Thinking

& fo
Learners r
“The function of education
is to teach one to think
intensively and to think
critically. Intelligence plus
character—that is the goal
of true education.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is Thinking?

Types of Thinking?

What is Critical

Thinking What is

Creative Thinking

Critical Thinking vs
Creative Thinking
Mechanism
of the
Brain
 Thinking is a
Voluntary action!

Intelligence Critical Thinking

≠ ≠
Thinking
Creative Thinking
 Why she doesn’t like me?
Why he doesn’t like me?

As you start asking questions and seek answers, you are in fact thinking.
 Thinking is a
purposeful organized
cognitive process that
we use to make
sense of our world.

As you start asking questions and seek answers, you are in fact thinking.
“Critical thinking is the intellectually
disciplined process of actively and skillfully
conceptualizing,
applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
evaluating information gathered from, or
by, observation, experience,
generated reasoning, or communication, as
reflection,
a guide to belief and action.”
-Michael Scriven & Richard Paul
Are you OPEN-MINDED about other peoples’ view?
Are you HONEST to yourself (or others) when you are wrong?
Do you have the COURAGE and PASSION to take initiative and
Confront problems and meet challenges?
Are you AWARE of your own biases and preconceptions?
Do you WELCOME CRITICISM from other people?
Do you have INDEPENDENT opinions?
 Have a passionate drive for clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance,
consistency, logicalness, Completeness and fairness.

 Are sensitive to ways in which critical thinking can be skewed by

egocentrism, sociocentrism, wishful thinking.

 Are intellectually honest with themselves, acknowledging what they

don’t know and recognizing their limitations

 Listen open-mindedly to opposing points of view and welcome

criticisms of beliefs and assumptions

 Base their beliefs on facts and evidence rather than on personal

preference or self-interest.
 Are aware of the biases and preconceptions that shape the way they
perceive the world.
 Think independently and are not afraid to disagree with group opinion.
 Are able to get to the heart of an issue or problem without
being distracted by details.
 Have the intellectual courage to face and assess fairly ideas
that challenge even their most basic beliefs
 Love truth and curious about a wide range of issues
 Have the intellectual perseverance to pursue insights or truths, despite
obstacles or difficulties.
What is Creativity?
Creativity is a form of
energy starting from
“Nothing”
and generating great,
original and unique values
 Creative thinking

Edward de Bono
CREATIVE THINKING ACTIVITY
Now say the colors of the word you can see…FAST!

YELLOW
BLACK
GREEN
BLUE
GREEN
RED
BLACK
CREATIVE PROCESS AT WORK
• Music
• Art
• Dance
• Inventions – airplane, telephone
• Innovations – Apple iPhone, Gateway (Dell personal
computers)
• Creative problem solving – using a knife/letter opener to
tighten a screw when a screwdriver is not available
 Key Principle of Creativity

Everyone is creative.
Individual creativity comes from the
expression of individual authenticity.
Team creativity comes from the appreciation
and synergistic use of differences.
Playfulness increases the likelihood that
creativity will occur
The more we believe we are creative, the more
creative we will be.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE THINKER
 They prefer complexity and some degree of apparent
imbalance in phenomena
 They are more complex psychodynamically and have
Greater personal scope
 They are more independent in there judgment
 They are more self assertive and dominant
Critical thinking vs. Creative Thinking
• Analytical • Generative
• Judgmental • Non-judgmental
• Selective • Expansive
• Probability • Possibility
• Left brain • Right brain
• Yes but… • Yes and…

Critical Thinking Creative Thinking

Critical thinking vs. Creative Thinking
• Certain • Flexible
• Closed to New Information • Open to learning
• Demanding Respect • Respecting others
• Isolating & analyzing ideas • Connecting ideas
• Using tried & true methods • Discovering new ways
• Seeing failure as failure • Seeing failure as learning

Critical Thinking Creative Thinking

 Critical thinking vs. Creative Thinking

Critical thinking is described as:

analyzing and developing possibilities to compare and contrast many
ideas improve and refine ideas make effective decisions and
judgments, and provide a sound foundation for effective action.

Creative thinking is described as:

• making and communicating connections to think of many
possibilities;
• think and experience in various ways and use different points of
view;
• think of new and unusual possibilities; and
• guide in generating and selecting alternatives.
(Isaksen and Treffinger (1985), Creative Problem Solving: The Basic Course)

© Institute of Critical Thinking 34

 When you think
creatively you are
exploring many new
ideas

when you are

thinking critically
you are making
choices
Thinking process is like a kayak with 2 paddles,

one is creative thinking while the other

represents critical thinking

THE SIX THINKING HATS
THE SIX THINKING HATS
THE SIX THINKING HATS
THE SIX THINKING HATS
THE SIX THINKING HATS
THE SIX THINKING HATS
THE SIX THINKING HATS