Metacognitive Skills and Critical Thinking

Question 1

Teachable Thinking Skills
Beyer (1998)

Answer 1

1. Distinguishing between verifiable facts and value claims
2. Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information, claims or reasons.
3. Determining the factual accuracy of a statement.
4. Determining the credibility of a source
5. Identifying ambiguous claims or arguments
6. Identifying unstated assumptions
7. Detecting bias
8. Identifying logical fallacies
9. Recognizing logical inconsistencies in a line of reasoning
   10.Determining the strength of an argument or claim.

Question 2

Ennis (1987)

Answer 2

believed that critical thinking skills can be taught.

Question 3

Ennis (1987) taxonomy of abilities

Answer 3

1. Focusing on a question
2. Analyzing arguments
3. Asking and answering questions
4. Judging the credibility of a source
5. Observing and judging the reports of others’ observations
6. Deducing and judging others’ deductions
7. Inducing and judging others’ inductions
8. Making value judgments
9. Defining terms and judging others’ definitions
   10.Identifying assumptions
   11.Deciding on an action
   12.Interacting with others

Question 4

Socratic Discussion guidelines

Answer 4

1. Listen carefully to what others say
2. Take what they say seriously
3. Look for reasons and evidence
4. Recognize and reflect upon assumptions
5. Discover implications and consequences
6. Seek examples, analogies, and objections
7. Seek to distinguish what one knows from what one
   merely believes
8. Seek to enter empathetically into the perspectives or
   points of view of other
9. Be on the alert for inconsistencies, vagueness, and
   other
   possible problems in thought
10. Look beneath the surface of things and maintain a
    healthy sense of skepticism
11. Be willing to helpfully play the role of devil’s
    advocate.

Question 5

Core critical thinking skills

Answer 5

Interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation, self-regulation

Question 6

Ad hominem

Answer 6

logical fallacy: This fallacy occurs when an individual attacks someone’s position based on their personal character or attributes, rather than its merit

Question 7

Non sequitur

Answer 7

logical fallacy: This occurs when the conclusion of an argument doesn’t follow logically from its premises

Question 8

Slippery slope

Answer 8

In this fallacy, an individual asserts that a chain of extraneous
events will occur if they allow their opponent’s argument

Question 9

Motte and Bailey

Answer 9

In this fallacy, a debater defends a controversial position by
confusing it with a similar but less controversial assertion.

Question 10

Appeal to authority

Answer 10

logical fallacy: This occurs when an individual asserts the truth of their
argument by citing an authoritative source