Skills Enhancement  Course 

Name - Pathak Deepika kirti 

Year - T.Y.B.A  Semester 5 

Paper Name - Life skills 3

        Class                  Assignment 

     Critical   Thinking

Critical Thinking - Concept

Critical thinking is a rich concept that has been developing throughout the past 2500 years.

The term "critical thinking" has its roots in the mid-late 20th century. We offer here overlapping definitions, together which form a substantive, trans disciplinary conception of critical thinking.

Critical thinking is defined as an ability to analyse information and experience in an objective manner.

According to Jones, (1996), Critical thinking is generally agreed to include evaluation of the worth, accuracy or authenticity of various propositions, leading to a supportable decision or direction for action.

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. 

In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.

Critical thinking, also called critical analysis, is clear, rational thinking involving critique. Its details vary amongst those who define it.

 According to Barry K. Beyer (1995) critical thinking means making clear, reasoned judgments. During the process of critical thinking, ideas should be reasoned and well thought out / judged.

The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking defines critical thinking as the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, communication, as a guide to belief and action."

It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question tissue; assumptions; concepts; Empirical grounding; Reasoning leading to conclusions; Implications 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.

Critical Thinking Defined by Edward Glaser

In a seminal study on critical thinking and education in 1941, Edward Glaser defines critical thinking as follows "The ability to think critically, as conceived in this volume, involves three things:

1. an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences,

2. knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning, and

3. some skill in applying those methods.

➤ Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skilful manipulation of ideas in service of reading one's own view

 Qualities of a Well-cultivated Critical Thinker

*Raises vital questions and problem, formulating them clearly and precisely, Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards; ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well reasoned conclusions

*Thinks open mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; And communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

*Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self- monitored and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and socio centrism.

*No one is a critical thinker through and through, but only to such and such a degree, with such and such insights and blind spots, subject to such and such tendencies towards self delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a lifelong endeavour.

Characteristics of Critical Thinking

* Critical thinking involves the use of a kind of thinking called reasoning, in which we construct and/or evaluate reasons to support beliefs the characteristics are:

*Critical thinking also involves reflection the examination and evaluation of our own and others' thoughts and ideas. Finally critical thinking is practical 

Critical Thinkers are:

 * Curious about the world.

 *Relevant thinkers who stick to the main point.

* Eager to seek precision.

 * Able to withhold judgment when the evidence is insufficient.

 * Able to realize the limits of knowing ,they look for probability rather than proof.

 * Able to realize the role of personal bias in the process of knowing something.

*Interested only in credible sources of information.

* Always looking for alternative explanations, positions or arguments.

* Open minded and who seriously consider points of view other than their own.

*Sensitive to the feelings, levels of knowledge and degree of sophistication of others when presenting their feelings.

The Virtues of Critical Thinker

 * Open-minded: They can consider all possible ideas and make a decision without letting their emotions or existing biases get in the way.

 * Habitually inquisitive: A critical thinker is curious and always seeks to understand the "how" and "why" behind things.

 * Truth-seeker: They actively look for what's true and try to live according to that truth. They base their opinions on facts and are willing to change their minds when presented with stronger evidence.

 * Well-informed: A critical thinker makes an effort to stay informed on a wide range of topics. They seek out new information to continually broaden their knowledge.

 * Clear about issues: They can clearly define the different parts of a problem or argument to work through them logically.

 * Not impulsive: Their thinking is a deliberate, careful process. They avoid jumping to conclusions and take the time to think things through before making a decision.

 * Logical-minded: A critical thinker is disciplined in their thinking. They can control their emotions during a discussion and remain focused on logic and evidence.

 * Orderly in complex matters: They can organize complex information to approach it in a systematic way.

 * Diligent in seeking relevant information: They work hard to find and verify information from reliable sources.

 * Not hesitant to consult expert opinions: They are willing to seek advice from experts to get the right information.

*Trustful of Reason : Critical thinkers rely on arguments grounded in reason and logic, not emotions or rumors. They are convinced by solid evidence and logical reasoning.

*Flexible : Critical thinkers are not rigid in their thinking. They can consider a situation from multiple perspectives and are willing to re-evaluate their beliefs based on new information.

