Creating
Critical
Thinkers
Samantha
Emswiler
M.A. Philosophy,
University of Miami
“A pupil from whom
nothing is ever
demanded which he
cannot do, never
does all he can.”
J.S. Mill
Step One: Recognizing
the extent of the problem with
lack of critical thinking skills
How do students across the U.S. do on the
standard critical thinking test given to high
school students and students in the first
two years of college?
U.S. 2-year Institutions Average on TER
Proficient Marginally Not
Proficient
2013
4%
14%
82%
StepTwo:
Recognizing the importance of
creating good critical thinkers
Being a good critical thinker prepares one for
being a better citizen, a better student and a
better future employee.
‘93% of employers agree that “candidates’
demonstrated capacity to think critically,
communicate clearly, and solve complex
problems is more important than their
undergraduate major.”’
Employers want someone who can:
“ Come ready to work the first day
Communicate and think critically
Work in teams
Use technology
Speak multiple languages
Think and communicate globally”
Becoming a critical
thinker is valuable
because it means
joining the worldwide,
multicultural quest for
truth.
Inquiry is being carried out
right now by students,
scholars, researchers, and
teachers all over the world
... their inquiry extends
from what was in the past,
through what is going on
right now to what is likely in
the future.
Teaching critical thinking gives
students the skills they will
need to engage in good
academic inquiry, to become
part of the global community
and to participate well in
democratic institutions and
processes.
Step Three:
Begin by
teaching what
critical
thinking is and
how a good
critical thinker
behaves
What is Critical
Thinking?
It is a set of intellectual skills
and psychological habits that
make it easier to
a) solve problems well
b) discover truths and
c) communicate clearly.
What are good critical thinkers like?
1) Good critical thinkers are rational, curious
persons who seek the truth:
they value truth as the ultimate goal of inquiry. They seek
out information, including contrary evidence, to test
(verify or falsify) their own beliefs and reasoning. Their
goal is to find the truth not confirm their own opinion.
They recognize that they could be wrong. They are open
to revising their reasoning.
2)
Good critical thinkers are
open-minded, fair and
empathetic:
They value other people and can imagine another
person’s point of view, assumptions, values and
reasoning. They practice intellectual humility and
recognize what they do not know.
3) Good critical thinkers are
intellectually autonomous,
strong and courageous:
They think for themselves in spite of adversity;
they persevere in their inquiry and reasoning
through obstacles such as social pressure.
Step Four:
Teach what critical thinkers
AVOID such as
common bad habits of mind
and common forms of
bad reasoning
Critical Thinkers Avoid Egocentric and Sociocentric Bias:
1) Critical thinkers DO NOT use egocentric bias in place
of good reason.
Examples of egocentric bias:
“It is true because.... I believe it.”
“It is true because I want to believe it/it is in my interest to
believe it.”
“It is true because I have always believed it”
2) Critical thinkers DO NOT use
sociocentric bias in place of a
universal, cross-cultural, fairminded perspective.
Sociocentric bias occurs when
people uncritically accept certain
beliefs and prejudices because
that is the authoritative or
dominant view of their social
group (religion, nation, etc..).
Step Five: Teach
analytic skills and
standards of good
reasoning as well
* From pamphlets from The Foundation for
Critical Thinking
www.criticalthinking.org
Two exercises to use to
enhance analytic skills and
standards of reasoning from The
Foundation for Critical Thinking:
Exercise One: teach how
to test thought for
intellectual rigor:
1. Is what is being
claimed clear, precise,
relevant and accurate?
2. Is it logical and
comprehensive?
3. Does it convey enough
depth and breadth for the
issue at hand?
4. Is it fair-minded and
significant?
Exercise Two: Teach how to analyze
elements of reasoning including
point of view, assumptions,
information it presents, problems it
tries to resolve, inferences,
purpose, concepts, implications
and consequences
More Exercises to Increase Critical
Thinking:
1) Use Socratic Questioning about
Concepts to Continually Engage the
Students in Thinking about Course
Material
2)Encourage and Reward
Intellectual Virtues
a) Curiosity
b) Fair-mindedness
c) Logical Skills
d) Empathy
e) Subtlety in Reasoning
f) Cleverness
g) Perseverance
h) Good Judgment
i) Objectivity
3) Give assignments that
are graded purely on
content of thought
4) Teach them basic logic:
a) How to identify an argument
b) what logical terms imply about
claims
i. categorical terms (all, no, some…)
ii. sentential logic terms (if-then, not,
and, or, if and only if)
c) teach them the difference between
induction and deduction and
standards for good arguments
Weblinks for additional resources for critical thinking:
1) Common fallacies on fallacyfiles.org
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/introtof.html
2) teachingphilosophy's channel on youtube:
a) on fallacies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY7g6a1A4KM&list=PLFGHE1xQFhhxVI2LmT2yhT_
huBZQqsXUA&index=2
b) on what critical thinking is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oAf3g5_138
3) The Foundation for Critical Thinking offers free sources
for the student and educators to explore
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/college-and-university-students/799
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/college-and-university-faculty/798
4) Hong Kong University's opencourseware on critical
thinking
http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/