Critical thinking is a process that allows students to approach challenges head-on with efficiency and independent views. Scheuer states that “critical thinking is the intellectual engine of a functional democracy: the set of mental practices that lends breadth, depth, clarity, and consistency to public discourse” (para. 22). This relates to what the Core handbook believes that students will learn when they take a course that teaches critical thinking and problem solving. The core handbook states that when a course that focuses on these topics is completed, the student will be able to “evaluate and synthesize information from multiple contexts and settings to achieve a common understanding of a phenomenon and to effectively characterize and/or implement an action designed to address a question, challenge, or problem” (page 24). The ability to think and inquire critically allows for better communication in a democracy, and the better informed the citizen, the more likely they are to positively contribute to society.
In Scheuer’s article, he describes the concepts of critical thinking and how it is a necessary part of modern education. He believes that critical thinking is a process that allows students to approach challenges head-on with efficiency and independent views. Scheuer states that “critical thinking is the intellectual engine of a functional democracy: the set of mental practices that lends breadth, depth, clarity, and consistency to public discourse” (para. 22). This relates to what the Core handbook believes students will learn when they take a course that teaches critical thinking and problem-solving. The core handbook states that when a course that focuses on these topics is completed, the student will be able to “evaluate and synthesize information from multiple contexts and settings to achieve a common understanding of a phenomenon and to effectively characterize and/or implement an action designed to address a question, challenge, or problem” (page 24). The ability to think and inquire critically allows for better communication in a democratic setting, and the better informed the citizen, the more likely they are to positively contribute to society.
