Business Writing Firefly Electric and Lighting Corp. Training and Organizational Development Human Resources Department

Transcription

1 Business Writing Firefly Electric and Lighting Corp. Training and Organizational Development Human Resources Department Module 5 Developing Core Thinking Skills

2 Business Writing Firefly Electric and Lighting Corp. Training and Organizational Development Human Resources Department Module 5 Lesson 2b

3 Module 5 The quality of our life and what we produce, make or build depend on precisely the quality of our thoughts. We acquire knowledge through cognitive skills, that is, the mental processes of knowing and understanding, including such aspects as awareness, attention, perception and reasoning. As we grow older, we use these skills as bases to perform higher mental processes such as interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation and self regulation.

4 The process of constructing knowledge can be broken down into four steps: exposure to new knowledge or experience, thinking about it with discernment, assessing it on the basis of old knowledge, and using the information to form a decision or to act.

5 Construction of knowledge involves a progressive building of learning skills from basic cognitive skills such as attention, memory and thinking to higher skills such as interpretation, analysis, inference evaluation, explanation and self- regulation. These skills constitute the critical thinking skills.

6 reason clarify explain classify 2

7 Definition: Critical thinking is a deliberative thought process in which one uses a set of metacognitive or higher-level thinking skills to consider the issue and at the conclusion make a judgment on what to believe or a decision about what to do.

8 The six core critical thinking skills are: 1) Interpretation 2) Analysis 3) Inference 4) Evaluation 5) Explanation 6) Self-regulation Each of these core critical thinking skills have sub-skills that further expand one s understanding of the presented information.

9 Evaluation

10 Evaluation refers to the act of examining or considering something in order to judge its value, quality, importance, extent or condition in order to measure the validity of the information at hand. It implies being able to assess the credibility of statements or descriptions of a person s experience, judgment or opinion.

11 Sub-skills of evaluation: a. Assessing credibility of claims refers to any attempt to ascertain the truthfulness of a claim. Evaluation is made based on the credibility of the source of information Example 1: A child asserts that he/she has been sexually abused. Assessment is made by questioning the child carefully and having him/her undergo a medical examination for any physical evidence.

12 Example 2: A suspect in a criminal investigation denies he has committed the crime. In assessing his credibility, the investigator will have to assess the veracity of his statement through various means: whether there was a credible witness who could attest to the truth of his statement; through a polygraph test to tell whether he is telling a truth or a lie; whether there are trustworthy persons who can vouch for his innocence.

13 b. Assessing the quality of arguments that were made using inductive or deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is a type of reasoning that move from specific instances to generalized conclusion. In most cases, specific instances do not represent the entire population, that a weak and invalid conclusion results.

14 Example of faulty inductive reasoning: Andrew is the elder brother of David. He is good in Math. Patrick is the elder brother of Charles. He is also good in Math. Ian is the elder brother of Neil. He, too, is good in Math. Therefore all elder brothers are good in Math. This is an invalid conclusion because not all elder brothers are good in Math.

15 Deductive reasoning is a type of reasoning that move from generalized principles that are known to be true to a true and specific conclusions. Example of deductive reasoning: All mammals are warm blooded. Porpoises are marine mammals. Therefore, all porpoises are warm blooded.

16 Explanation

17 Explanation refers to the ability of being able to restate the information, to add clarity and an objective assessment to the information, giving all aspects their comparative importance. It provides a series of statement used to clarify something that is already accepted as a matter of fact. With clarification, a new knowledge is introduced.

18 Example: Smoke appears because of fire. Smoke is produced by suspension of carbon particles released when a flammable material is heated in the presence of oxygen at ignition point. Smoke is accepted as a matter of fact. New knowledge introduced by the explanation are suspension of carbon particles, presence of oxygen, flammable material and ignition point.

19 Some of the new knowledge may need further explanation. In the example given, depending on the grade level of the reader, explanation may be necessary for flammable and ignition point.

20 self-regulation

21 Self-regulation refers to the consistent monitoring of our behavior, thoughts and strategies and the ability to change our current functioning in order to meet certain standards, achieve certain goals and reach certain ideals. This involves applying skills and analysis and an evaluation of one s inferential judgment as to confirm, validate or correct one s results or reasoning.

22 Another definition: Self-regulation refers to the ability to stay calmly focused and alert to better integrate the diverse information coming from one s different senses, assimilates these information and sequences his thoughts and actions. The better a person can self-regulate, the better he can rise to the challenge of mastering more complex skills and concepts.

23 Sub-skills of self-regulation: a. Self examination or self-monitoring refers to the process of watching over one s conduct at regular intervals, directing one s behavior and restraining impulses so as to ensure that proper conduct is maintained. This involves being aware of one s personal biases so that these will not interfere in making a wise judgment or wise decision.

24 Self-monitoring serves the following purposes: to communicate an emotional state to conceal an inappropriate emotional state and display apathy or an appropriate emotional state. To appear to be experiencing an appropriate emotional state when the reality is apathy or some other contrary emotional state.

25 to communicate an emotional state Example: Three year old Elise cried because her pet kitten was ran over by a speeding car. Her mother saw her puffy eyes and understood that she was very sad because she lost her pet to which she is very much attached.

