Critical thinking is an essential skill in our information-overloaded world, where figuring out what is fact and fiction has become increasingly challenging.
But why is critical thinking essential? Put, critical thinking empowers us to make better decisions, challenge and validate our beliefs and assumptions, and understand and interact with the world more effectively and meaningfully.
Critical thinking is like using your brain's "superpowers" to make smart choices. Whether it's picking the right insurance, deciding what to do in a job, or discussing topics in school, thinking deeply helps a lot. In the next parts, we'll share real-life examples of when this superpower comes in handy and give you some fun exercises to practice it.
Critical Thinking Process Outline
Critical thinking means thinking clearly and fairly without letting personal feelings get in the way. It's like being a detective, trying to solve a mystery by using clues and thinking hard about them.
It isn't always easy to think critically, as it can take a pretty smart person to see some of the questions that aren't being answered in a certain situation. But, we can train our brains to think more like puzzle solvers, which can help develop our critical thinking skills.
Here's what it looks like step by step:
Spotting the Problem: It's like discovering a puzzle to solve. You see that there's something you need to figure out or decide.
Collecting Clues: Now, you need to gather information. Maybe you read about it, watch a video, talk to people, or do some research. It's like getting all the pieces to solve your puzzle.
Breaking It Down: This is where you look at all your clues and try to see how they fit together. You're asking questions like: Why did this happen? What could happen next?
Checking Your Clues: You want to make sure your information is good. This means seeing if what you found out is true and if you can trust where it came from.
Making a Guess: After looking at all your clues, you think about what they mean and come up with an answer. This answer is like your best guess based on what you know.
Explaining Your Thoughts: Now, you tell others how you solved the puzzle. You explain how you thought about it and how you answered.
Checking Your Work: This is like looking back and seeing if you missed anything. Did you make any mistakes? Did you let any personal feelings get in the way? This step helps make sure your thinking is clear and fair.
And remember, you might sometimes need to go back and redo some steps if you discover something new. If you realize you missed an important clue, you might have to go back and collect more information.
Critical Thinking Methods
Just like doing push-ups or running helps our bodies get stronger, there are special exercises that help our brains think better. These brain workouts push us to think harder, look at things closely, and ask many questions.
It's not always about finding the "right" answer. Instead, it's about the journey of thinking and asking "why" or "how." Doing these exercises often helps us become better thinkers and makes us curious to know more about the world.
Now, let's look at some brain workouts to help us think better:
1. "What If" Scenarios
Imagine crazy things happening, like, "What if there was no internet for a month? What would we do?" These games help us think of new and different ideas.
Pick a hot topic. Argue one side of it and then try arguing the opposite. This makes us see different viewpoints and think deeply about a topic.
3. Analyze Visual Data
Check out charts or pictures with lots of numbers and info but no explanations. What story are they telling? This helps us get better at understanding information just by looking at it.
4. Mind Mapping
Write an idea in the center and then draw lines to related ideas. It's like making a map of your thoughts. This helps us see how everything is connected.
There's lots of mind-mapping software , but it's also nice to do this by hand.
5. Weekly Diary
Every week, write about what happened, the choices you made, and what you learned. Writing helps us think about our actions and how we can do better.
6. Evaluating Information Sources
Collect stories or articles about one topic from newspapers or blogs. Which ones are trustworthy? Which ones might be a little biased? This teaches us to be smart about where we get our info.
There are many resources to help you determine if information sources are factual or not.
7. Socratic Questioning
This way of thinking is called the Socrates Method, named after an old-time thinker from Greece. It's about asking lots of questions to understand a topic. You can do this by yourself or chat with a friend.
Start with a Big Question:
"What does 'success' mean?"
Dive Deeper with More Questions:
"Why do you think of success that way?" "Do TV shows, friends, or family make you think that?" "Does everyone think about success the same way?"
"Can someone be a winner even if they aren't rich or famous?" "Can someone feel like they didn't succeed, even if everyone else thinks they did?"
Look for Real-life Examples:
"Who is someone you think is successful? Why?" "Was there a time you felt like a winner? What happened?"
Think About Other People's Views:
"How might a person from another country think about success?" "Does the idea of success change as we grow up or as our life changes?"
Think About What It Means:
"How does your idea of success shape what you want in life?" "Are there problems with only wanting to be rich or famous?"
Look Back and Think:
"After talking about this, did your idea of success change? How?" "Did you learn something new about what success means?"
8. Six Thinking Hats
Edward de Bono came up with a cool way to solve problems by thinking in six different ways, like wearing different colored hats. You can do this independently, but it might be more effective in a group so everyone can have a different hat color. Each color has its way of thinking:
White Hat (Facts): Just the facts! Ask, "What do we know? What do we need to find out?"
