• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

Critical Thinking, A constructive proposal :) - From the "everyone talks about the weather" dept.

 
author
Posts: 9050
21
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Premise: If an adult population's aggregate critical thinking skills improve (even slightly), society improves.

Assumptions / building blocks:

1 - Learn from Montessori. (If you're not already convinced, read about the "Montessori Mafia", i.e. the degree to which movers and shakers in Silicon valley got a Montessori education.)

2 - Isolate important "80/20" skills. (See Roger Schank's "Teaching Minds", for more info.) For example, let's say that the ability to "spot false dichotomies" makes a person a slightly better critical thinker. Create mechanisms to help adults develop small, isolated skills - like spotting false dichotomies.

3 - Leverage intrinsic motivation, not extrinsic. In short, bribery is not sustainable. Badges and points are nonsense, "gamification" is nonsense. Notice that newspapers have crossword puzzles and sudokus, and no bribery is involved - these activities are intrinsically fun.

4a - Focus on the fence-sitters. Target those people for whom embracing critical thinking is a small step, not a huge leap.

4b - Use Aikido, not boxing. Most people don't learn when confronted, sneak memes in through the side door.

Examples (maybe?)

- Click and Clack's weekly logic puzzlers
- A novelist or playwright who's heroine uses critical thinking
- Adding Five-minute mysteries to the daily newspaper

Okay, rip it to shreds...
 
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic