Critical Thinking

"...the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions"
Halpern, Diane F. Thought and Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical Thinking. 1996.

"The purpose of critical thinking is, therefore, to achieve understanding, evaluate view points, and solve problems. Since all three areas involve the asking of questions, we can say that critical thinking is the questioning or inquiry we engage in when we seek to understand, evaluate, or resolve."
Maiorana, Victor P. Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum: Building the Analytical Classroom. 1992.

"...understanding the meaning of a statement, judging ambiguity, judging whether an inductive conclusion is warranted, and judging whether statements made by authorities are acceptable."
Smith, 1990.

"...the art of thinking about your thinking while you are thinking in order to make your thinking better: more clear, more accurate, or more defensible."

"...integrate information and see relationships; evaluate information, materials, and data by drawing inferences, arriving at reasonable and informed conclusions, applying understanding and knowledge to new and different problems, developing rational and reasonable interpretations, suspending beliefs and remaining open to new information, methods, cultural systems, values and beliefs and by assimilating information."
MCC General Education Initiatives


When I hear the words critical thinking, I usually associate the concept with "thinking outside the box." I used to associate it with a more linear approach, such as that depicted by the first quote by Halpren: solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions. Now, however, I see it more as MCC General Education Initiatives' view: integratig information and seeing relationships - ultimately forming your own conclusions through a combination of evaluating new data as well as arriving at reasonable and informed interpretations of your own. I have ultimately come to define critical thinking as questioning the question and challenging the conclusion. It is taking a step back from the prompt, sifting through data, doubting findings, judging your own thoughts, understanding what is in front of you, and forming a conclusion. This is essential in writing a hypertext as it is essentially what your hypertext consists of: a collection of findings linked together - a map of your thoughts to some degree.