{"id":1174,"date":"2025-04-23T22:49:25","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T22:49:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1174"},"modified":"2025-06-26T20:09:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T20:09:33","slug":"critical-thinking-and-reflection-apply-it","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/critical-thinking-and-reflection-apply-it\/","title":{"raw":"Critical Thinking and Reflection: Apply It","rendered":"Critical Thinking and Reflection: Apply It"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals focusable\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Explore the concept of critical thinking<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Using Your Critical Thinking Skills<\/h2>\r\nCritical thinking is one of those academic terms that is so hard to define. But in reality, critical thinking is not an abstract, academic skill irrelevant to the world outside the classroom. In fact, critical thinking is one of the most transferable skills \u2013 meaning connected to non-academic tasks and behaviors.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s practice using these questions to analyze information:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>What\u2019s happening?<\/strong>\u00a0Gather the basic information and begin to think of questions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Why is it important?<\/strong>\u00a0Ask yourself why it\u2019s significant and whether or not you agree.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>What don\u2019t I see?<\/strong>\u00a0Is there anything important missing?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>How do I know?<\/strong>\u00a0Ask yourself where the information came from and how it was constructed.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Who is saying it?<\/strong> What\u2019s the position of the speaker, and what is influencing them?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>What else? What if?<\/strong> What other ideas exist, and are there other possibilities?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">Think, for example, about attending college. Did anyone ever tell you that college wasn\u2019t for you? Or that you wouldn\u2019t get into this college? Or that a student like you (whatever that might have meant in your case) didn\u2019t belong in college?Unfortunately, this kind of negative energy is a reality of life. It\u2019s so important to be able to think critically before deciding what to do with this kind of information.For the sake of argument, let\u2019s imagine that it was your grandfather who told you that you didn\u2019t belong in college.\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>What?<\/strong> \u2013 He said you didn\u2019t belong in college.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Why?<\/strong> \u2013 He\u2019s your grandfather, what he says matters a lot to you, and college is important.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>What don\u2019t you see?<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2013 There\u2019s a lot you may not see or know about your grandfather, the conversations that he\u2019s had with different people about you and college, the questions he has, and his own experience with college.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>How do you know?<\/strong> \u2013 Did you hear your grandfather say this directly, or did your mother relay this information to you? How accurate was she? Did she have her own agenda in sharing this with you?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Who is saying it?<\/strong> \u2013 Is your grandfather trying to protect you from failing? Is he reacting out of fear of the unknown? Does he worry that you might get into trouble in college? Is he worried about how the family will manage if you are busy with college? What is motivating your grandfather?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>What else?<\/strong> \u2013 Could this all be about something else? Is your family worried about how much college will cost? Are they worried about the particular school you chose? Are there other things going on in the family that are stressing everyone out, and as a result, they feel resistant to anyone trying something new (like college)?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nAs you can see, there\u2019s a lot to think about and investigate. Instead of feeling crushed by your grandfather\u2019s negative viewpoint, you might first stop and consider all the ways in which this might have nothing to do with you and your ability to succeed in college.\r\n\r\n<\/section>Let\u2019s try another scenario.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">You want to be a finance major. You are supposed to take the Introduction to Finance class this spring, but your friend says the professor who is teaching the class is really hard and you should put the class off until next spring. How can you use your critical thinking skills to consider this scenario?\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>What? What\u2019s happened here? -<\/strong> Your friend is warning you about a tough professor teaching a class that\u2019s key for your major. This seems important.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Why is it important?<\/strong> - Well, if you take the class and do poorly, that could sabotage your success just as you embark on your major.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>What don\u2019t you see? -<\/strong> Do you actually know how well you might do with this professor? How reliable is your friend in terms of his knowledge of the professor and his judgment of professors? Maybe he likes different things? Maybe he isn\u2019t as good as you are at finance?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>How do you know?<\/strong> - Your concerns about this professor are based on one person. Can you learn anything else about the reliability of your friend\u2019s judgment here? Is he a finance major? Is his opinion based on personal experience or what he heard from other students? If he took the class, what grade did he get? Can you get other students' opinions about this faculty member?