Critical Thinking Exercise

“Critical thinking is deciding rationally what to or what not to believe."

With the vast amount of information that is available in the Internet, I believe that critical thinking is meticulously going through one’s chosen sources and filtering them, deciding which source would be useful or irrelevant to the writing of the hypertext. Information on almost any subject can be found online but a writer must always have a clear focus on what his topic is and at the same time, be open to different standpoints, approaches and opinions. The writer may have his own personal stand at the beginning, but as he researches, it is inevitable that he will find accounts or research that challenges his own beliefs. If he is truly a critical thinker, then he would analyze that piece of information instead of merely disregarding it and would find an effective way to integrate the two (or more) opposing viewpoints in his writing.

“Critical thinking is careful and deliberate determination of whether to accept, reject, or suspend judgment.”

In the writing of my hypertext, I found it invaluable to look for and include first person accounts in my hypertext. By presenting these stories in my hypertexts, I attempt to establish within the reader a more empathic connection with the topic of my hypertext. However, it is important to note that in these first person accounts, the opinion and the experience of the narrator must be respected. These people have bravely shared their stories and these stories must be used with utmost care and thought in enriching the reader’s learning experience in the hypertext. Critical thinking, in relation to hypertext writing, is also to know how to use the various research materials in the most effective way.