Critical Thinking: A Guide to Skillful Reasoning
Badges can be used to highlight specific critical thinking skills in students. They assist with metacognitive awareness of which skills are being used and which skills have yet to be demonstrated. They can be used in gradebooks and email feedback or in discussion boards. When strategically used in discussion boards, badges can become a teaching tool for the entire class.
Critical Thinking Badges
1. Description of the Issue or Problem
Critical Thinking: Describe the Issue. You did a great job of describing key ideas or aspects of the issue clearly and objectively.
Critical Thinking: Describe the Issue. You provided additional context to the issue by objectively providing relevant facts, events, influences and/or background
Critical Thinking: Defining Positions. You clearly described one or more of the perspectives, assumptions and beliefs surrounding this issue.
Critical Thinking: Defining Positions. You did a great job of describing arguments and counter-arguments surrounding this issue.
Critical Thinking: Defining Positions. You clearly described how and why some of these arguments are persuasive.
Critical Thinking: Defining Positions. You highlighted the reliability and credibility of others’ arguments and counter-arguments.
2. Positions - Expert Opinion
Critical Thinking: Expert Opinion. You described the perspectives of professionals and experts and addressed why or why not these experts were credible and reliable.
3. Evaluating Evidence
Critical Thinking: Evaluating Evidence. You logically and objectively used examples, research, publications or other sources to validate or refute the main arguments.
4. Comparing Positions
Critical Thinking: Comparing Positions. You thoroughly examined some essential arguments or key ideas around this issue.
Critical Thinking: Comparing Positions. You thoroughly described key points and evidence worthy of including in the final analysis.
Critical Thinking: Comparing Positions. You discussed the impact of one or more arguments on the outcome of this issue.
5. Personal Position
Critical Thinking: Personal Position. You connected assumptions and evidence to logically draw conclusions and develop arguments.
Critical Thinking: Personal Position. You recognized and responded to counterarguments and weaknesses about the position(s) you support.
6. Further Questions
Critical Thinking: Further Questions. You posed further questions and next steps in exploring this issue.
7. Critical Thinker
Critical Thinker: Congratulations! You demonstrated skillful reasoning by incorporating several of the steps to critical thinking in your work.