Red Hat (Feelings): Talk about feelings. Ask, "How do I feel about this?"
Black Hat (Careful Thinking): Be cautious. Ask, "What could go wrong?"
Yellow Hat (Positive Thinking): Look on the bright side. Ask, "What's good about this?"
Green Hat (Creative Thinking): Think of new ideas. Ask, "What's another way to look at this?"
Blue Hat (Planning): Organize the talk. Ask, "What should we do next?"
When using this method with a group:
Explain all the hats.
Decide which hat to wear first.
Make sure everyone switches hats at the same time.
Finish with the Blue Hat to plan the next steps.
9. SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis is like a game plan for businesses to know where they stand and where they should go. "SWOT" stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
There are a lot of SWOT templates out there for how to do this visually, but you can also think it through. It doesn't just apply to businesses but can be a good way to decide if a project you're working on is working.
Strengths: What's working well? Ask, "What are we good at?"
Weaknesses: Where can we do better? Ask, "Where can we improve?"
Opportunities: What good things might come our way? Ask, "What chances can we grab?"
Threats: What challenges might we face? Ask, "What might make things tough for us?"
Steps to do a SWOT Analysis:
Goal: Decide what you want to find out.
Research: Learn about your business and the world around it.
Brainstorm: Get a group and think together. Talk about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Pick the Most Important Points: Some things might be more urgent or important than others.
Make a Plan: Decide what to do based on your SWOT list.
Check Again Later: Things change, so look at your SWOT again after a while to update it.
Now that you have a few tools for thinking critically, let’s get into some specific examples.
Everyday Examples
Life is a series of decisions. From the moment we wake up, we're faced with choices – some trivial, like choosing a breakfast cereal, and some more significant, like buying a home or confronting an ethical dilemma at work. While it might seem that these decisions are disparate, they all benefit from the application of critical thinking.
10. Deciding to buy something
Imagine you want a new phone. Don't just buy it because the ad looks cool. Think about what you need in a phone. Look up different phones and see what people say about them. Choose the one that's the best deal for what you want.
11. Deciding what is true
There's a lot of news everywhere. Don't believe everything right away. Think about why someone might be telling you this. Check if what you're reading or watching is true. Make up your mind after you've looked into it.
12. Deciding when you’re wrong
Sometimes, friends can have disagreements. Don't just get mad right away. Try to see where they're coming from. Talk about what's going on. Find a way to fix the problem that's fair for everyone.
13. Deciding what to eat
There's always a new diet or exercise that's popular. Don't just follow it because it's trendy. Find out if it's good for you. Ask someone who knows, like a doctor. Make choices that make you feel good and stay healthy.
14. Deciding what to do today
Everyone is busy with school, chores, and hobbies. Make a list of things you need to do. Decide which ones are most important. Plan your day so you can get things done and still have fun.
15. Making Tough Choices
Sometimes, it's hard to know what's right. Think about how each choice will affect you and others. Talk to people you trust about it. Choose what feels right in your heart and is fair to others.
16. Planning for the Future
Big decisions, like where to go to school, can be tricky. Think about what you want in the future. Look at the good and bad of each choice. Talk to people who know about it. Pick what feels best for your dreams and goals.
Job Examples
17. solving problems.
Workers brainstorm ways to fix a machine quickly without making things worse when a machine breaks at a factory.
18. Decision Making
A store manager decides which products to order more of based on what's selling best.
19. Setting Goals
A team leader helps their team decide what tasks are most important to finish this month and which can wait.
20. Evaluating Ideas
At a team meeting, everyone shares ideas for a new project. The group discusses each idea's pros and cons before picking one.
21. Handling Conflict
Two workers disagree on how to do a job. Instead of arguing, they talk calmly, listen to each other, and find a solution they both like.
22. Improving Processes
A cashier thinks of a faster way to ring up items so customers don't have to wait as long.
23. Asking Questions
Before starting a big task, an employee asks for clear instructions and checks if they have the necessary tools.
24. Checking Facts
Before presenting a report, someone double-checks all their information to make sure there are no mistakes.
25. Planning for the Future
A business owner thinks about what might happen in the next few years, like new competitors or changes in what customers want, and makes plans based on those thoughts.
26. Understanding Perspectives
A team is designing a new toy. They think about what kids and parents would both like instead of just what they think is fun.
School Examples
27. researching a topic.
For a history project, a student looks up different sources to understand an event from multiple viewpoints.
28. Debating an Issue
In a class discussion, students pick sides on a topic, like school uniforms, and share reasons to support their views.
