Webinar 1st December 2015

Emma Sue Prince

www.unimenta.comwww.the-advantage.info

What is critical thinking?

How has it changed?

What are some of the ways we need to use this skill?

How do we develop it in others?

The majority of teachers say that their students leave school for university without learning "essential" critical thinking skills. More than 1,000 teachers from across the globe were asked to rank the skills needed for success in higher education and 92 per cent identified critical thinking as one of the most important.

"Thinking is skilled work. It is not true that we are naturally endowed with the ability to think clearly and logically - without learning how, or without practicing. People with untrained minds should no more expect to think clearly and logically than people who have never learned and never practiced can expect to find themselves good carpenters, golfers, bridge players, or pianists.” – Logic for the millions – A.E. Mander

• Making a judgement or evaluation• Thinking clearly and rationally• Identifying, constructing and evaluating arguments• Solving problems systematically

• Making decisions quickly• Solving problems creatively• Seeing what’s missing and fixing it• Grabbing opportunities

The four “C” skills for success:

1.Critical thinking and problem-solving

1.Communication

1.Collaboration and team-building

1.Creativity and innovation

American Management Association 2014 Critical Skills Survey

Key workplace skills

•Problem-solving•Decision-making•Organizational planning•Risk management

Department of Labour

 ”Critical thinking, if somehow it became generalised in the world, would produce a new and very different world, a world which increasingly is not only in our interest but is necessary to our survival” – Richard Paul – Centre for Critical Thinking”

In a world of growing uncertainty one thing is certain: we will need sharp critical thinkers who can size up the situation, realize the potential where others can’t and seize opportunities through prompt decision-making.

Critical thinking

Why does critical thinking matter to you?

Use the chat box to note any comments at this stage…

• We have the capacity to develop effective critical thinking skills

• Purely cognitive skill

1) Inhibitory control

1) Working memory

1) Cognitive flexibility

Inhibitory control

•The ability to resist!•Choosing behaviour

Working memory

•Mental jotting pad feature of your brain

Cognitive flexibility

•Ability to switch behaviourial resonses

• How we define critical thinking

• Assumptions

• Confirmation bias

• Attribution bias

• Trusting hearsay

• Memory lapses

• Accepting authority without question

• Not admitting we don’t know all the facts

• Character traits and cognitive flexibility

• It’s a process• Discipline and rigour

• Flex your thinking

In young people we need to build:

• Goal-setting• Decision-making• Self-advocacy • Problem-solving• Cognitive flexibility through yoga,

spatial games, coping skills and recognizing feelings.

Improves with age!

Dual-N-Back software

Play chess!

More reading

Healthy eating

10 steps to empathy

1. Question assumptions

1. Adopt different perspectives

1. Use data to drive decisions

1. Learn how to deal with ambiguity

1. Get creative

1. Build in reflection time

1. Get past face value

1. Build skills

1. Stop pigeon holing

1. Be honest and open

• Adaptability • Critical thinking• Empathy• Integrity• Optimism• Resilience• Being proactive

Join Unimenta – free membership

The Advantage Licensed Training – 28th – 30th January 2016