2/6/2015

FHHM1012
Critical Thinking
Session 201505

What is this subject about?

This subject will introduce students to various
strategies and skills in the area of critical thinking.

Through the learning process, students will also…

• develop logical thinking,
• understand and critically evaluate arguments,
• analyse information,
• communicate ideas.

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Why does UTAR

teach this subject?
To help you improve your
Thinking Skills 

HOW TO THINK!

Objectives
• To provide students with the necessary knowledge
of critical thinking – reasoning and arguments.

• To develop students with logical thinking skills.

• To develop students with critical thinking skills

with different argumentative scenarios.

• To expose students with different communication

exposure through exercise in class.

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Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, students should be able to…
• demonstrate understandings and discussions of
Critical Thinking terms.
• communicate ideas with critical and logical
thinking.
• reason and argue critically.
• critically analyse information.
• critically evaluate arguments.

Method of Assessment
1. Coursework:
- Assignment 1 (Individual Writing) = 15%
- Assignment 2 (Group Presentation)= 25% 50%
- Mid Term Test = 10%
2. Final Exam 50%
TOTAL 100%

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Textbook
Main Text:
• Basham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H. & Wallace, J.M. (2011).
Critical Thinking: A student’s introduction. (4th ed.)
New York: McGraw-Hill.

Additional References
• Mason, M. (2008). Critical Thinking and Learning.
Singapore: Blackwell.
• Ruggiero, V. R. (2012). The art of Thinking: A guide to critical
and creative thought. (10th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.
• Butterworth, J. & Thwaites, G. (2005). Thinking Skills.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Cooper, S. & Patton, R. (2012). Writing Logically,
Thinking critically. (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
• Cottrell, S. (2011). Critical Thinking Skills: Developing effective
analysis and argument. (2nd ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave
MacMillan.

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Notes, Announcements, etc.

 Web-based Learning Environment
(WBLE) http://wble.utar.edu.my

username = student ID without alphabets

Eg: 1508888

password = IC number with dash

Eg: 968888-88-8888

ANNOUNCEMENT

• This week no Tutorials (T).

Only Lectures (L) are on.
• Tutorials will only begin next week
(Week 2).

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Any questions?
Please feel free to ask

FHHM1012
Critical Thinking

Lecture 1:
Introduction to
Critical Thinking
(Part 1)

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Topics to be covered in Lecture 1

1. What is Thinking? 2. What is

Critical Thinking?

3. Benefits of
Critical Thinking

What is Thinking…

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Why doesn’t SHE like me?

Why doesn’t HE look at me?

As you start asking questions and seek answers,

you are in fact thinking.

Is this woman Young OR Old?

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Do you see Faces OR Houses?

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 Is thinking an activity that is done

automatically or one that we can direct?

 Is daydreaming a kind of thinking?

 Can thinking skills be acquired or

does one have to be born with it?

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• Thinking is a purposeful mental activity over which

we exercise some control.
• Thinking is any mental activity that helps formulate or
solve a problem, make a decision, or fulfill a desire to
understand.
It is a searching for answers, a reaching for meaning.
(Vincent Ruggiero, 2012)

Numerous mental activities

are included in the thinking
process…

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a) careful observation

b) remembering

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c) wondering

d) imagining

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e) inquiring

f) interpreting

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g) evaluating

h) judging

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a) careful observation
b) remembering
c) wondering
d) imagining (all work in
e) inquiring combination)
f) interpreting
g) evaluating
h) judging

Do you agree with this statement?

“Some people study all their life and at their death

they have learned everything
except to THINK.”
– Francois Domergue

Why?

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“Learning without thinking is useless.”

– Confucius
(Philosopher)

What is
Critical Thinking…

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Critical
• “Critical” here DOES NOT mean “negative” or
“dangerous” or “serious”.

• Originated from the Greek word “kriticos” and the

Latin word “criticus” – to be able to discern or separate
by careful analysis and judgment.

Critical Thinking
• “Critical Thinking” means to think clearly and
intelligently.

• “Thinking critically is the ability to understand

a concept fully, taking in different sides of
an issue or idea while not being swayed (influenced)
by the propaganda or other fraudulent (fake/false)
methods used to promote it.”
– Denise Selleck

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• Critical thinking is a process that relies upon, and

develops, a wide range of skills and personal qualities
which include…
Analyzing

Identifying CRITICAL Evaluating

THINKING
SKILLS

Decision Making Problem Solving

• In order to do critical thinking, it requires a person

to have…

i) an open mind
– to listen attentively and to consider the views of others

ii) rational thought

– to have reasons for what we believe and do
– to critically evaluate our own beliefs and actions
– to be able to present to others the reasons for our beliefs and
actions

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WARNING: THIS MAN IS NOT THINKING

CRITICALLY!!

Source: http://profmulder.home.att.net/introwhatis.htm

• Ennis (1987) identified a range of abilities associated

with critical thinking:
i. the ability to reflect skeptically
• bringing an element of polite doubt
• does not mean never believing anything you
hear/see/read but holding the possibility that
what you hear/see/read may only be one side of
the story
ii. the ability to think in a reasoned way
• some things require trust
• to discern when to trust and when to be skeptical

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Benefits of
Critical Thinking…

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a) Critical Thinking in University (classroom)

• In university education, the focus is on higher-order

thinking.
• In order to perform well in class, you must be able to…
- understand the materials you are studying.
- evaluate what your classmates, coursemates, lecturers
and tutors tell you.
- develop your own arguments on topics or issues.

Why should students be taught critical thinking?

 So that students learn how to think and not
(be told) what to think.

• Contrary to popular opinion, the main purpose

of university education is NOT to teach you
how to make a living but how to live.

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day;

Teach a man how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
- Chinese proverb

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“The function of education is to teach one to

think intensively and to think critically.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.
(Clergyman & Humanitarian Leader)

b) Critical Thinking in the Workplace

• In the workforce, employers nowadays do not just look

for graduates with a string of As.
• In order to perform well in the workplace, you must be
able to…
- solve problems.
- think out-of-the-box (creatively).
- gather and analyse information.
- draw appropriate conclusions from data.
- communicate ideas clearly and effectively.

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c) Critical Thinking in Life

• In our daily life, we need to think critically in many

contexts.
• In order to live a wholesome and meaningful life,
critical thinking will be able to help us…
- avoid making foolish personal decisions.
- make informed political decisions.
- behave morally.
- attain personal enrichment.

References
• Basham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H. & Wallace, J. M.
(2011). Critical Thinking: A student’s introduction.
(4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. (pg. 1, 7 – 10)
• Cooper, S. & Patton, R. (2012). Writing Logically,
Thinking Critically. (7th ed.). USA: Pearson.
(pg. 2 – 3)

• Cottrell, S. (2011). Critical Thinking Skills: Developing

effective analysis and argument. (2nd ed.).
Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. (pg. 2 – 3, 16)
• Ruggiero, V. R. (2012). The art of Thinking: A guide to
critical and creative thought. (10th ed.).
New Jersey: Pearson. (pg. 3 – 5)

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~ to be continued ~
See you again next week

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