Introduction Of Critical Thinking

[Dorian Aldrege]

POSC105 - Introduction to Critical Thinking(3 units)

Introduction to critical thinking through study of philosophical writing, political rhetoric, and political propaganda. Emphasis on distinguishing facts from values, inductive from deductive reasoning, emotional responses from reasoned judgments; relationship between language and logic; the role of inference; intellectual honesty.

Both grading options.

After a careful review of the mountainous body of literature defining critical thinking and its elements, UofL has chosen to adopt the language of Michael Scriven and Richard Paul (2003) as a comprehensive, concise operating definition:

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.

Paul and Scriven go on to suggest that critical thinking 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, implication and consequences, objections from alternative viewpoints, and frame of reference. Critical thinking - in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes - is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking."

This conceptualization of critical thinking has been refined and developed further by Richard Paul and Linder Elder into the Paul-Elder framework of critical thinking. Currently, this approach is one of the most widely published and cited frameworks in the critical thinking literature. According to the Paul-Elder framework, critical thinking is the:

The University of Louisville chose the Paul-Elder model of Critical Thinking as the approach to guide our efforts in developing and enhancing our critical thinking curriculum. The Paul-Elder framework was selected based on criteria adapted from the characteristics of a good model of critical thinking developed at Surry Community College. The Paul-Elder critical thinking framework is comprehensive, uses discipline-neutral terminology, is applicable to all disciplines, defines specific cognitive skills including metacognition, and offers high quality resources.

The use of a single critical thinking framework is an important aspect of institution-wide critical thinking initiatives (Paul and Nosich, 1993; Paul, 2004). According to this view, critical thinking instruction should not be relegated to one or two disciplines or departments with discipline specific language and conceptualizations. Rather, critical thinking instruction should be explicitly infused in all courses so that critical thinking skills can be developed and reinforced in student learning across the curriculum. The use of a common approach with a common language allows for a central organizer and for the development of critical thinking skill sets in all courses.

I graduated from an ADN program and now want to get my BSN. The school I am going to requires PHIL 121 - Introduction to Philosophy or PHIL 124 - Logic and Critical Thinking as requirement for the BSN program. This was not a requirement for my ADN degree. Neither class is really that appealing to me, but I have to take one or the other. Which one is going to help me out more in the field of nursing? Which one is going to better prepare me for other classes I need to take get my BSN?

Our logical and critical thinking class confused me more than it taught me to think. It would have us analyze arguments and then apply mathmatical concepts to it. It was terrible. I would look through the description in the course catalog, talk to some others in the program and see what is better to your needs.

I'm sorry That Guy had a bad teacher, but learning about the nature of being and how people acquire moral, social, political and religious values is not going to help you nearly as much critical thinking which is the basis for nursing classes and nclex and most nursing jobs.

Honestly, I would probably read the course descriptions and see which one sounded more interested. If neither did, then I would talk to students who have taken these classes (or check a website rating professors) and pick whichever class has the most engaging, interesting instructor.

Critical Thinking is an important skill in nursing (and almost every aspect of life), but it's not something you necessarily have to take a class on to learn, although it definitely helps some students to do so. But it is something you should be learning in ALL your classes through the way you listen, read, learn, study, and yes, even test. And a great teacher can often make all the difference in learning how to do that, regardless of the topic.

I took Logic this spring and it covered "rationality, logic, and critical thinking." I thought it would be somewhat relevant to nursing and perhaps teach me something useful as far as critical thinking goes, but it was useless as far as that went. Besides algebra, it was the hardest class I took for my A.S. The class went over layouts of an argument and how to dissect them; as well as a bunch of other stuff. It was a HARD class, but at least I got an A.

Logic and critical thinking is the more practical option, but if it means you have to give up study time in your nursing specific courses, philos. was considered the easier course when I was in school, and they both give you a BSN.

I had to take both classes for my BA for my first degree. I would have to say that logic and critical thinking will help you out much more in your nursing career than the philosophy course. Neither of the classes were a piece of cake, but I found the logic course to be easier, as well as more useful. The philosophy course was interesting, but it is a totally different way of thinking compared to having something concrete, such as a math or science.

Interesting-- when I was taking prerequisites I chose to take Introduction to Philosophy thinking it was sort of like sociology or anthropology (yeah, I know- dumb) and not pleasantly surprised to see the similarities between it and the dreaded math, notably algebra.

But I slogged through and gave it my all anyway, busted my rear to get a B because I was way out of my comfort zone. But I learned a whole new way of looking at things in the process. Very worthwhile- it will give you a symbolic representation of thought processes. I've used it in all areas of my life since then.

1. Does the one course have a great instructor and the other instructor is terrible? Find out whatever you can about the instructors before deciding. Either class could be great or horrible depending on who's teaching it.

2. What is your personal preference for the type of coursework you like to do? Do you you prefer to read heavy philosophical works that talk about the major questions of life? (What is the meaning of life? What does it mean to be human? What is the difference between goodness and evel? etc.) Do you enjoy discussing such big, deep questions? .... or .... Do you prefer to focus on solving problems by going through a step-by-step process (that might be similar to solving a math problem)? Are you a naturally logical person who enjoys such things -- or if not, are you interested in learning to be more logical and systematic in your thinking? It's hard to change the way you think and some people struggle with logic -- but it would valuable to learn if you don't already think that way.

I took a class called Critical Thinking, and it was incredible. I kept the textbook and still read it quite frequently. We covered formal logic, truth tables, logical fallacies, deductive and inductive reasoning, and other topics. It was one of the best classes I've ever taken in college. I think it made me a more logical, less emotional reasoner and, believe it or not, I've been able to use that to my advantage when talking with patients (and instructors, and other nurses...you wouldn't believe how many people simply do not know how to react to a reasoned, as opposed to an emotional, argument).

Welcome to the world of critical thinking, a journey to heighten your perception and elevate your decision-making abilities. In this post, I will introduce you to the basics of critical thinking and then cover the fundamentals. This can be life-changing for those readers who have never been introduced to the concept.

This introductory course challenges students with the question: ''Why do you think the way you do?'' It gives practical consideration to overcoming thinking errors, developing ethical thought, and applying career-specific principles of effective critical thinking to real-life situations.

This online self-paced course is an introduction to the importance of critical thinking in the business world. Critical thinking is an intellectual model for reasoning through issues to reach well-founded conclusions about them. Asking questions is at the heart of critical thinking.

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Time: 40 hours College Credit Recommended Free Certificate This course will introduce you to critical thinking, informal logic, and a small amount of formal logic. Its purpose is to provide you with the basic tools of analytical reasoning, which will give you a distinctive edge in a wide variety of careers and courses of study. While many university courses focus on presenting content knowledge, the emphasis here is on learning how to think effectively. Although the techniques and concepts covered here are classified as philosophical, they are essential to the practice of nearly every major discipline, from the physical sciences and medicine to politics, law, and the humanities.

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