29. Evaluating Sources
While writing an essay, a student checks if the information from a website is trustworthy or might be biased.
30. Problem Solving in Math
When stuck on a tricky math problem, a student tries different methods to find the answer instead of giving up.
31. Analyzing Literature
In English class, students discuss why a character in a book made certain choices and what those decisions reveal about them.
32. Testing a Hypothesis
For a science experiment, students guess what will happen and then conduct tests to see if they're right or wrong.
33. Giving Peer Feedback
After reading a classmate's essay, a student offers suggestions for improving it.
34. Questioning Assumptions
In a geography lesson, students consider why certain countries are called "developed" and what that label means.
35. Designing a Study
For a psychology project, students plan an experiment to understand how people's memories work and think of ways to ensure accurate results.
36. Interpreting Data
In a science class, students look at charts and graphs from a study, then discuss what the information tells them and if there are any patterns.
Critical Thinking Puzzles
Not all scenarios will have a single correct answer that can be figured out by thinking critically. Sometimes we have to think critically about ethical choices or moral behaviors.
Here are some mind games and scenarios you can solve using critical thinking. You can see the solution(s) at the end of the post.
37. The Farmer, Fox, Chicken, and Grain Problem
A farmer is at a riverbank with a fox, a chicken, and a grain bag. He needs to get all three items across the river. However, his boat can only carry himself and one of the three items at a time.
Here's the challenge:
If the fox is left alone with the chicken, the fox will eat the chicken.
If the chicken is left alone with the grain, the chicken will eat the grain.
How can the farmer get all three items across the river without any item being eaten?
38. The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem
You are in a room with two long ropes hanging from the ceiling. Each rope is just out of arm's reach from the other, so you can't hold onto one rope and reach the other simultaneously.
Your task is to tie the two rope ends together, but you can't move the position where they hang from the ceiling.
You are given a jar full of pebbles. How do you complete the task?
39. The Two Guards Problem
Imagine there are two doors. One door leads to certain doom, and the other leads to freedom. You don't know which is which.
In front of each door stands a guard. One guard always tells the truth. The other guard always lies. You don't know which guard is which.
You can ask only one question to one of the guards. What question should you ask to find the door that leads to freedom?
40. The Hourglass Problem
You have two hourglasses. One measures 7 minutes when turned over, and the other measures 4 minutes. Using just these hourglasses, how can you time exactly 9 minutes?
41. The Lifeboat Dilemma
Imagine you're on a ship that's sinking. You get on a lifeboat, but it's already too full and might flip over.
Nearby in the water, five people are struggling: a scientist close to finding a cure for a sickness, an old couple who've been together for a long time, a mom with three kids waiting at home, and a tired teenager who helped save others but is now in danger.
You can only save one person without making the boat flip. Who would you choose?
42. The Tech Dilemma
You work at a tech company and help make a computer program to help small businesses. You're almost ready to share it with everyone, but you find out there might be a small chance it has a problem that could show users' private info.
If you decide to fix it, you must wait two more months before sharing it. But your bosses want you to share it now. What would you do?
43. The History Mystery
Dr. Amelia is a history expert. She's studying where a group of people traveled long ago. She reads old letters and documents to learn about it. But she finds some letters that tell a different story than what most people believe.
If she says this new story is true, it could change what people learn in school and what they think about history. What should she do?
The Role of Bias in Critical Thinking
Have you ever decided you don’t like someone before you even know them? Or maybe someone shared an idea with you that you immediately loved without even knowing all the details.
This experience is called bias, which occurs when you like or dislike something or someone without a good reason or knowing why. It can also take shape in certain reactions to situations, like a habit or instinct.
Bias comes from our own experiences, what friends or family tell us, or even things we are born believing. Sometimes, bias can help us stay safe, but other times it stops us from seeing the truth.
Not all bias is bad. Bias can be a mechanism for assessing our potential safety in a new situation. If we are biased to think that anything long, thin, and curled up is a snake, we might assume the rope is something to be afraid of before we know it is just a rope.
While bias might serve us in some situations (like jumping out of the way of an actual snake before we have time to process that we need to be jumping out of the way), it often harms our ability to think critically.
How Bias Gets in the Way of Good Thinking
Selective Perception: We only notice things that match our ideas and ignore the rest.
It's like only picking red candies from a mixed bowl because you think they taste the best, but they taste the same as every other candy in the bowl. It could also be when we see all the signs that our partner is cheating on us but choose to ignore them because we are happy the way we are (or at least, we think we are).
