Critical Thinking Rubric
The ability to mentally grasp the existence of circumstances or situations which do not conform with what would normally be expected (i.e. a problem), and then reason through, not only to the whys of how the circumstance came to be (including determining whether or not such whys are pertinent), but how to resolve the situation to as near a normal state as possible, is called critical thinking. Training students to think critically is the ultimate goal of higher education, and perhaps all education, regardless of the designated area of study. The individual who has acquired the skills necessary to think critically will find his or her life enriched and doors opened, both personally and professionally, which would not be accessible otherwise.
Traditionally, critical thinking was a natural off-shoot of biblical study. Those who worked with the Bible with an eye to understanding the truths found therein, wrestled with the whys and hows of application of God’s truth to the real needs in their own and others lives. Unfortunately, the professionalization of the clergy has led to their interpretations becoming dogma with little challenge or critical thinking. A situation which parallels in many respects what had occurred with the Pharisees in Jesus’ day and the Catholic church in the Middle Ages. This blind acceptance of dogma has led to a laxity of mental application and critical thought. In other words, laziness and shallow thinking abound.
The true role of higher education in my mind is to renew an emphasis upon critical thinking which goes beyond the tepid waters of half-hearted faith to find the intersection of God’s light upon man’s path. True critical thinking will enable the individual to find and apply truth in scripture as well as from all of creation. The critical thinker can operate wherever placed because his/her ability to process information has the mental tools to solve problems and find solutions, whether interpreting scripture, solving relationship problems or managing a fortune 500 company.
The actual process of critical thinking can be acquired by most, if not all, who will apply themselves to the basic formula:
Observe/Identify
Interpret/Analyze
Apply/Recommend
These three components are described below.
Observe/Identify
Situationally, this means the ability to grasp the reality of a problem, or at least to recognize the existence of less than ideal circumstances, with an eye to rectifying the situation. This demands an awareness of context since everything whether written, spoken, or existent has a connection to something else. The connections themselves are often clues to the solution, but definitely add meaning to the problem. Basically this step identifies the problem as presented by the symptoms of dysfunction, but doesn't ignore the possibility of "referred" symptoms. Defining the real problem versus the seemingly obvious problem is often the most difficult part of the process.
Some of the questions which can be asked to determine these connections and their relevance to the situation are:
What is the issue? (can you articulate what you perceive the problem to be?)
Who is in charge? (who has the responsibility for the existence of the situation and who has the responsibility for correcting the situation?)
What will happen if the situation is not addressed? or if the person in charge does not act?
What is the history? (very little occurs without a history)
Who are the players? (relationships are the key to life and the connections between people can have a profound effect upon a situation)
What other assumptions need to be considered? (culture, politics, economics, etc.)
Who can I contact for more information/consultation?
Interpret/Analyze
Interpretation/Analysis requires the individual to discern the “real” from the “felt” and the interplay of factors which have bearing on the situation and the possible solutions. Practically, this means to understand how a problem came to be, determine options for the solution and propose ways to have a positive result should it happen again. Scripturally, it means to discover the meaning of a passage from the context, grammar, and historical background which contains truth specific for current reality.
The next step in the process of critical thinking is the ability to take the information which has been observed and interpret or analyze the information to determine:
The real problem
What could be the outcome/results ramifications of the problem upon the relational, institutional, economic, etc., affected parties (i.e. what is the best and worst case scenario if the problem is not resolved).
Whether or not a solution can be offered which will have a positive benefit
What solutions can be offered and what are their relative “cost” (cost is more than just financial, it includes time, energy, resources and relational stress).
Some questions which could be asked to facilitate the analysis include:
Why is this an issue?
What makes this different from before?/What has changed?
What outside forces are involved?
What facts do we have?
What additional information/facts can be deduced from analyzing the facts/data available.
What are the desired results?
What are the "real" issues?
What, if any, are the primary emotional needs NOT being met.
Apply/Recommend
This final step in the process takes all of the above information and determines which of the proposed solutions has the best chance of success in relationship to the cost of the decision. No decision which costs beyond what is willing to be paid, either in actual funds or relational stress, is an option, regardless of its ability to address the problem. A good rule of thumb here is that no solution should be considered unless the one proposing it is willing to share the cost personally in equal or greater measure than the other parties involved.
Once the solution has been settled upon, the implementation of the solution should be carefully considered as timing always plays a role. Solutions which do not culminate in implementation are basically useless. When dealing with scripture, this step is what separates the scholar from the holy man, i.e. head knowledge from heart knowledge. Scripture which is studied and understood, must be applied for God’s power to be unleashed in that individual . . . and the world. Practically, the willingness of an individual to invest in bringing solution is one of the truest signs of leadership. Thus, there is a direct connection between critical thinking skills and leadership.
Example of a real life situation/illustration:
Observe/Identify: I observed that my car was making a flapping noise and pulled strongly to the right as I started driving it. I stopped the car and identified that the right front tire was flat.
Interpret/Analyze: I examined the tire to determine if there were obvious cut marks. I then examined my options: change the tire (do I have a spare and a jack?), call a friend for help (do I remember the phone number and who is available?), call AAA (is my membership up to date?), flag down another driver for help (is this really safe?), leave the car where it is and go on with life (can I afford to do this and will I incur a fine of some kind?).
Apply/Recommend: After looking at my options I decide to change the tire myself. At this point I can sit back and let the decision work its magic (which means I will be waiting forever, or at least until the police come), or I can get to work changing the tire. I also decided it would be a good idea to periodically check the tires for wear and proper inflation.
1
No comments:
Post a Comment