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Module 4: Introduction to Critical and Creative Thinking

Section 1: Introduction to Critical and Creative Thinking

What's my motivation?

Critical thinking and creative thinking are two widely used but poorly understood terms, in this section we will describe our interpretation of these two, present you with tools to help foster thissort of thinking in your students, and explain why they are so significant.

Critical thinking and creative thinking are two distinct but complementary ways of viewing the world. Criticalthinking is the process of analysing or evaluating information presented and forming judgements. Creativethinking is the development of new ideas and approaches or the combining of existing ideas in new ways.They are both forms of "higher order" thinking and are both involved in problem solving, for example, if weuse creative thinking to develop a number of solutions to a given problem, then we may use critical thinkingto evaluate each solution and decide which one is optimal for a given situation.

Critical Thinking

The etymology of "critical thinking" goes back to the Greek word Kritike (for critic), the art of judgment.Critical thinking is systematic thinking with an eye to improvement through careful examination andmonitoring. While we recognize that all reasoning occurs within points of view and frames of reference,critical thinking nonetheless strives for a common understanding based on supportable theses grounded indata. Clarity, accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, and logical structure characterize critical thinking.Especially when practiced in the classroom, these characteristics allow thinking to be self-correcting.

Socrates is generally credited as the founder of critical thinking. Socrates is often seen as the first criticalthinker, he emphasized the need for thinking clearly and for being logically consistent. Socrates establishedthe importance of seeking evidence, of closely examining reasoning and assumptions, of analyzing basicconcepts, and of tracking down the implications of what one says and does as he spoke with his fellowcitizens in the market place. To most people, this Socratic approach to questioning has become almost

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synonymous with critical thinking. To question reflectively commonly-held beliefs and explanations, carefullydistinguishing those beliefs by the use of reason and logic, has become known as the Socratic Method.

Who's Who: Socrates

Socrates (470 - 399 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying thefoundation for Western philosophy. Socrates is remembered chiefly as a philosopher and the teacherof Plato, but he was also a citizen of Athens, and served the military as a hoplite at Potidaea(432-429), Delium (424) and Amphipolis (422) in the Peloponnesian Wars. He also participated in theCouncil of the 500, he then retired from active life to work as a stonemason and to raise his childrenwith his wife, Xanthippe. After inheriting a modest fortune from his father, the sculptor Sophroniscus,Socrates used his marginal financial independence as an opportunity to give full-time attention toinventing the practice of philosophical dialogue

Other notable thinkers who have contributed to the ongoing development and understanding of criticalthinking include; John Duns Scotus (1270-1308), William of Ockham (1280-1349), Thomas Aquinas(1225-1274), Thomas More (1478-1535) Francis Bacon (1551-1626), René Descartes (1596-1650), and JohnDewey (1859-1952).

Critical thinking means correct thinking in the pursuit of relevant and reliable knowledge about the world.Another way to describe it is reasonable, reflective, responsible, and skillful thinking that is focused ondeciding what to believe or do. A person who thinks critically can ask appropriate questions, gather relevantinformation, efficiently and creatively sort through this information, reason logically from this information,and come to reliable and trustworthy conclusions about the world that enable one to live and actsuccessfully in it.

Critical thinking is not being able to process information well enough to know to stop for red lights orwhether you received the correct change at the supermarket. Such low-order thinking, critical and usefulthough it may be, is sufficient only for personal survival; most individuals master this. True critical thinking ishigher-order thinking, enabling a person to, for example, responsibly judge between political candidates,serve on a murder trial jury, evaluate society's need for nuclear power plants, and assess theconsequences of global warming. Critical thinking enables an individual to be a responsible citizen who

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contributes to society, and not be merely a consumer of society's distractions.

Creative Thinking

The etymology of "creative thinking" goes back to the Latin word Creatio (for creating), the art of making.Creative thinking is the process by which something new is thought up. Creative thinking comes verynaturally to some people, whereas most people who thinking creatively employ a particular technique, thereare a range of techniques in existence such as Brainstorming, Problem Reversal, Morphological Analysis,Assumption Smashing and Fuzzy Thinking.

There is, of course, a myriad of other creative thinking techniques, such as Simplex - a problem-solvingprocess consisting of three stages: finding problems, developing creative solutions and implementing them.The creator of Simplex, Dr Min Basadur, claims the technique can result in greater efficiency in organisations,as well as reduced costs, increased job satisfaction and a sharper focus on customer care.

Arguably, the world authority in creative thinking is Malta's Dr Edward de Bono, whose powerful techniqueshave been used by governments and worldwide corporations, including IBM, DuPont, Prudential, Shell,Eriksson and Ford.

Who's who: Edward de Bono

Edward de Bono (1933-) is a psychologist and physician. De Bono writes prolifically on subjects oflateral thinking, a concept he is believed to have pioneered and now holds training seminars in. Dr.de Bono is also a world-famous consultant who has worked with companies like Coca-cola andEricsson.

Born in Malta, Edward de Bono studied at St Edward's College and subsequently gained a medicaldegree from the Royal University of Malta. Studying at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, he gained anhonours degree in psychology and physiology and a D.Phil in medicine. He went on to complete a PhDat Cambridge, and to faculty appointments at Oxford, London, Cambridge and Harvard.

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In 1969 De Bono founded the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) which continues to produce andpromote material based on his ideas

Edward De Bono has detailed a range of 'deliberate thinking methods' - applications emphasizing thinkingas a deliberate act rather than a reactive one. His writing style is simple and clear, though often criticisedfor being dry and repetitive. Avoiding academic terminology, he has advanced applied psychology by makingtheories about creativity and perception into usable tools.

With practice, ongoing creative thinking occurs all the time. Ongoing creativity maximizes both accidentaland deliberate creative thinking. Ongoing creativity takes time and deliberate practice to become skilful at,but it's surprising how quickly it becomes an attitude, not a technique.

From the horse's mouth...

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.

Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity giveshope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement toeveryone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting.

One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one elsehas bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is apowerful source of creativity.

- Edward de Bono on Creativity

De Bono's work has become particularly popular in the sphere of business - perhaps because of theperceived need to restructure corporations, to allow more flexible working practices and to innovate inproducts and services. The methods have migrated into corporate training courses designed to helpemployees and executives 'think out of the box'/' think outside the box'.

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