Agreeing with Yourself: This is called “ confirmation bias ” when we only listen to ideas that match our own and seek, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms what we already think we know or believe.
An example is when someone wants to know if it is safe to vaccinate their children but already believes that vaccines are not safe, so they only look for information supporting the idea that vaccines are bad.
Thinking We Know It All: Similar to confirmation bias, this is called “overconfidence bias.” Sometimes we think our ideas are the best and don't listen to others. This can stop us from learning.
Have you ever met someone who you consider a “know it”? Probably, they have a lot of overconfidence bias because while they may know many things accurately, they can’t know everything. Still, if they act like they do, they show overconfidence bias.
There's a weird kind of bias similar to this called the Dunning Kruger Effect, and that is when someone is bad at what they do, but they believe and act like they are the best .
Following the Crowd: This is formally called “groupthink”. It's hard to speak up with a different idea if everyone agrees. But this can lead to mistakes.
An example of this we’ve all likely seen is the cool clique in primary school. There is usually one person that is the head of the group, the “coolest kid in school”, and everyone listens to them and does what they want, even if they don’t think it’s a good idea.
How to Overcome Biases
Here are a few ways to learn to think better, free from our biases (or at least aware of them!).
Know Your Biases: Realize that everyone has biases. If we know about them, we can think better.
Listen to Different People: Talking to different kinds of people can give us new ideas.
Ask Why: Always ask yourself why you believe something. Is it true, or is it just a bias?
Understand Others: Try to think about how others feel. It helps you see things in new ways.
Keep Learning: Always be curious and open to new information.
In today's world, everything changes fast, and there's so much information everywhere. This makes critical thinking super important. It helps us distinguish between what's real and what's made up. It also helps us make good choices. But thinking this way can be tough sometimes because of biases. These are like sneaky thoughts that can trick us. The good news is we can learn to see them and think better.
There are cool tools and ways we've talked about, like the "Socratic Questioning" method and the "Six Thinking Hats." These tools help us get better at thinking. These thinking skills can also help us in school, work, and everyday life.
We’ve also looked at specific scenarios where critical thinking would be helpful, such as deciding what diet to follow and checking facts.
Thinking isn't just a skill—it's a special talent we improve over time. Working on it lets us see things more clearly and understand the world better. So, keep practicing and asking questions! It'll make you a smarter thinker and help you see the world differently.
Critical Thinking Puzzles (Solutions)
The farmer, fox, chicken, and grain problem.
The farmer first takes the chicken across the river and leaves it on the other side.
He returns to the original side and takes the fox across the river.
After leaving the fox on the other side, he returns the chicken to the starting side.
He leaves the chicken on the starting side and takes the grain bag across the river.
He leaves the grain with the fox on the other side and returns to get the chicken.
The farmer takes the chicken across, and now all three items -- the fox, the chicken, and the grain -- are safely on the other side of the river.
The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem
Take one rope and tie the jar of pebbles to its end.
Swing the rope with the jar in a pendulum motion.
While the rope is swinging, grab the other rope and wait.
As the swinging rope comes back within reach due to its pendulum motion, grab it.
With both ropes within reach, untie the jar and tie the rope ends together.
The Two Guards Problem
The question is, "What would the other guard say is the door to doom?" Then choose the opposite door.
The Hourglass Problem
Start both hourglasses.
When the 4-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over.
When the 7-minute hourglass runs out, the 4-minute hourglass will have been running for 3 minutes. Turn the 7-minute hourglass over.
When the 4-minute hourglass runs out for the second time (a total of 8 minutes have passed), the 7-minute hourglass will run for 1 minute. Turn the 7-minute hourglass again for 1 minute to empty the hourglass (a total of 9 minutes passed).
The Boat and Weights Problem
Take the cat over first and leave it on the other side. Then, return and take the fish across next. When you get there, take the cat back with you. Leave the cat on the starting side and take the cat food across. Lastly, return to get the cat and bring it to the other side.
The Lifeboat Dilemma
There isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:
Moral Principles: What values guide your decision? Is it the potential greater good for humanity (the scientist)? What is the value of long-standing love and commitment (the elderly couple)? What is the future of young children who depend on their mothers? Or the selfless bravery of the teenager?
Future Implications: Consider the future consequences of each choice. Saving the scientist might benefit millions in the future, but what moral message does it send about the value of individual lives?
Emotional vs. Logical Thinking: While it's essential to engage empathy, it's also crucial not to let emotions cloud judgment entirely. For instance, while the teenager's bravery is commendable, does it make him more deserving of a spot on the boat than the others?
Acknowledging Uncertainty: The scientist claims to be close to a significant breakthrough, but there's no certainty. How does this uncertainty factor into your decision?
