Why do we go to school? There are many reasons like the fact it is required, education will help open more doors, and so you pursue higher education in the future. However, there is one more reason why we go to school, and this is to engage in critical thinking exercises. While a lot of rote memorization is involved in learning new material and preparing for exams, there is also a place for critical thinking.
Critical thinking means going beyond the books and digging deeper into the topics. This includes asking questions that cannot be easily answered online and synthesizing original explanations. Critical thinking allows students to think for themselves, form their own opinions, and avoid being swayed by problematic messaging or fake news in the media. There are many ways for students to engage their critical thinking skills and one way to do so is through critical thinking exercises. We will discuss a few examples of critical thinking exercises that can be employed in a school setting.
Ask Why? (Times Five)
The “5 Whys” is a problem-solving technique that involves asking “why” questions in response to a problem, to identify the core of the problem. It is a strategy used in educational settings to help students and teachers analyze and understand complex issues by going into a little more detail every time we ask “Why?” again. When asking “why” multiple times, the technique allows for a deeper understanding of the problem and helps to uncover underlying factors that contribute to it. The approach involves asking successive “why” questions, typically five times until the ultimate root cause is identified.
This technique can be applied to various scenarios, such as analyzing student behavior or solving organizational challenges beyond the classroom. At first glance, it seems lengthy, but what makes this a valuable critical thinking exercise is its innate structure set up to bypass a surface-level analysis. Digging deep is a lot more doable when you break it down and keep layering the explanation each time you ask “Why?” again. It is a strategy that can be introduced in a classroom discussion, that can continue to be applied in a work setting, and help students take the lead in their thoughts and actions.
Read a Case Study
Case studies are another great critical thinking exercise. They are really helpful in helping students see how abstract concepts can be applied in the real world. Case studies are often not lengthy but still packed with enough information for students to want to read it and still learn more. Using this critical thinking exercise in a group setting can be helpful because it can help students see how their perspectives may differ from their peers. A scenario-based approach can be used to help students see beyond the books, and the supporting writing assists them in discerning their takeaways from this critical thinking exercise. This critical thinking exercise is further extended through guiding questions that encourage students to consider different outcomes and perspectives.
Think Pair Share: Critical Thinking Exercises
This is another good critical thinking exercise to use to facilitate further engagement with new topic areas. It has three steps:
- Students ponder a question or problem individually about the topic area.
- They find a partner to discuss their thoughts with and compare and contrast their opinions.
- After they finish discussing, they share their thoughts with the class.
Collaboration is woven into this critical thinking exercise, and it helps challenge students to form their own opinions and to bounce ideas off each other. Overall, original thoughts and gaining insights do not occur in a vacuum. It is always important to learn from others and to challenge assumptions.
These critical thinking exercises are a few of many, that can be extremely helpful for students to employ when developing their critical thinking skills. It will help serve them when preparing for exams in high school, college, and even in the workplace. It can help them find innovative solutions and avoid the pitfalls of falling back on unhelpful assumptions.
Author: Maaida Kirmani