Unit IV--- Critical Thinking and Creative

Thinking
Critical thinking is defined as the
ability to make decisions and solve
problems based on logical
reasoning and evidence while
leaving out emotions to enable
evaluation and improvement of
one’s own thought process..
What Is Critical Thinking?
 
Critical thinking is the ability to think in an
organized and rational manner in order to
understand connections between ideas
and/or facts. It helps you decide what to
believe in. In other words, it’s “thinking
about thinking”—identifying, analyzing,
and then fixing flaws in the way we think.
 
 How to Be a Critical Thinker?
 
 
To become one   takes time, practice, and
patience. But something you can start
doing today to improve your critical thinking
skills is apply the 7 steps of critical thinking to
every problem you tackle—either at work or in
your everyday life.
 
Plus, there are some critical thinking questions
to help you out at each of the steps.
 
 Steps of Critical Thinking
 
1. Identify the problem or question.
Be as precise as possible: the narrower the issue, the
easier it is to find solutions or answers.
 
2. Gather data, opinions, and arguments.
Try to find several sources that present different ideas
and points of view.
 
3. Analyze and evaluate the data.
Are the sources reliable? Are their conclusions data-
backed or just argumentative? Is there enough
information or data to support given hypotheses?
4. Identify assumptions.
Are you sure the sources you found are unbiased? Are you
sure you weren’t biased in your search for answers?
 
5. Establish significance.
What piece of information is most important? Is the sample
size sufficient? Are all opinions and arguments even relevant
to the problem you’re trying to solve?
 
6. Make a decision/reach a conclusion.
Identify various conclusions that are possible and decide
which (if any) of them are sufficiently supported. Weigh
strengths and limitations of all possible options.
 
7. Present or communicate.

Once you’ve reached a conclusion, present it to all

stakeholders.
 
Let’s go back to our coffee example and examine it
critically, point-by-point.
 What is creative thinking?
Creative thinking refers to using
abilities and soft skills to come up with
new solutions to problems. Creative
thinking skills are techniques used to
look at the issue from different and
creative angles, using the right tools to
assess it and develop a plan.
Creative thinking techniques
Brainstorming

This technique can be very useful in small or large-scale

problems that require a creative solution. The main goal is to
form a group of people and throw around ideas without
interference.

The general idea of brainstorming is that, by having an excess

of creative potential solutions, it gets easier to reach one
with the highest level of quality.
Brainstorming has several advantages that
can help you exercise your creative
thinking skills. For starters, it does not
require a rigid structure to function, being
very informal. However, it can be
facilitated by professional guidance. Also,
the people involved do not even need to
be together at the same time, as you can
use a virtual setting or put ideas into a
shared document.
Lateral thinking
Sometimes, the answer to a problem is not in
front of it, but besides it. That is the general
idea of lateral thinking, which is a great way to
exercise your creative soft skills and come up
with innovative plans.

Lateral thinking involves looking in less obvious

areas and lines of reasoning. It can work well if
you and your partners try to put yourselves
under different perspectives or reverse the
problem to look at it differently.
Mind mapping
The process of mind mapping helps you connect ideas
you never imagined could be combined. Because of
that, it might help you reach appropriate solutions
while using creative thinking skills.

A mind map is a chart where you input ideas and

connect them. It can have possible solutions to a
problem, its immediate consequences, and be the
best course of action to deal with them. Alternatively,
your mind map can serve as a way to see a bigger
picture regarding what you are trying to do.
Examples of creativity skills

•experimentation
•opposing views
•asking questions
•communication
•organization
Benefits of creative thinking?

•ability to create the best solutions to daily demands,

which provides value to clients and your own
business;

•improvement on problem-solving for not only work-

related matters but also those in your personal life;

•higher workplace involvement in daily activities and

engagement, which is beneficial to a healthier
environment;
•a better understanding of data — also
known as data literacy — and how to
present it through data storytelling;
•focus on self-improvement as you and
your teammates will develop more soft
skills.
•more effective teamwork and bonding,
since people grow used to bouncing off
original ideas and learn each other’s
creative traits.
How to develop creative thinking skills?
•Consume different kinds of content

Your creative thinking can be heavily benefited

if you diversify the kind of content you consume
in your daily life. After all, the information we
absorb can be combined, remixed, and
repurposed in several ways to provide solutions.
However, this becomes impossible if there is no
variety.
To do that, you can make use of the
internet’s vast selection of content
types. Try to visit different blogs,
YouTube channels, and social media
profiles you are not used to —
preferably those that deal with
topics you do not usually consume.
•Keep up with the trends

Much of the creative thinking

can be influenced by the trends
that are influencing the market
right now and the ones that
are coming up in the future.
•Try to create something every day
•Build a network for creativity

Get help from others to keep your

creative thinking and technical skills
in constant development. You can
build a network of people with the
same goals and put all these tips in
action as a group.