Personal Bias: Recognize and challenge any personal biases, such as biases towards age, profession, or familial status.
The Tech Dilemma
Again, there isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:
Evaluate the Risk: How severe is the potential vulnerability? Can it be easily exploited, or would it require significant expertise? Even if the circumstances are rare, what would be the consequences if the vulnerability were exploited?
Stakeholder Considerations: Different stakeholders will have different priorities. Upper management might prioritize financial projections, the marketing team might be concerned about the product's reputation, and customers might prioritize the security of their data. How do you balance these competing interests?
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Implications: While launching on time could meet immediate financial goals, consider the potential long-term damage to the company's reputation if the vulnerability is exploited. Would the short-term gains be worth the potential long-term costs?
Ethical Implications : Beyond the financial and reputational aspects, there's an ethical dimension to consider. Is it right to release a product with a known vulnerability, even if the chances of it being exploited are low?
Seek External Input: Consulting with cybersecurity experts outside your company might be beneficial. They could provide a more objective risk assessment and potential mitigation strategies.
Communication: How will you communicate the decision, whatever it may be, both internally to your team and upper management and externally to your customers and potential users?
The History Mystery
Dr. Amelia should take the following steps:
Verify the Letters: Before making any claims, she should check if the letters are actual and not fake. She can do this by seeing when and where they were written and if they match with other things from that time.
Get a Second Opinion: It's always good to have someone else look at what you've found. Dr. Amelia could show the letters to other history experts and see their thoughts.
Research More: Maybe there are more documents or letters out there that support this new story. Dr. Amelia should keep looking to see if she can find more evidence.
Share the Findings: If Dr. Amelia believes the letters are true after all her checks, she should tell others. This can be through books, talks, or articles.
Stay Open to Feedback: Some people might agree with Dr. Amelia, and others might not. She should listen to everyone and be ready to learn more or change her mind if new information arises.
Ultimately, Dr. Amelia's job is to find out the truth about history and share it. It's okay if this new truth differs from what people used to believe. History is about learning from the past, no matter the story.
Related posts:
Experimenter Bias (Definition + Examples)
Hasty Generalization Fallacy (31 Examples + Similar Names)
Ad Hoc Fallacy (29 Examples + Other Names)
Confirmation Bias (Examples + Definition)
Equivocation Fallacy (26 Examples + Description)
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What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples
What Is Critical Thinking? | Definition & Examples
Published on May 30, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on May 31, 2023.
Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment .
To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources .
Critical thinking skills help you to:
Identify credible sources
Evaluate and respond to arguments
Assess alternative viewpoints
Test hypotheses against relevant criteria
Table of contents
Why is critical thinking important, critical thinking examples, how to think critically, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about critical thinking.
Critical thinking is important for making judgments about sources of information and forming your own arguments. It emphasizes a rational, objective, and self-aware approach that can help you to identify credible sources and strengthen your conclusions.
Critical thinking is important in all disciplines and throughout all stages of the research process . The types of evidence used in the sciences and in the humanities may differ, but critical thinking skills are relevant to both.
In academic writing , critical thinking can help you to determine whether a source:
Is free from research bias
Provides evidence to support its research findings
Considers alternative viewpoints
Outside of academia, critical thinking goes hand in hand with information literacy to help you form opinions rationally and engage independently and critically with popular media.
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Critical thinking can help you to identify reliable sources of information that you can cite in your research paper . It can also guide your own research methods and inform your own arguments.
Outside of academia, critical thinking can help you to be aware of both your own and others’ biases and assumptions.
Academic examples
However, when you compare the findings of the study with other current research, you determine that the results seem improbable. You analyze the paper again, consulting the sources it cites.
You notice that the research was funded by the pharmaceutical company that created the treatment. Because of this, you view its results skeptically and determine that more independent research is necessary to confirm or refute them. Example: Poor critical thinking in an academic context You’re researching a paper on the impact wireless technology has had on developing countries that previously did not have large-scale communications infrastructure. You read an article that seems to confirm your hypothesis: the impact is mainly positive. Rather than evaluating the research methodology, you accept the findings uncritically.
Nonacademic examples
However, you decide to compare this review article with consumer reviews on a different site. You find that these reviews are not as positive. Some customers have had problems installing the alarm, and some have noted that it activates for no apparent reason.
You revisit the original review article. You notice that the words “sponsored content” appear in small print under the article title. Based on this, you conclude that the review is advertising and is therefore not an unbiased source. Example: Poor critical thinking in a nonacademic context You support a candidate in an upcoming election. You visit an online news site affiliated with their political party and read an article that criticizes their opponent. The article claims that the opponent is inexperienced in politics. You accept this without evidence, because it fits your preconceptions about the opponent.
