I believe that a significant aspect of
learning is the development of critical thinking skills. One of the courses I
teach (Gen/102) uses a textbook entitled Beyond
Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking, by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero (5th
Ed.). Here is how he defines Critical Thinking:
Critical thinking is a special kind of thinking
devoted to the evaluation of ideas. More specifically, it relates to testing
the accuracy of statements and the soundness of the reasoning that links
them.
One of the keys to proficiency in critical
thinking is skill in asking questions. The American philosopher John Dewey
considered this skill so important that he made it central to his definition
of all thinking: �Thinking is inquiry, investigation, turning over, probing
or delving into, so as to find something new or to see what is already known
in a different light. In short it is questioning.� Some would say that
thinking has other dimensions, but no knowledgeable person would dispute the
importance of questioning. Where the uncritical accept their first thoughts
and others� statements at face value, critical thinkers challenge all ideas.
Critical thinking also employs questions to
inquire about issues, probing them more deeply, than is customary and looking
for new insights.
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