批判性思维教育理念

Critical Thinking as an Educational Ideal

批判性思维立足于理性反思某个问题及其相关证据得出判断,即"为决定相信什么或做什么而进行合理的、反思性的思维",包括澄清意义、分析论证、评估证据、判断论断的合适性和推导有根据的结论等技能。"理想的"批判性思维者具有开明和公正的心智,会搜寻证据,掌握全面信息,关注他人的观点及其理由,不作超出证据的断言,愿意考虑不同思路并校正观点。批判性思维过程包括确定和分析问题、澄清意义、收集证据、评估证据、推断结论、考察相关信息和作出综合判断。与对论证的逻辑评判不同,批判性思维超越了单个论证的维度,有创造性成分,包括对证据的批判性评估。应培育批判性思维者所具备的知识、技巧、态度和习性,即让他们能够且善于批判。批判性思维的教育可通过学科教学或专门课程教学的方式进行。单独开设批判性思维课程,其课程设计应遵循按具体情境设计教学、阐明目标、激发学生兴趣、运用指导框架、培养批判精神、注重深度甚于广度、使用桥接、利用重大时事、使用真实或现实案例、谨慎选择案例、提供有指导的练习和及时反馈、检验学生的理解程度、鼓励元认知、考虑情境、避免空洞使用专业术语和谨慎设计多选题的原则。

Critical thinking arrives at a judgment on a question by looking back in a reasonable way at the relevant evidence; it is ＂reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do＂. Its key component skills are those of clarifying meaning, analyzing arguments, evaluating evidence, judging whether a conclusion follows, and drawing warranted conclusions. An ideal ＂critical thinker＂ is open-minded and fair-minded, searches for evidence, tries to be well-informed, is attentive to others＇ views and their reasons, proportions belief to the evidence, and is willing to consider alternatives and revise beliefs. The process of thinking critically involves problem identification and analysis, clarification of meaning, gathering the evidence, assessing the evidence, inferring conclusions, considering other relevant information, and making an overall judgment. Critical thinking differs from the logical appraisal of arguments in extending beyond a single argument, having a creative component, and involving critical assessment of evidence. Any educational system should aim to teach the knowledge, develop the skills, and foster the attitudes and dispositions of a critical thinker. someone who thinks critically when it is appropriate to do so, and who does so well. It can do so either by infusion in subject-matter courses or through a stand-alone course. Each method has advantages and disadvantages; a combination is theoretically better, but hard to achieve. In a stand-alone course, one should adapt to one＇s situation, communicate the course goals, motivate one＇s students, use a checklist as a course framework, foster a critical spirit, prefer depth to breadth, use bridging, take advantage of salient issues, use real or realistic examples, pick one＇s examples with care, give students lots of guided practice with feedback, check for understanding, encourage meta-cognition, think about context, watch for empty use of technical terms, and design multiple-choice items carefully if one uses them.