Creating a Thinking World

http://www.Thinkingworld.com/
An interactive site developed by John Chaffee. We will be using this site frequently this term. Start by trying at least three of its interactive features.

Critical Thinking on the Web

http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/
A useful directory of online resources.

ICYouSee

http://www.ithaca.edu/library/Training/hott.html
"A guide to critically thinking about what you see on the web." (1) Read the page and do the "Mayan Calendar" assignment near the bottom.(2) Take the "T is for Thinking" tutorial.

Critical Thinking in an Online World

http://www.library.ucsb.edu/untangle/jones.html
A useful article by an internet librarian.

Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/jte-v7n1/gokhale.jte-v7n1.html
As we will be employing collaborative learning approaches in this class this should be a valuable essay. But who is it addressed to? Skim the article so that you can answer the question, "What is collaborative learning?"

Think: Insight Assessment

http://www.insightassessment.com/HCTSR.html
Look at "The Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric." What do you think of this approach to evaluating a person's critical thinking? Should this instructor use this approach this term?

Critical thinking and scientific method

http://www.freeinquiry.com/critical-thinking.html
Though primarily aimed at educators, the brief discussion of the relationship between critical thinking and scientific method included here is worth reading for students as well. Based on what you've learned in class and from this article, discuss what you consider to be involved in this relationship.

Information use

http://library.queensu.ca/inforef/instruct/critical.htm
The kinds of questions here are used by instructors in forming web related assignments for their students. What is the value of a student considering these questions apart from specific assignments?

Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Objectives

http://www.lgc.peachnet.edu/academic/educatn/Blooms/critical_thinking.htm
This page states that "Critical thinking theory finds its roots primarily in the work of Benjamin Bloom." After reading about Bloom's taxonomy, consider its value and import in the light of what you have so far learned about "the theory of critical thinking."

Critical thinking (in a nutshell?)

http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/studyguides/crtthn.htm
Can critical thinking be reduced to these several concepts? Why or why not? If you had to make a brief list of the important concepts of critical thinking, what would you include?

Affective and Cognitive Strategies for Critical Thinking

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/drugfree/sa3crit.htm
How useful is this sort of "check list" of critical thinking skills? How would you characterize the difference between affective and cognitive strategies? Between macro- and micro-cognitive stragegies?

Habermas and Critical Thinking ("discourse ethics" and CT)

http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/EPS/PES-Yearbook/96_docs/endres.html
The author examines some of the implications of an influential contemporary social theorist. Consider Habermas's concept of decentering in its relation to "multiculturalism" and the individual.

Various articles on critical thinking (including summaries)

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/cwp/lib/thkgbib.html
Choose one of these articles that sounds most interesting to you from reading the summaries (in the second half of the page). Did the summary (often called the "abstract," honestly and adequately reflect the content of the article? Why or why not?

More approaches to critical thinking

http://www.drury.edu/ess/critthink.html
After some general suggestions on critically analyzing arguments, the rest of this discussion is devoted to a consideration of logical fallacies. How important is the recognition of fallacies to critical thinking in you estimation? What other critical thinking "approaches" do you find as--or even, more--important?

Using critical thinking to conduct effective searches of online resources.

http://ericae.net/pare/getvn.asp?v=7&n=7 |
A journal article on approaches to web searching using critical approaches. In what sorts of research projects would you be most likely to apply these approaches?

"Critical Thinking: What is IT?"

http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/EPS/PES-yearbook/92_docs/Ennis.HTM
lThis essay is a response to the research done by two other scholars. After reading the article, ask yourself: How much agreement is there as to what constitutes critical thinking? Do you think there is room for disagreement here?