26 to conceal an inappropriate emotional state and display apathy or an appropriate emotional state. Example: Little Agnes would cry and scream every time she didn t get what she wanted. Her mother would ignore her tantrums. She observed that every time her brother asked for something their mother would readily grant it. She decided to follow her brother s example and her mother also granted it. From then on, she changed her behavior.

27 To appear to be experiencing an appropriate emotional state when the reality is apathy or some other contrary emotional state. Example: The girl Emily did not like the girl who was fired from her job. When Emily met her at the grocery store, she expressed sympathy hiding the fact that she could not care less or she is rejoicing because the girl was dismissed.

28 b. Self- correction refers to the act of automatically adjusting to or modifying something in order to make it acceptable, or bring it up to a standard. Self correction may apply to behavior and in most cases to learning. It demonstrates comprehension, awareness and responsibility for one s behavior and /or language. He/she obviously understands the mistake and makes the necessary adjustment.

29 Thus when one makes the necessary correction to a newly taught information, it demonstrates that he/she has absorbed the information. He/she develops self-reliance and self-sufficiency as he relies on his/her current skills to correct the mistake and hones these skills further equipping him with improved skills for use in the real world.

30 Advantages of self-correction: a) trains learners to listen to themselves, taking a few seconds to formulate their thoughts. b) helps learners to take responsibility for their learning. c) helps learners gain awareness of their language learning processes. d) makes learners more autonomous in their learning by becoming increasing less dependent on others, i.e. their mentors

31 e) boosts the learner s self-confidence. f) allow learners to gauge their own problem areas and work on improving them. Example 1: Lourdes has become aware of her tendency to drop or interchange letters when she writes. This awareness makes her scrutinize her writings as she writes and therefore minimize if not entirely eliminate this tendency.

32 Example 2: Errol s mother called his attention on his tendency to just barge in when people are conversing. He become aware of this fault and strove to correct it. Gradually, because of his awareness of this fault and striving to overcome it, he was able to overcome it and become respectful.

33 CORE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS Let s Review

34 Choose which of the given choices below is the best answer. 1. Self monitoring includes a) displaying appropriate emotional state b) being aware of personal biases c) observing proper conduct d) restraining impulses e) all of the above

35 2. Judging the value, quality, importance, extent or condition to be able to ensure the validity of a given knowledge falls under a) interpretation b) self-regulation c) analysis d) explanation e) evaluation

36 3. Faulty inductive reasoning can affect a) interpretation b) self regulation c) analysis d) explanation e) evaluation

37 4. Which of these can boost a learner s self confidence? a) self-regulation b) analysis c) inference d) evaluation e) explanation

38 5. When a series of statements s used to clarify something, the critical thinking skills used is: a) analysis b) inference c) explanation d) self- regulation e) evaluation

39 6. Which of these is not part of selfmonitoring? a) regular interval check of one s conduct b) making an objective account of available information c) objectivity in viewing personal biases d) using one s inferential judgment e) all of the above.

40 7. Which of these statements is false? a) A person can do critical thinking without developing basic thinking skills. b) End result of critical thinking is the formulation of judgment and /or decision c) An attempt to ascertain the truthfulness of a claim is a basis used in evaluation d) A polygraph test is used to assess a person s credibility e) Basic cognitive skills can be taught at any age.

41 8. Change in behavior is a function of: a) analysis b) explanation c) self-regulation d) inference e) evaluation

42 If you got a score of 3 or less in the practice exercises, please review the lessons on before taking the quiz.

43 Choose which of the given choices below is the best answer. 1. Self monitoring includes a) displaying appropriate emotional state b) being aware of personal biases c) observing proper conduct d) restraining impulses e) all of the above

44 2. Judging the value, quality, importance, extent or condition to be able to ensure the validity of a given knowledge falls under a) interpretation b) self-regulation c) analysis d) explanation e) evaluation

45 3. Faulty inductive reasoning can affect a) interpretation b) self regulation c) analysis d) explanation e) evaluation

46 4. Which of these can boost a learner s self confidence? a) self-regulation b) analysis c) inference d) evaluation e) explanation

47 5. When a series of statements is used to clarify something, the critical thinking skill used is: a) analysis b) inference c) explanation d) self- regulation e) evaluation

48 6. Which of these is not part of selfmonitoring? a) regular interval check of one s conduct b) making an objective account of available information c) objectivity in viewing personal biases d) using one s inferential judgment e) all of the above.

49 7. Which of these statements is false? a) A person can do critical thinking without developing basic thinking skills. b) End result of critical thinking is the formulation of judgment and /or decision c) An attempt to ascertain the truthfulness of a claim is a basis used in evaluation d) A polygraph test is used to assess a person s credibility e) Basic cognitive skills can be taught at any age.

50 8. Change in behavior is a function of: a) analysis b) explanation c) self-regulation d) inference e) evaluation

51 Module 5, Lesson 2b: Core Critical Thinking Skills 1. Please proceed to www. Quia.com/web 2. On the space provided, enter your log in name and your password. 3. Under Quiz, please select Module 5, Lesson2b. 4. Follow the instructions in the quiz. 5. Follow these same steps when you go to succeeding quizzes after every lesson.

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