There is no single way to think critically. How you engage with information will depend on the type of source you’re using and the information you need.
However, you can engage with sources in a systematic and critical way by asking certain questions when you encounter information. Like the CRAAP test , these questions focus on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.
When encountering information, ask:
Who is the author? Are they an expert in their field?
What do they say? Is their argument clear? Can you summarize it?
When did they say this? Is the source current?
Where is the information published? Is it an academic article? Is it peer-reviewed ?
Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence? Does it rely on opinion, speculation, or appeals to emotion ? Do they address alternative arguments?
Critical thinking also involves being aware of your own biases, not only those of others. When you make an argument or draw your own conclusions, you can ask similar questions about your own writing:
Am I only considering evidence that supports my preconceptions?
Is my argument expressed clearly and backed up with credible sources?
Would I be convinced by this argument coming from someone else?
If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
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Using ChatGPT for your studies
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Common knowledge
Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.
Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.
Critical thinking skills include the ability to:
You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.
Ask questions such as:
Who is the author? Are they an expert?
How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?
A credible source should pass the CRAAP test and follow these guidelines:
The information should be up to date and current.
The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.
Information literacy refers to a broad range of skills, including the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources of information effectively.
Being information literate means that you:
Know how to find credible sources
Use relevant sources to inform your research
Understand what constitutes plagiarism
Know how to cite your sources correctly
Confirmation bias is the tendency to search, interpret, and recall information in a way that aligns with our pre-existing values, opinions, or beliefs. It refers to the ability to recollect information best when it amplifies what we already believe. Relatedly, we tend to forget information that contradicts our opinions.
Although selective recall is a component of confirmation bias, it should not be confused with recall bias.
On the other hand, recall bias refers to the differences in the ability between study participants to recall past events when self-reporting is used. This difference in accuracy or completeness of recollection is not related to beliefs or opinions. Rather, recall bias relates to other factors, such as the length of the recall period, age, and the characteristics of the disease under investigation.
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Mid-ohio valley climate corner: finding reliable climate information on youtube.
YouTube and other media have reliable information, but finding it relies on critical thinking and reviewing who presented and what bias might they have or incentives to mislead, the same way books and other publications should be scrutinized. You might think a librarian would steer readers away from user-generated content, but some of those content creators are certified and verifiable experts with a pattern of disclosure of sources (instead of self proclaimed and “trust me” attitudes).
This week in the MOV and broader region was brutal with a 90+F heat dome. I thought while spending time indoors next week or in the next heat wave readers might explore some media which can be both entertaining and reliable information on climate and ways to take steps to reduce energy use at home and work. I’m including both a specific video to watch from each YouTube Channel, but encourage you to explore their other content.
My top 10 channels on climate and energy:
1. Just Have A Think: A coal power station without coal! How a Win-Win solution could save an industry.
2. Simon Clark: Why aren’t we all using heat pumps?
3. ClimateAdam: Is Global Warming Speeding Up?
4. Matt Risinger “The Build Show:” 2024 Heat Pump Water Heater Buyers Guide
5. PBS Terra: Save the Planet? In THIS economy? Pffft
6. Practical Engineering: Connecting Solar to the Grid is Harder Than You Think
7. Climate Town: Natural Gas is Scamming America
8. HASI (podcast): Enabling global emission matching with data Driven RECs
10. Undecided with Matt Ferrell: Is It Time to Start Cooking With Magnets?
Bonus video: Rethinking the way we think of electric peak power. A startup in Texas called Base Power, installs batteries to give back power at peak times to time-shift low power cost availability. Growth in renewables can make them reliable and able to be dispatched when power is needed.
I hope you take a moment and watch these videos and listen to what they cover about a variety of climate issues. Think about what you want for the future of the Mid-Ohio Valley. I would like to see more renewable energy being installed to diversify our tax base and energy supply.
From my experience working with local trades, we need training to bring installations and construction into line with best practices for energy efficiency. We need building codes that will save building occupants energy and costs in the long term, not just cheap and easy to construct, but affordable over time.
What skills do you see the MOV needing developed and which are strong and ready to support new business opportunities? Ask elected officials when we will have a regional climate resiliency plan for economic development and risk management?
