UPHI 149 - Critical Thinking

1. Distinguish facts from opinions and assertions.
2. Recognize the role of purpose and bias in presenting a position. 
3. Frame novel problems in familiar terms.
4. Answer in depth questions about data.
5. Recognize commonalities among seemingly unrelated situations.
6. Identify assumptions embedded in statements.
7. Identify unstated assumptions in speech, op ed, or blog post.
8. Explain approach for determining if assumptions are true.
9. Use logic and reasoning to evaluate arguments, form judgements, and make recommendations.

• Gather and Assess Relevant Information
  • Learn: Individuals who can gather and assess relevant information add value to the 21st century workplace by grounding problem-solving in facts and analysis rather than opinions and assertions.
  • Practice + Contribute: News reports and Op-ed articles are an excellent opportunity to practice critical thinking skills. You will choose a topic then read, annotate, and reflect on these two types of news.
  • Assess: Demonstrate your capacity to gather and assess relevant information by grounding problem-solving in facts + analysis rather than opinions + assertions.
  • Reflect
• Identify Patterns
  • Learn: Individuals who can identify patterns add value in the 21st century workplace by answering in-depth questions about data; recognizing commonalities among seemingly unrelated situations; and framing novel problems in familiar terms.
  • Practice + Contribute:
    • Activity 1: Describe patterns between data sets;
    • Activity 2: Generate 30 circles.
  • Assess:  Being able to recognize patterns enables you to make sense of the world; to interpret data;recognize commonalities among seemingly unrelated situations; and frame novel problems in familiar terms.
  • Reflect
• Question Assumptions:
  • Learn: Individuals who can question assumptions add value in the 21st century workplace by resisting easy answers;probing more deeply; and improving the problem-solving process.
  • Practice + Contribute: Analyze sources of information for potential assumptions and articulate those assumptions.    
  • Being able to recognize and question assumptions is key to becoming a more active, critical thinker. Virtually everything we hear and read rests on a host of assumptions, most of them hidden. Once you can identify them, you are in a good position to determine whether or not they are valid.
  • Reflect
• Draw Conclusions
  • Learn: Individuals who can draw conclusions add value in the 21st century workplace by using logic and reasoning to evaluate arguments, form judgments, and make recommendations.
  • Practice + Contribute: Determine and articulate what your stance is on a topic of debate.
  • Assess: Everywhere we look, we are bombarded by marketing messages and a plethora of possible choices. Becoming a thoughtful consumer requires both the ability and the willingness to scrutinize the evidence and use our powers of logic and reasoning to evaluate it – and to draw conclusions based on multiple sources of information. Sometimes what is not said explicitly is even more important than what is said directly.
  • Reflect
• Critical Thinking Auto Assessment