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Who is saying it?<\/strong> - Maybe your friend wants to protect you, but maybe he\u2019s concerned that you will want to work really hard and won\u2019t be supportive of your joint social life? Is there anything else going on with him and his life you might want to consider? Is your friend trying to undermine your academic success, maybe because he\u2019s feeling anxious about his academics (it happens)? Does he always give you advice about your classes? How reliable has he been in the past? Does your friend have a problem with certain professors (those who lecture, for example), while you don\u2019t?<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>What else?<\/strong> - Is it okay to put this class off? Does anyone else at the school teach this class, or will putting it off mean you just have to take it next semester or next year with the same tough professor? If you are proactive about this professor, can you still manage the class? What approaches have other finance majors taken?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/section>The point of critical thinking is to rethink a situation in which you think you know all the questions and answers and reframe the scenario. When you do so, new questions and new answers emerge. You get a broader understanding, new insights, and usually more ways to think about the issues. Critical thinking may produce more uncertainty, and that\u2019s okay.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s try some simple examples to see if you can use your critical thinking skills.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt focusable\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Try It\">[ohm2_question]36006[\/ohm2_question][ohm2_question]36007[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>Okay, those two practice questions were tricky, but they are extreme examples to point out the fact that we make assumptions all the time and fail to recognize the nuance and complexity in every situation. Let\u2019s try a more common, more relevant example.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt focusable\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Try It\">[ohm2_question]36008[\/ohm2_question]<\/section><section tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Try It\"><section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">\r\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"224\" data-end=\"472\">Critical thinking is really about slowing down and not accepting the first explanation that comes to mind. When you take a step back, ask deeper questions, and consider different perspectives, you make room for smarter, more informed decisions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/section><\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals focusable\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-sheets-root=\"1\">Explore the concept of critical thinking<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Using Your Critical Thinking Skills<\/h2>\n<p>Critical thinking is one of those academic terms that is so hard to define. But in reality, critical thinking is not an abstract, academic skill irrelevant to the world outside the classroom. In fact, critical thinking is one of the most transferable skills \u2013 meaning connected to non-academic tasks and behaviors.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s practice using these questions to analyze information:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>What\u2019s happening?<\/strong>\u00a0Gather the basic information and begin to think of questions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why is it important?<\/strong>\u00a0Ask yourself why it\u2019s significant and whether or not you agree.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What don\u2019t I see?<\/strong>\u00a0Is there anything important missing?<\/li>\n<li><strong>How do I know?<\/strong>\u00a0Ask yourself where the information came from and how it was constructed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Who is saying it?<\/strong> What\u2019s the position of the speaker, and what is influencing them?<\/li>\n<li><strong>What else? What if?<\/strong> What other ideas exist, and are there other possibilities?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">Think, for example, about attending college. Did anyone ever tell you that college wasn\u2019t for you? Or that you wouldn\u2019t get into this college? Or that a student like you (whatever that might have meant in your case) didn\u2019t belong in college?Unfortunately, this kind of negative energy is a reality of life. It\u2019s so important to be able to think critically before deciding what to do with this kind of information.For the sake of argument, let\u2019s imagine that it was your grandfather who told you that you didn\u2019t belong in college.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>What?<\/strong> \u2013 He said you didn\u2019t belong in college.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why?<\/strong> \u2013 He\u2019s your grandfather, what he says matters a lot to you, and college is important.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What don\u2019t you see?<\/strong>\u00a0 \u2013 There\u2019s a lot you may not see or know about your grandfather, the conversations that he\u2019s had with different people about you and college, the questions he has, and his own experience with college.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How do you know?<\/strong> \u2013 Did you hear your grandfather say this directly, or did your mother relay this information to you? How accurate was she? Did she have her own agenda in sharing this with you?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Who is saying it?<\/strong> \u2013 Is your grandfather trying to protect you from failing? Is he reacting out of fear of the unknown? Does he worry that you might get into trouble in college? Is he worried about how the family will manage if you are busy with college? What is motivating your grandfather?