I would like to invite you to visit the MOVCA tent this weekend at the Multicultural Festival in City Park, Parkersburg. Introduce yourself, talk about what you learned from a video or share what you would like to learn/do about climate and the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Jonathan Brier is a Marietta resident, information scientist, data librarian, and an Eagle Scout. He is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery, American Association for the Advancement of Science, OpenStreetMap US, Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action, and a Wikipedia contributor. Visit https://brierjon.com or email: [email protected]
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Breaking the Fourth Wall: Fiction Meets Reality in ARG Trust No One
Real-world interactions blend with in-game narratives
Community collaboration
Real-world research and critical thinking
Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) have revolutionized the way players interact with games by breaking the fourth wall, blending fiction with reality, and creating immersive experiences that extend beyond traditional gaming boundaries. Trust No One epitomizes this innovative approach, engaging you on a deeper level by integrating real-world elements into its narrative.
Breaking the Fourth Wall
In traditional media, breaking the fourth wall refers to characters acknowledging the audience’s existence, thereby disrupting the imaginary “wall” separating them from the viewer. Trust No One pushes this further by dissolving the boundary between the game and the real world. Players are not just passive consumers of a story; they become active participants, influencing the narrative and engaging with real-world elements to advance the plot.
Immersion Through Real-World Interaction
Trust No One , developed by Triomatica Games, is a prime example enhancing player engagement by breaking the fourth wall. Set in Kyiv, you take on the role of a journalist investigating a mysterious AI company. You must use external resources such as internet searches and real-world clues to solve puzzles, creating a seamless blend of digital and physical realities.
This immersive approach to gameplay makes you feel like you are part of the game’s world. By stepping outside the confines of the game itself, you engage more deeply with the narrative, experiencing a sense of involvement and urgency that traditional games often lack. The real-world interaction fosters a connection to the game’s story, making the experience more personal and impactful.
Community and Collaboration
ARGs often rely on community collaboration to solve complex puzzles and uncover hidden narratives. Trust No One encourages players to share discoveries and work together to piece together the story. This collaborative aspect builds a sense of community among players. Online forums, social media groups, and dedicated websites become integral parts of the gaming experience, where players can exchange information, theories, and solutions.
The social dimension of Trust No One transforms the gaming experience into a collective journey, where you feel part of a larger effort. But what if your cooperative mate is one of the game’s characters? You are going to communicate with one of the game characters via real email in order to progress in Trust No One .
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
By breaking the fourth wall, Trust No One also enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills. You must think creatively, analyze real-world information, and connect disparate clues to progress. You are going to analyze in-game clues and connect them to real-world information, like addresses of real places in Kyiv. By the way, all game locations have their real-world prototypes and even have their real addresses, so you can check them all on Bing Maps.
In Trust No One , the puzzles are designed to be challenging and require you to engage with various external sources. This level of complexity and the need for real-world research encourages you to develop a more analytical and resourceful mindset, benefiting your problem-solving abilities both within and outside the game.
Would you Like to Try It?
Breaking the fourth wall in Trust No One significantly enhances your engagement by merging the fictional world with reality, fostering community collaboration, and encouraging critical thinking. This unique and immersive experience will captivate you and keeps you invested in the narrative long after you’ve put down you controller. By continuing to innovate and blur the lines between game and reality, Trust No One is at the forefront of interactive storytelling, offering you new ways to engage with and influence the worlds you explore.
Only you decide what your next step will be. Trust No One has a completely open world with more than 300 locations to explore. Try it and see where it leads you.
Feel like a journalist in the real Kyiv, unravelling a mysterious web of clues that lead you to an unexpected finale.
Available on Xbox Series and Xbox One Today. And remember: Trust No One.
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Breaking the fourth wall in Trust No One significantly enhances your engagement by merging the fictional world with reality, fostering community collaboration, and encouraging critical thinking. This unique and immersive experience will captivate you and keeps you invested in the narrative long after you've put down you controller.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Critical Thinking Exercises: Like any athletic skill, critical thinking requires practice. Here, we'll look at some common critical thinking exercises that you can adapt for use in sport. Reading Exercise: Take a magazine and choose a few articles that interest you. After reading each one, make a list of the key facts, ideas, and ...
Critical Thinking in Sport. Meaning of critical thinking. Ennis defined critical thinking as "reasonable and reflective thinking that focuses on deciding what to believe to do" (Ennis 1987, p.10). Beyer views critical thinking as an evaluative skill that allows an individual to assess information in order to make a judgment on its validity ...
Athletic success demands critical thinking skills. As you progress as an athlete you must be able to think through both positive and negative athletic outcomes without being hard on yourself. The development of critical thinking skills can mean the difference between staying with the sport you love or abandoning it altogether.
This book provides all those involved in the study of sport with the tools to assess, construct and present arguments and to analyse and evaluate material. The emphasis is on the application of critical thinking - in the form of written arguments, discussion and negotiation. Throughout, the text and examples are presented within the context ...
