ON CRITICAL THINKING...We prepare them and put them on the critical thinker’s path • At that...
Transcript of ON CRITICAL THINKING...We prepare them and put them on the critical thinker’s path • At that...
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ON CRITICAL THINKINGIT TAKES HABITS OF MIND AND PATTERNS OF INQUIRY
Stephen E. “Steve” Wright, PhD
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed or implied in this presentation are the author’s and do not carry official sanction of the DoD, USAF, or Air University.
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WHY WE CARE
• For the Air Force
• In our Future Operating Concept
• Chief of Staff priority – it “is about the journey…about the campaign
of learning, and lighting a spark” (speech at The Brookings Institution)
• SECDEF Mattis priority (and hopefully, still a priority)
• For all – apply to any discipline, or just in life
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OUR DNA GETS IN THE WAY
• STEM focus + Type A personality = people who get things done
• Roll big rocks up big hills
• But…questions we don’t ask…
• Ninth Air Force example
• So, how do we find & develop critical thinkers
• Some that are linear thinkers, and some who are abstract thinkers
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DEFINING IT
• “Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it.”
• “Critical thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It requires rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcoming our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.” 4
Source: Foundation for Critical Thinking
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DO A COURSE & TAKE A TEST – RIGHT? (1)
Things one learns in a course on critical thinking
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Source: mentoringminds.co
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DO A COURSE & TAKE A TEST – RIGHT? (2)
CALIFORNIA CRITICAL THINKING TEST
• Reasoning skills overall
• Analysis
• Interpretation
• Inference
• Evaluation
• Induction
• deduction
WATSON-GLASER CRITICAL THINKING APPRAISAL
• Test 1: Inferences
• Recognition of assumptions
• Deductions
• Interpretations
• Evaluation of arguments6
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WHAT DO THESE TESTS HAVE IN COMMON?
• They are standardized tests!
• Tests run at Air University during AY2015-2016• No statistical difference between
• Air War College (senior officer course)
• Air Command and Staff College (mid-grade officer course)
• Squadron Officer School (junior officer course)
• Only minor difference between ACSC and School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (favoring the latter)
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Source: Stone, Air and Space Power Journal Summer 2017
How do “we” prep for SAT/ACT or GRE/LSAT…
…take a prep course & learn
the test
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QUESTION IS NOT “WHAT TO DO” – IT’S “WHO CAN DO”
• If “who” is the question, then ”how” do we find them?
• Space X example
• Yes, great grads from great engineering programs
• But those who started with pinewood derby, rock’em sock’em robots,
engineering competitions in college
• finding creative, curious people solving mechanical problems
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Source: Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, 220
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FINDING “WHO” FOR THE AIR FORCE
• Not by testing; rather, by asking…
• What music do you listen to?
• What books did you read this year?
• What journals do you read?
• What magazines do you read &/or hobbies (beyond physical fitness)?
• In other words – who are the insatiably curious?
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THE KEY INGREDIENT: INSATIABLE CURIOSITY
• I can teach “you” habits of mind
• Teaching the discipline of study
• I can teach “you” patterns of inquiry
• Teaching “you” to find the frameworks of analysis
• But “you” have to bring insatiable curiosity to the table
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CRITICAL THINKING IS A PATH, NOT A DESTINATION
• In our school, we spend 11 months helping our students
• Establish their path
• Develop their understanding of the patterns of inquiry
• Teaching them to scope their problems
• Because we can only promise them wicked problems, but never knowing how much time or other resources they will have to resolve their challenges
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STAYING ON THE CRITICAL THINKING PATH
• We prepare them and put them on the critical thinker’s path
• At that point, they own the development of their habits of mind
and their patterns of inquiry
• When they stop developing habits and patterns and are no
longer insatiably curious, then they are no longer on the path
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QUESTIONS
Article available at: https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Volume-33_Issue-4/V-Wright.pdf
Contact info: Dr Stephen E. “Steve” [email protected] or [email protected]: 334-953-3178C: 334-538-1760 13