Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, in preparation for discussing the importance of critical thinking skills, 

Read the articles

Watch the videos

Review the resources

Reflect: Reflect on the characteristics of a critical thinker. Critical thinking gets you involved in a dialogue with the ideas you read from others in this class. To be a critical thinker, you need to be able to summarize, analyze, hypothesize, and evaluate new information that you encounter.

Write: For this discussion, you will address the following prompts. Keep in mind that the article or video you’ve chosen should not be about critical thinking, but should be about someone making a statement, claim, or argument related to your Final Paper topic. One source should demonstrate good critical thinking skills and the other source should demonstrate the lack or absence of critical thinking skills. Personal examples should not be used.

• Explain at least five elements of critical thinking that you found in the reading material.
• Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which good critical thinking skills are being demonstrated by the author or speaker. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates good critical thinking skills.
• Search the Internet, media, or the Ashford University Library, and find an example in which the author or speaker lacks good critical thinking skills. Summarize the content and explain why you think it demonstrates the absence of good, critical thinking skills.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length, which should include a thorough response to each prompt. You are required to provide in-text citations of applicable required reading materials and/or any other outside sources you use to support your claims. Provide full reference entries of all sources cited at the end of your response. Please use correct APA format when writing in-text citations (see In-Text Citation Helper (Links to an external site.)) and references (see Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.)).

Required Resources

Articles

Bailin, S., Case, R., Coombs, J. R., & Daniels, L. B. (1999). Common misconceptions of critical thinking. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 31(3), 269-283. doi:10.1080/002202799183124

• The full-text version of this article is available through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. In this article, the authors present better ways for instructors to teach critical thinking skills to students in college. They go over the importance of developing critical thinking skills in the earlier years of acquiring one’s education so to be better prepared for real-world problems after graduation. It is important for students to understand that the ability to think critically is not separate from attaining knowledge. Critical thinking skills can be applied to various domains of knowledge. This article will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion and your Critical Thinking Quiz this week.

Burkhardt, J. M. (2017). Combating fake news in the digital age. Library Technology Reports, 53(8), 5-33. Retrieved from https://journals.ala.org/index.php/ltr/index

• The full-text version of this article is available through the Academic Search Complete database in the Ashford University Library. Although fake news has been around for very long time, the new electronic media and the Internet have provided an open means for fake news to spread rapidly through an entire population. Bots are increasingly being used to spread misinformation, to manipulate information, and to force a particular meme on readers. “Individuals have the responsibility to protect themselves from fake news” (p. 5). While the article is aimed principally at librarians and library staff, it provides insights that are applicable by everyone. This article will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion this week.

Erstad, W. (2018, January 22). 6 critical thinking skills you need to master now (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-life/blogs/main/critical-thinking-skills-you-need-to-master-now/

• In this resource, the author lists, describes, and explains six basic critical thinking skills. Each of the skills is named, defined, described, and explained, and examples are given as to their appropriate use. This article will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion and your Critical Thinking Quiz this week.
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Hobbs, R. (2017). Teaching and learning in a post-truth world. Educational Leadership, 75(3), 26-31. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership.aspx

• The full-text version of this article is available through the Academic OneFile database in the Ashford University Library. Who cares if it is true or not, so long as it is exciting and entertaining and fits the readers’ belief system? Fake news uses sensationalism to prompt a viral response in order to spread misinformation quickly to as large an audience as possible. Students must learn how to distinguish between manipulation and evidence-based reporting. This article will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion this week.

Plencner, A. (2014). Critical thinking and the challenges of Internet (Links to an external site.). Communication Today, 5(2), 4-18. Retrieved from http://www.communicationtoday.sk/critical-thinking-and-the-challenges-of-internet/

• The author presents ways in which to use critical thinking skills to evaluate Internet sources effectively. The author further elaborates on how critical thinking tools can help raise awareness, enhance one’s reasoning, and enable one to evaluate other perspectives with an open mind. This article will allow the reader to understand the importance of well-developed critical thinking skills. This article will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion and your Critical Thinking Quiz this week.
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Multimedia

Tan, K., & Walko, D. S. (Executive Producers), Dimoff, D. (Producer). (2018). Fake news: Part 1 (Links to an external site.) [Video segment]. In How to recognize fake news [Streaming video]. Retrieved from Films On Demand database.

• The full version of this video is available through the Films On Demand database in the Ashford University Library. Fake news is more than a social media menace—it threatens critical thinking skills needed to develop information literacy. Combined with the impulse to share exciting, shocking, and alarming stories, fake news is shaping—and distorting—perceptions, especially in younger demographics. In this video, you will learn what drives fake news, how to spot it, and how to debunk it. You will see how to distinguish between bias and accuracy, and opinion from fact. This video will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion forum this week. This video has closed captioning and a transcript.

QualiaSoup. (2009, December 24). Critical thinking (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/6OLPL5p0fMg

• In this YouTube video, the speaker provides a thorough explanation of how to improve one’s critical thinking skills. The speaker compares different ways people solve problems. For instance, someone can memorize a solution to a problem, but to solve multiple problems of the same caliber would require critical thinking skills. The speaker expresses the importance of examining flaws and biases when approaching to answer a specific question. Students need to be better at thinking and should work on minimizing biases that have been influenced by culture and one’s environment. Critical thinking means to seek out knowledge and evidence that fits with reality. This video will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion and your Critical Thinking Quiz this week.
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Web Pages

Critical thinking skills (Links to an external site.). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.umich.edu/~elements/probsolv/strategy/ctskills.htm

• In this resource, the authors provide examples of critical thinking tools in application. The authors present a set-by-step approach to the process of critical thinking, giving some suggested approaches as well as verb-active statements to serve as guides to help you ensure that you are thinking critically. This web page will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion forum and your Critical Thinking Quiz this week.
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Valuable intellectual traits (Links to an external site.). (2014 , September). Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/valuable-intellectual-traits/528

• In this resource, the author provides brief explanations of the intellectual virtues that inform critical thinking skills. The author lists eight virtue traits that are necessary to the critical thinking mindset, providing definitions, explanations, and examples. This web page will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion forum and your Critical Thinking Quiz this week.
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Website

Critical thinking web (Links to an external site.). (http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/)

• This website is a central gathering point for information about critical thinking websites. This central website provides links to several websites that cover different aspects of critical thinking skills, logic, and rhetoric. Each of the websites in the Critical Thinking Web provides additional resources concerning the principles and process of critical thinking, including guides to their use in different fields of study, and which critical thinking questions are most appropriate for given situations. This website will assist you with your Elements of Critical Thinking discussion forum and your Critical Thinking Quiz this week.
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