THE EFFECTIVE STUDENT
EFFECTIVE LEARNING: ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY
Study Skills
Critical Thinking

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.
—Bertrand Russell

Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.
—John Locke

Clarification

Critical thinking is not nit-picking and fault-finding. It involves thinking for oneself and not passively accepting whatever is presented. Information encountered is objectively evaluated and verified.

Click here to discover if you are a Critical Thinker.

Dealing with arguments and conflicting views

  • Be sure you understand the arguments and evidence. Remember that understanding involves not only literal, but also inferential and evaluative comprehension.
  • Make notes setting out arguments explicitly, supplying inferences and connections where necessary.
  • Ask yourself questions like these:
    • What is the relative merit of each argument? (on the basis of evidence provided, on personal experience, knowledge, etc)
    • Where can I get more information?
    • Is it an either/or situation, or one where plural viewpoints may exist?
    • What is my own stand?

 

  
      
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