WebQuest
Critical Thinking Job Aids By Sandra Rogers, PhD
Introduction
Become intellectually independent! Be honest with yourself, if you're unsure of what you read, then actively seek the truth. Don't allow yourself to get bogged down in endless confusion. Seek advice from experts if you can't find the information in written format. You do this every time you google something, but once you find something, which critical thinking strategies do you use to decide if it's accurate?
How can you help yourself become a critical reader in your field of study? This Webquest will help you figure that out. Is there a set of questions that you need to ask yourself each time you review new information? Is there a framework or guidelines that you need to follow. If so, how can you turn it into something you can use like a job aid? There are all kinds of job aids to help you complete a task. For example, a framework is a type of job aid with rules you to follow. Even a mnemonic is a type of job aid because it helps you remember to do something.
What kind of job aid can you make or modify from existing tools to help you read critically? Are you studying to be a engineer, architect, or educator? Each field has different approaches to thinking. The strategies you select would depend upon the nature of the content, as different content requires different ways of thinking. Bruning, Schraw, and Norby (2011) refer to this as thinking frames such as how one would think about scientific inquiry and the use of research methods. Do you need to think like a scientist? Maybe---maybe not. Which thinking frame will you use? Does your career require cross-sectional lenses---the application of multiple frames in concert?
Get the job done right! Critical thinking skills are necessary for today's marketplace due to the vast amount of misinformation, propaganda, and other forms of media manipulation. This task will help you with your academic studies, as well as in the job hunt. The job aid you create for critical thinking will help you analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information, so you can internalize the necessary elements for critical reading.
*******Don't forget to check out the resources below.
Attachments
Web Link
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Critical Thinking Part 1: A Valuable Argument
Description: Learn what happens when you don't use critical thinking.
File
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Sample Job Aid for Evaluating Information on the Web
Description: Kathy Schrock created this job aid for thinking critically about the information you find on the web by using the 5 Ws- who, what, where, when, and why. Notice the chart platform she used with the criteria and what to look for. This 1-page document would be very useful to students. You can use the chart format for your project or the many others described in the ASTD handout linked to the Welcome page of this WebQuest.
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