Week 3- Elements of Thought

Objective

  • Develop your understanding of the Elements of Thought (reasoning) in a discussion post.
  • Practice providing feedback on two different week 2 posts using the intellectual standards.

Introduction
This week we begin exploring the final pillar of Paulian critical thinking – the elements of reasoning. This is the analysis of reasoning. As you work on your posts, strive for as much clarify, accuracy, depth, and breadth as you reasonably can. Write out your understanding of each element using your own words. Don’t copy and paste or parrot back information that you encountered during the week. As much as you can, without looking at the material, write your understanding of each element. To the extent that you can do this on your own is the extent to which you have command of the concept. The extent to which you have to use the material to create your wording demonstrates the degree to which you do not have command of the concept. If you find it difficult to write out an accurate and substantive description of each element, go back and review the material, then try again. Your goal is to get to a place where the concept is clear and accessible to you at all times.

Summary

Essential Idea: There are eight structures that define thinking. Learning to analyze
thinking requires practice in identifying these structures in use.

 

 


https://youtu.be/gKyv6owXmDg
https://youtu.be/8IxfcDplJgs

 
Activities

Badge Activities- Due Sunday 11:59PM

Create your post on the Elements of Thought in our week 3 Laulima workshop Forum.
    1. Read pages 4-7 and 12-25 in The Thinker’s Guide to Analytic Thinking, as well as pages 20-28 in The Aspiring Thinker’s Guide to Critical Thinking.
  2. In a Forum post complete the following statements- always using your own words for each statement
    1. PURPOSE
      1. I understand “purpose” to mean…
      2. In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
      3. An example of someone exhibiting purpose would be…
    2. QUESTION
      1. I understand “question” to mean…
      2. In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
      3. An example of someone exhibiting questioning  would be…
    3. ASSUMPTIONS
      1. I understand “assumptions” to mean…
      2. In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
      3. An example of someone exhibiting assumptions would be…
    4. POINT OF VIEW
      1. I understand “point of view” to mean…
      2. In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
      3. An example of someone exhibiting a point of view  would be…
    5. DATA, INFORMATION and EVIDENCE.
      1. I understand “DATA, INFORMATION and EVIDENCE.” to mean…
      2. In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
      3. An example of someone exhibiting data, information or evidence  would be…
    6. CONCEPTS and IDEAS.
      1. I understand “CONCEPTS and IDEAS.” to mean…
      2. In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
      3. An example of someone exhibiting concepts and ideas would be…
    7. INFERENCES or INTERPRETATIONS by which we draw CONCLUSIONS
      1. I understand “inferences and interpretations” to mean…
      2. In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
      3. An example of someone exhibiting inferences and interpretations would be…
    8. IMPLICATIONS and CONSEQUENCES.
      1. I understand “implications and consequences” to mean…
      2. In other words, [elaborate in a couple sentences]…
      3. An example of someone exhibiting the implications and consequences would be…
    9. The purpose of the assignment is…
    10. The key question at the heart of the assignment is…
Guidelines for Providing Feedback to Others
  1. Improving Your Assessment of Others
    1. What is allowed- Reasoning
      1. How could this post be improved?
      2. What exactly needs to be done to improve it?
    2. What is not allowed-
      1. No general statements of like or dislike.
      2. No sweeping comments. “Nice post, insightful and interesting”, type statements are not helpful. These type of statements only tell how you, and your ego, emotionally reacted to the post.
    3. Course instructor will model the assessment process to provide examples for learners to follow.
  2. Assessment of Feedback to Others
    1. Is your own feedback reasoning deficient?
    2. Course facilitator will model and comment on how you give feedback, using the intellectual standards, to help you improve your  reasoning skills.
  3. Improving Your Writing
    1. Revise and improve your posts based on feedback given, or
    2.  Challenge part of the assessment and explain with reasoning, why it is not necessary.

Note: Receiving evaluative feedback using the standards should not be taken personally when the feedback captures a potential weakness. We can always improve our reasoning and should be willing to accept feedback – this shows intellectual humility.

Format to use to give feedback.
  1. When a standard was not well met: I am questioning the _INSERT THE INTELLECTUAL STANDARD_ of your statement ____________ because _______.
  2. When a standard was well met:  Your statement had _INSERT THE INTELLECTUAL STANDARD_ when you said….

Provide Feedback on two different week 2 posts using the intellectual standards.

  1. This week you will begin providing feedback to 2 different learners posts –
  2. Go to last week’ s Week 2 Forum discussion in Laulima to comment on posts from last week.
  3.  Provide feedback to two different learners posts.
  4. Provide feedback for each of the assignments.
    1. When a standard was not well met: I am questioning the _INSERT THE INTELLECTUAL STANDARD_ of your statement ____________ because _______.
    2. When a standard was well met:  Your statement had _INSERT THE INTELLECTUAL STANDARD_ when you said….
  5. Give this your best shot. If you are the one receiving the feedback, please don’t take it personally. This is about getting practice in providing feedback.
Assessment

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Resources

 

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