The value of sports in higher education is not typically linked to critical-thinking skills. However, Stanford English Professor Blakey Vermeule says that talking about and understanding the ...
Critical Thinking for Sports Students. Emily Ryall. SAGE, Apr 26, 2010 - Sports & Recreation - 144 pages. "A really useful textbook to help undergraduate students construct arguments in their writing, and raise their writing abilities to a higher level. The book also provides useful examples that relates to sports students."
This book presents an introduction to critical thinking for sports students at degree or foundation degree level. The text elucidates applications of critical thinking through sport-based examples,...
Critical thinking (CT) was defined as "cognitive skills of analyzing, applying standards, discriminating, information seeking, logical reasoning, predicting, and transforming knowledge" (Scheffer ...
This book provides all those involved in the study of sport with the tools to assess, construct and present arguments and to analyse and evaluate material. The emphasis is on the application of critical thinking - in the form of written arguments, discussion and negotiation. Throughout, the text and examples are presented within the context ...
However, there is little investigation about the effects of critical thinking among athletes in sport competition and the contribution of this thinking skill with fighting spirit. One of the important components of education and an influential source in human being's life is critical thinking which is broadly considered by humanistic ...
Step One: Understand the rules of the game. Before you can step onto the court it's important to understand the rules of the game. If you're a soccer player, the rules of basketball won't help you. Similarly, you won't get far if you start kicking the ball in the middle of a basketball game. Each game has its own set of guidelines, and ...
The goal of studying sport and its impact on society is to teach students how to think critically about what we are doing in this field. Students will learn to identify and understand what type of social problems and issues are associated with sport. Sport management students are asked to look beyond the statistics and see sport as a social ...
Many articles identify and expound on the need for critical thinking pedagogy allied with sound moral and ethical thought and behaviour. This paper seeks to identify the central aspects of critical thinking within the ethical conceptual terms of ontology, epistemology, and axiology for sport management pedagogy.
Critical Thinking for Sports Students provides all those involved in the study of sport with the tools to assess, construct, and present arguments and to analyse and evaluate material. The emphasis is on the application of critical thinking in the form of written arguments, discussion, and negotiation. Throughout, the text and examples are ...
One task for a critical philosophy of sport is an ethics of competition that takes seriously the epistemological chauvinisms that make it possible to think about winners and losers, competition and rivalry, in particular ways. In sport, the relationship between competitors and the competition is intriguing and, here, productive.
The value of sports in higher education is not typically linked to critical- thinking skills. 1/6. However, Stanford English Professor Blakey Vermeule says that talking about and understanding the ...
Sport Management Review, 2007,10, 133-158 2007 SMAANZ Critical and Ethical Thinking in Sport Management: Philosophical Rationales and Examples of ~ethods KEYWORDS: critical thinking, ethics, epistemology, ontology, pedagogy Dwight H. Zakus Griffith University David Cruise Malloy University of Regina Allan Edwards Griffith University Critical thinking is recognised as a necessary central ...
Critical thinking skills examples. There are six main skills you can develop to successfully analyze facts and situations and come up with logical conclusions: 1. Analytical thinking. Being able to properly analyze information is the most important aspect of critical thinking. This implies gathering information and interpreting it, but also ...
Critical Thinking in Sport Managing and Leading As introduced in chapter 1, critical thinking skills are important for the management of human resources in the sport industry. Leaders and managers should base their deci-sions and actions on rational, factual, and objective information. Caring about others
There are many resources to help you determine if information sources are factual or not. 7. Socratic Questioning. This way of thinking is called the Socrates Method, named after an old-time thinker from Greece. It's about asking lots of questions to understand a topic.
Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment. To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources. Critical thinking skills help you to: Identify credible sources. Evaluate and respond to arguments.
Indeed, critical thinking on some content may lead to descriptive or evaluative thinking on other content. For example, coaches reflecting on technical sport-specific detail in critical ways (e.g. how have I come to think in these ways about this attacking strategy?) were then found to offer a descriptive consideration of relations of power and ...
Only around 3% of Filipino students can match the creative thinking abilities of the average student in Singapore, based on Philstar.com's analysis of the publicly available PISA scores.
YouTube and other media have reliable information, but finding it relies on critical thinking and reviewing who presented and what bias might they have or incentives to mislead, the same way books ...
Breaking the fourth wall in Trust No One significantly enhances your engagement by merging the fictional world with reality, fostering community collaboration, and encouraging critical thinking. This unique and immersive experience will captivate you and keeps you invested in the narrative long after you've put down you controller.