You Write What/How You Think

Senior Project Lab IISarah Read, C.E.L.

Why Critical Thinking?

“When we make students struggle with their writing, we are making them struggle with thought itself…Often the struggle of writing, linked as it is to the struggle of thinking and to the growth of a person’s intellectual powers, awakens students to the real nature of learning.” (Bean xiii)

Bean, John C., Engaging Ideas, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996.

Why Critical Thinking?

“So, why do we want engineers to write? First, significant evidence has been presented that writing actually improves learning…Second, our engineering students will have to write extensively once they are employed.” —Gunnink, et al, “Writing, Critical Thinking and Engineering Curricula,” 2002.

Why Critical Thinking?

“The point of this discussion is that good writing abilities are not independent of subject. One must write about something.” (Gunnink)

• You think what you write/You write what you think…which is true?

Progression of Student Conclusions Showing Increases in Critical Thinking

First Report:“Here’s what we get; you (the reader) figure out

what it means”Second Report:“Here’s what we get and here’s how it compares

quantitatively to accepted results”Third Report:“Here’s what we got, here’s how it compares to

accepted results, therefore here’s what we think it means.”

Asking the Right Question at the Right Time-Defining the True Problem

A student and his professor are backpacking in Alaska when a grizzly bear starts to chase them. They both start running, but it’s clear that the bear will eventually catch up with them. The student takes off his backpack, gets his running shoes out, and starts putting them on. His professor says, “You can’t outrun the bear, even in running shoes!” The student replies, “I don’t need to outrun the bear; I only need to outrun you!”

1. Questions for clarification: Why do you say that? How does this relate to our discussion?

2. Questions that probe assumptions: What could we assume instead? How can you verify or disprove that assumption?

3. Questions that probe reasons and evidence: What would be an example?

4. Questions about viewpoints and perspectives: What would be an alternative?

5. Questions that probe implications and consequences: What generalizations can you make? What are the consequences of that assumption?

6. Questions about the question: What was the point of this question? Why do you think this question was asked?

Thinking Critically Means Learning to Ask the Right Questions About a Problem

Thinking Critically Means Applying Skills to Solve a Problem

Analyzing: separating or breaking a whole into parts to discover their nature.

Applying Standards: judging according to established personal, professional, or social rules or criteria.

Discriminating: recognizing differences and similarities among things or situations and distinguishing carefully as to category or rank.

Information seeking: searching for evidence, facts or knowledge by identifying relevant sources.

Logical Reasoning: drawing inferences or conclusions that are supported in or justified by evidence.

Predicting: envisioning a plan and its consequences.Transforming Knowledge: changing or converting the condition,

nature, form or function of concepts among concepts.

Thinking Critically Means Adopting Certain Habits of Mind

ConfidenceContextual PerspectiveCreativityFlexibilityInquisitivenessIntellectual IntegrityIntuitionOpen-mindednessPerseveranceReflection

Which Questions Should Have Been Asked to Avoid This Situation?

1. Questions for clarification: Why do you say that? How does this relate to our discussion?

2. Questions that probe assumptions: What could we assume instead? How can you verify or disprove that assumption?

3. Questions that probe reasons and evidence: What would be an example?

4. Questions about viewpoints and perspectives: What would be an alternative?

5. Questions that probe implications and consequences: What generalizations can you make? What are the consequences of that assumption?

6. Questions about the question: What was the point of this question? Why do you think this question was asked?

For Discussion…

You think what you write/You write what you think…which is true? How?