In the audiogram (mini podcast) our Learning Development Mentors help students with their studying dilemmas. In this episode a student asks "What is Critical Thinking?"  The response is based on resources that can be found on the Critical Thinking section  of the skills hub.

Transcript:

Hi! Rebecca here, a UON Learning Development Mentor.  I’m also a student at the university, and I’m here to share  my top Uni tips with you today! Let’s dive right into it with today’s theme of: Exposed: Is this for real? Getting Critical.  So let’s get an answer to today’s burning student question. "What is Critical Thinking?"

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information. Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to discover more.

 The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making.

Specifically, we need to be able to:

Think about a topic or issue in an objective and critical way.

Identify the different arguments there are in relation to a particular issue.

Evaluate a point of view to determine how strong or valid it is.

Recognise any weaknesses or negative points that there are in the evidence or argument.

Notice what implications there might be behind a statement or argument.

Provide structured reasoning and support for an argument that we wish to make.

Don’t forget, answers to more questions, links to show notes, resources and more are all available on the Skills Hub. Simply type skills hub Northampton into google and away you go!