto the speaker and then relax and daydream.	A good listener realizes each talk is a chance to get facts and ideas that the speaker took hours to prepare.
6. Giving into distractions. Poor listeners will use distractions (footsteps, coughs, door closing) as an excuse to stop listening.	A good listener shuts out distractions and concentrates on the speaker's message.
7. Choosing only the easy stuff. Poor listeners want to be entertained and don't want to take the trouble to figure out complex ideas.	A good listener is intellectually curious and wants to see how the speaker proves his or her points. A good listener is not afraid of new and/or complex ideas.
8. Wasting thought speed. Poor listeners (because thought speed is faster than speech) will use thought speed to think about personal problems or distractions, thus falling behind the speaker.	Good listeners use thought speed and any pauses to figure out main ideas, summarizing the high points and looking forward to the rest of the talk.

Adapted from Walter Pauk, How To Study In College, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.

Tips to Improve Listening and Note Taking

A well-organized lecture is like a well-written essay. Both have the same structure and development. To listen efficiently, the student must recognize what this structure and development entails.

Lecture Organization	Implications
1. Introduction	Sets the social situation; establishes context
2. Thesis	Topic; main idea
3. Body	Development of main idea-not more than six points
4. Summary	Restates, lists, summarizes, and/or gives significance
5. Irrelevancies	Digressions, jokes, stories

Not all lectures are well organized. If this is the case, the student should try to identify important points through the instructor's delivery cues.

Delivery Clues	Identification
1. Visual	What is written on the board or overheads
2. Vocal	Transitional words which key students to main ideas; repetition of ideas or phrases; pauses; voice level and speed
3. Postural	Hand gestures; the way instructor moves in class

Notetaking and Lecture from Student Success Center, Purdue University North Central 2007

Notetaking

During Class or Lecture 1. Categorize the lecture according to its different parts, that is: Introduction, body, and summary. 2. Try not to take notes in paragraph form. It is difficult to find important parts when you are studying for a test. Take notes in lists or "one-liners" as much as possible. 3. Think about making a rough outline (so that if the teacher looked at it, it could be reproduced for the class as is). 4. Include brief definitions and explanations of key terms 5. Leave room to one side of the paper for later notes & review 6. Note the general themes of the lecture at the end. 7. Circle concepts that you want to refer to later or have questions about. 8. Pay attention to professor’s opinion and emphasis, and points of interest. 9. Write down all key terms (as many as possible)

Outside of Class 1. Read over your notes – the sooner after the lecture the better! 2. Ask yourself questions (and write down your responses) a) What does this mean? Does it make sense? b) How are these terms and topics related to one another? c) How do these topics fit into the big picture? Make associations & connections! 3. Make notes on your notes 4. Seek additional sources of information for your notes (compare with a friend) 5. Fill in more information 6. Rewrite your notes

Adapted from The Everything Study Book by Stephen Frank

Provided to the Success Center by a student in ALS 116 course (Academic Success)

Procrastination

"Procrastination" is a verb meaning "to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done." It is human nature to procrastinate; everyone does it to some degree. But sometimes it can lead to feelings of guilt, inadequacy, depression and self-doubt that can become a major problem, and one of the biggest roadblocks, to achieving academic success.

Why Procrastinate?

All people procrastinate at some time or another and most are aware of how procrastination works against them. Yet, for most people, procrastination can also work for them. For instance, you can delay making decisions or doing work in order to give yourself time to get your thoughts in order. You can also choose to put off a task because it has a low priority. But, procrastination can also serve as a way to avoid something. At the time, that "something" may seem to you to be even worse than the consequences of the procrastinating behavior.

The following are six basic reasons why you may procrastinate. As you read this section, check those reasons that seem to apply the most to your situations. These categories are not mutually exclusive, thus, you may see some of yourself in more than one section.

Adapted from McNickle and Sanderson (1993) Procrastination: Problem or Plus? Kansas State University, University Counseling Services.

~

Six Reasons Why People Procrastinate

What to Do About Procrastination?

Test Preparation and Anxiety

Learning to prepare for and perform well on tests can be of great benefit to students' academic success.

Test Preparation Strategies

If you are concerned about having test anxiety, you may find assistance from the academic coaches at the Academic Success Center. Please call (541) 737-2272 or stop by Walldo 102 to schedule an appointment with an academic coach.

Time Management

Time Management

Here's a good way to examine your time management habits. The following time budget worksheets, along with other academic planning calendars, are also available as Microsoft Word documents to help you plan for time management here.

Fill out the time budget sheet. This sheet works like a check book--record only the balance is reflected in hours of time for a week. Some of you will end up with a deficit and others will have 20 or more "extra" hours. This sheet helps you to see where your time is spent.

Time Budget Sheet

Total number of hours available	168
Minus hours in class per week	- ______
Minus hours of study time per week	- ______
Minus hours of sleep time/personal hygiene per week	- ______
Minus hours of committed time per week (e.g. job, church, regular meetings)	- ______
Minus hours of meal time per week (include coffee stops!)	- ______
Minus hours of exercise per week	- ______
Minus hours of family time per week	- ______
Minus hours of laundry, shopping, personal errands per week	- ______
Minus hours of television per week	- ______
Minus hours of email, video games, etc.	- ______
Minus hours of other recreation per week (movies, parties, etc.)	- ______
Minus other (miscellaneous)	- ______
Final Balance (+ or -)	__________

Key Points for Time Management and Effective Studying

Many educators subscribe to a formula that suggests that you study 2-3 hours per week for each credit hour taken. You can see that those hours add up quickly.

•  13 credit hours = 26 hours
• 14 credit hours = 28 hours
• 15 credit hours = 30 hours

Common sense tells us that the formula won't hold true for every class you take; some classes require more study time and others less time. It all depends on the subject matter, your learning style, your preparedness for the subject matter, or your ability to concentrate! Nevertheless, what the formula should suggest to you is that carrying a full load of classes at the university should feel like you have a full time job! Remember that university work requires much independent study outside of class and homework. Spread your work out evenly over the term and avoid the stress of work piling up or last minute cramming.

Time Savers That Can Make Your Schedule Work

Learn to say NO, be assertive with roommates/friends

Begin; avoid procrastinating

Plan the day, the week, and the term

Set goals so the emphasis will be on the tasks most
important to you

Learn and practice self-discipline

Learn to listen effectively

Seek the help of experts (books, manuals, advisors, friends,
family, etc.)

Expect to succeed

Finish each task before starting another

Avoid interruption

Have a place for everything; keep or return everything to
its place

Study difficult/boring subjects first

Study at the best hour of the day, according to your personal
needs

Study with intervals, pace yourself and plan ahead

Use "waiting time" effectively (3x5 cards, always
carry your notes or a book)

Have a consistent place to study, where you know you work
best

Good Luck!