Critical vs. Non-critical Thinking

Question 1

Critical Thinking

Answer 1

It involves a series of complex thought processes which allows you to make reasoned judgements, assess the way you think, and solve problems effectively.

Question 2

Non-critical Thinking

Answer 2

It happens when you simply accept the things you are told without examining them

Question 3

What is metacognitive skill by John H. Flavell?

Answer 3

Metacognitive skill is thinking about thinking. Metacognitive skill is the ability of looking into the windows of the mind and becoming aware of our biases, shortcoming, and strengths.

Question 4

What is the difference between the revised version and the original version of Bloom’s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain?

Answer 4

The revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy, by Lorin Anderson, changed the name of the levels and used verbs instead of nouns to denote an active process of thinking. Aside from the change of names of the levels, they also restructured the levels because ‘creating’ is a more complex form of thinking than ‘evaluating’

Original Version (from lowest to highest level of thinking): Knowledge - Comprehension - Application - Analysis - Synthesis - Evaluation

Revised Version (from lowest to highest level of thinking): Remembering - Understanding - Applying - Analysing - Evaluating - Creating

Question 5

Define each levels of thinking in the revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain

Answer 5

Remembering is the ability to recall facts and basic concepts (define, list, memorize, state)
Understanding is the ability to explain ideas or concepts (classify, describe, discuss, identify)
Applying is the ability to use information in new situations (execute, implement, solve, demonstrate)
Analysing is the ability to draw connections among ideas (differentiate, organize, relate, compare & contrast)
Evaluating is the ability to justify a stand or decision (argue, defend, support, critique)
Creating is the ability to produce new or original work (design, construct, develop, formulate)

Question 6

What are the qualities of a critical thinker?

Answer 6

A critical thinker is:

• Someone who thinks critically. He/She is considered inquisitive
• Someone who does not pretend to know more than what he/she actually knows
• Someone who does not settle for superficial level of interpretation. Instead, he/she investigates and digs deeper