Critical Thinking

A number of definitions exist for critical thinking and address processes involved in reasoning and evaluating. A synthesis might be:

Critical thinking is the systematic reasoning needed for making sound judgments to guide beliefs and actions. Critical thinking processes include examining purpose, assumptions, arguments, evidence, methods, and sources in terms of reliability, accuracy, aesthetics, ethics, or bias. Critical thinkers consider multiple perspectives, use data to support inferences, distinguish relevant from irrelevant data, weigh implications and consequences, and reflect on their work. (Kitano & Duesbery, 2007)

Creativity

The literature offers a wide range of models and definitions that variously focus on person, process, situation, product, or a combination of these elements. The Center’s rationale for enhancing creativity concerns society’s need for creative solutions as well as the individual’s personal growth and satisfaction. Creative thinking is engaging in open-ended thinking processes to generate novel ideas appropriate for the task. Processes include fluency, flexibility, elaboration, synthesis, making connections, analogical/metaphorical thinking, divergent thinking, risk taking, imagination, visualization, and problem finding. Creative products are original and useful and at the highest level, elegant and transformative. Creativity is developmental in nature and defined with levels of impact: “Big-C” (e.g., Einstein, Mozart), “little-c” (e.g., winning a high school poetry prize), and “mini-c” (e.g., personal “ahas”). Mini-c creativity—combining ideas or seeing things in new ways—is an important aspect of everyday learning and a foundation for the higher levels.