<\/li>\n<li><strong>What else?<\/strong> \u2013 Could this all be about something else? Is your family worried about how much college will cost? Are they worried about the particular school you chose? Are there other things going on in the family that are stressing everyone out, and as a result, they feel resistant to anyone trying something new (like college)?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>As you can see, there\u2019s a lot to think about and investigate. Instead of feeling crushed by your grandfather\u2019s negative viewpoint, you might first stop and consider all the ways in which this might have nothing to do with you and your ability to succeed in college.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>Let\u2019s try another scenario.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">You want to be a finance major. You are supposed to take the Introduction to Finance class this spring, but your friend says the professor who is teaching the class is really hard and you should put the class off until next spring. How can you use your critical thinking skills to consider this scenario?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>What? What\u2019s happened here? &#8211;<\/strong> Your friend is warning you about a tough professor teaching a class that\u2019s key for your major. This seems important.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why is it important?<\/strong> &#8211; Well, if you take the class and do poorly, that could sabotage your success just as you embark on your major.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What don\u2019t you see? &#8211;<\/strong> Do you actually know how well you might do with this professor? How reliable is your friend in terms of his knowledge of the professor and his judgment of professors? Maybe he likes different things? Maybe he isn\u2019t as good as you are at finance?<\/li>\n<li><strong>How do you know?<\/strong> &#8211; Your concerns about this professor are based on one person. Can you learn anything else about the reliability of your friend\u2019s judgment here? Is he a finance major? Is his opinion based on personal experience or what he heard from other students? If he took the class, what grade did he get? Can you get other students&#8217; opinions about this faculty member?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Who is saying it?<\/strong> &#8211; Maybe your friend wants to protect you, but maybe he\u2019s concerned that you will want to work really hard and won\u2019t be supportive of your joint social life? Is there anything else going on with him and his life you might want to consider? Is your friend trying to undermine your academic success, maybe because he\u2019s feeling anxious about his academics (it happens)? Does he always give you advice about your classes? How reliable has he been in the past? Does your friend have a problem with certain professors (those who lecture, for example), while you don\u2019t?<\/li>\n<li><strong>What else?<\/strong> &#8211; Is it okay to put this class off? Does anyone else at the school teach this class, or will putting it off mean you just have to take it next semester or next year with the same tough professor? If you are proactive about this professor, can you still manage the class? What approaches have other finance majors taken?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<p>The point of critical thinking is to rethink a situation in which you think you know all the questions and answers and reframe the scenario. When you do so, new questions and new answers emerge. You get a broader understanding, new insights, and usually more ways to think about the issues. Critical thinking may produce more uncertainty, and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s try some simple examples to see if you can use your critical thinking skills.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt focusable\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Try It\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm36006\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=36006&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm36006&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm36007\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=36007&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm36007&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<p>Okay, those two practice questions were tricky, but they are extreme examples to point out the fact that we make assumptions all the time and fail to recognize the nuance and complexity in every situation. Let\u2019s try a more common, more relevant example.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt focusable\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Try It\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm36008\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=36008&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm36008&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<section tabindex=\"-1\" aria-label=\"Try It\">\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"224\" data-end=\"472\">Critical thinking is really about slowing down and not accepting the first explanation that comes to mind. When you take a step back, ask deeper questions, and consider different perspectives, you make room for smarter, more informed decisions.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"menu_order":27,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":88,"module-header":"apply_it","content_attributions":[],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1174"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2535,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1174\/revisions\/2535"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/88"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1174\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1174"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1174"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}