*Fair-minded in Evaluation : Critical thinkers are unbiased and objective in their assessments. They avoid letting personal feelings or biases influence their judgment.

*Honest in Facing Personal Biases : Critical thinkers are honest about their own limitations. They can admit when they are wrong or when they need to seek advice from others. This is seen as a sign of a reflective and developing mind.

*Willing to Reconsider :Due to their flexible nature, critical thinkers are open to changing their views. They are willing to revise their thinking and reconsider a conclusion when presented with new facts and logic.

           Essay 

         Creative Thinking 

 Creative Thinking - Concept

A way of looking at problems or situations from a fresh perspective that suggests unorthodox solutions (which may look unsettling at first). Creative thinking can be stimulated both by an unstructured process such as brainstorming, and by a structured process such as lateral thinking.

A simple definition is that creativity is the ability to imagine or invent something new. As we will see later, creativity is not the ability to create out of nothing but the ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing, or reapplying existing ideas. Some creative ideas are astonishing and brilliant, while others are just simple, good, practical ideas that no one seems to have thought of yet.

 Why do we Need to Develop Creative Thinking Ability?

Creativity is an important component of problem solving, other higher cognitive abilities, social and emotional well-being, and academic and adult success (Slavkin, 2004). Our children need to develop creative thinking because it helps them :

*To expand their abilities beyond the boundaries of intelligence.

 *In coping up with rapid growth of competition in all walks of life.

* In effective use of human resources

*In discovering new and better ways of solving problems

 *In the formulation of intellectual members of a society leading to an intellectual social To use their natural creative talents

 *To develop effective leadership

*To remain mentally alert and healthy leading to self-growth and self-actualisation.

 Characteristics of Creative Individual 

 * Unconventional: Creative people do not feel the need to conform to society's standards. They often swim against the current and flow with their own way of thinking and living.

 * Individualistic: Creative people want to find out what the truth is, and they have a strong need to decide for themselves what works and what does not.

 * Inventive: Creative people live in the world of ideas, and don't always have the best interpersonal skills.

 * Driven: Creative people are almost compulsive until they can bring their internal vision into fruition. They have that 'fire in their belly' - a passion to contribute to the beauty and betterment of the world.

 * Visionary: Creative people have a guiding vision in their head, heart, and soul that they are often called to bring to life.

 * Intuitive: Creative people are very much in touch with their inner selves. They pay attention to the signs, synchronicities, symbols around them, and make use of that information in their work.

 * Curiosity: Display a great deal of curiosity about many things; are constantly asking questions about anything and everything; may have broad interests in many unrelated areas. May devise collections based on unusual things and interests.

 Components of creative thinking:

* Divergent Thinking: This is the ability to think in different ways about one issue.

 * Innovativeness: This refers to the ability to think in new ways of doing things that are different from the routine, are cost-effective, and can be implemented and emulated.

 * Novelty: This is the ability to generate new ways of thinking that an individual or group hasn't used before.

 * Fluency: This is the ability to fluently generate many ideas about a situation without any discontinuity of thoughts.

 * Flexibility: This is the ability to shift perspectives while thinking and generating as many ideas as possible.

 Steps of Creative Thinking

 * Deferring judgment when looking for ideas. This means holding off on criticizing or evaluating ideas as they come to you. Don't immediately say, "that's a dumb idea." This is crucial for keeping creative ideas flowing. Your mind or your team will stop producing new ideas if they feel like they're being judged.

 * Generate as many ideas as possible. The more ideas you can come up with, the higher the chance you'll find a truly novel or effective one. The text suggests that most of the ideas you generate might not be great, but you only need one or two good ones to make a difference.

 * List ideas as they occur and keep a written record. Creative ideas can be fleeting and easily forgotten. Writing them down helps you capture them before you get distracted by other things.

 * Constantly elaborate or improve on ideas. This involves building on the ideas you have. Once you've captured them, you can start to expand on them, add details, and refine them.

 * Allowing your subconscious to generate ideas by incubating the subject. Sometimes, the best solutions come to you when you're not actively thinking about the problem. This step suggests you should let your mind "incubate" the ideas. By stepping away from the subject, you allow your subconscious mind to make new connections.