Below is the criteria I used for evaluating Mr. Donavon's critical thinking capacity
- The subject is honest with their shortcomings and lack of knowledge
- The subject is enthusiastic about the opportunity to address controversial issues
- The subject strives for understanding
- The subject is patient with complexity
- The subject has a legitimate desire to overcome his/her own confusion
- The subject bases judgments on evidence rather than personal preference
- The subject is open to opposing viewpoints when appropriate
- The subject demonstrates use of the three pillars of critical thinking: Investigation, Interpretation, and Judgement
- The subject provides accurate educated guesses when necessary
- The subject avoids unwarranted conclusions based on bias and prejudice
These elements are then formulated into a final score on a scale of
- Awful
- Disappointing
- Decent
- Excellent
- Mind-Blowing
Mr. Donovan's final score was a 4, demonstrating excellent critical thinking skills. He addressed questions directly and had a confident knowledge of the subject. His judgments and conclusions concerning the controversy at hand were based on sound evidence and principles.
The "What is Critical Thinking" handout had some insightful ideas about the fundamentals of a critical thinker. In particular, the excerpt addressed several common misconceptions about critical thinking, and identified some mistakes that the common layman often makes when he considers himself to be "critically thinking". Critical thinking is not memorization or imitation, but rather the process of of questioning and evaluating issues and forming sound judgments and conclusions.
*The interview was an elaborate ruse designed to bait Mr. Donavon into a critical thinking evaluation test
