Critical Thinking - languageresearch.cambridge.orglanguageresearch.cambridge.org/.../Critical_Thinking_brochure.pdf · CRITICAL THINKING Can Do statements In this section, we have

The Cambridge Framework for Life Competencies

Critical ThinkingIntroductory Guide for Teachers and Educational Managers

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Critical ThinkingIntroduction to The Cambridge Framework

for Life Competencies

There have been many initiatives to address the skills and competencies our students needs for the 21st century – each relating to different contexts. At Cambridge we are responding to educators that have asked for a way to understand how all these different approaches to life competencies relate to English language programmes.

We have set out to analyse what the basic components of these competencies are. This is to help us create an underlying framework to interpret different initiatives.

We have grouped the different competencies into six main Areas of Competency, and linked this to three foundation layers of the Framework.

T H E C A M B R I D G E F R A M E W O R K F O R L I F E C O M P E T E N C I E S

Collaboration Social Responsibilities

Critical thinking

Learning to Learn

Creative thinking

Communication

E M O T I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T

D I S C I P L I N E K N O W L E D G E

D I G I TA L L I T E R A C Y

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For each competency, we have further analysed them to identify the component skills (see section 3) for each one. This helps understand what each competency involves.

Then we are developing Can Do Statements (see page 6) to describe what can be expected of a learner at each stage of learning for each competency. The Can Do Statements are phrased as what a learner should be able to do by the end of that stage of learning. We have started to develop Can Do Statements as descriptions of observable behaviour.

The Framework provides different levels of detail – from the broad Areas of Competency to the specific Can Do Statement.

The Learning JourneyWe have also started work on examining the different stages of the learning journey, and how these competencies vary across each stage.

Pre-Primary Primary Secondary

Higher Education At Work

A R E A O F C O M P E T E N C Y

C A N D O S TAT E M E N TC O M P E T E N C Y

Defining CRITICAL THINKING Competency

Critical thinking refers to higher levels of thinking that learners need to enable them to think effectively and rationally about what they want to do and what they believe is the best action. It consists of identifying links between ideas, analysing points of view and evaluating arguments, supporting evidence, reasoning and conclusions.

We have identified three key competencies within the area of Critical Thinking.

• Understanding and analysing links between ideas refers to learners’ ability to organise information from different sources through identifying patterns. Analysing information through comparison and contrast enhances learners’ understanding of the content and this understanding coupled with comprehensive collection of information helps them build up critical evaluation.

• Evaluating ideas, arguments and options is related to learners’ ability to judge which ideas, arguments or options they can rely on and which they should be sceptical about. This helps learners to identify and prioritise problems they are facing in education or at workplaces and consider ways to solve them. When facing more than one problem, they are able to see the links between them and identify the real cause. Mastering this competency helps learners establish an analytical framework to deploy strong arguments and advance their own points of view.

• Synthesising ideas and information is an on-going process which requires learners to construct different aspects of their ideas drawing from the ideas of others. It involves creative thinking that helps them generate new ideas.

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S TA G E O F L E A R N I N G C O M P E T E N C I E S C A N D O S TAT E M E N T

PRE-PRIMARY Understanding and analysing links between ideas

1 Sorts and arranges things by shapes, size, colour, weight, texture and positions. 2 Explores different materials and media and decides whatto use. 3 Matches objects, people, letters, pronunciations and words. 4 Identifies the difference between puzzles, games, and toys.

Evaluating ideas, arguments and options

5 Guesses words from illustrations in story books. 6 Says if likes a story, song, game or not. 7 Recognises a problem (e.g. something doesn’t work) and tells the teacher about it.

Synthesising ideas and information

8 Makes simple links and predictions in stories. 9 Guesses the next thing that happens in a story and/or adds a new ending to a story.

PRIMARY Understanding and analysing links between ideas

10 Sorts and classifies objects and activities according to key features (e.g. types of animal or transport). 11 Identifies characters, setting, plots and theme in a story. 12 Compares different types of information. 13 Explains why things happened (e.g. cause and effect). 14 Makes predictions and estimations from given information. 15 Describes consequences of different potential actions of characters in a story.


16 Says whether something is true or not, and gives a reason. 17 Explains why they believe or not what a character says in a story. 18 Identifies inconsistencies in stories. 19 Identifies missing key vocabulary and events from short narrative summaries. 20 Describes problems in a situation given in a story (factual or fictional) with language support. 21 Makes a choice of activity and can give a reason for the choice.


22 Solves simple puzzles (e.g. word puzzles). 23 Suggests possible reasons for problems described in a text. 24 Compares two sets of information and points of view on the same topic (e.g., animals, transport, places).

CRITICAL THINKING Can Do statements

In this section, we have provided some examples of Can Do Statements which are descriptions of what learners can be expected to do for each competency by the end of that stage of the learning journey. These Can Do Statements will vary in their suitability for learners in different contexts, and so are provided as a starting point in the development of a curriculum, programme or assessment system.

The Can Do Statements at each level generally assume that the learners have developed the skills at a previous stage of learning, although this is not true of the Higher Education and At Work stages, which are treated as being in parallel.

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SECONDARY Understanding and analysing links between ideas

25 Compares points and arguments from different sources. 26 Distinguishes between main and supporting arguments. 27 Identifies the basic structure of an argument.


28 Distinguishes between fact and opinion. 29 Identifies evidence and its reliability. 30 Identifies assumptions and inferences in an argument. 31 Gives reasons for an argument’s plausibility. 32 Identifies problems in a proposed plan (e.g. to organise an event at school). 33 Analyses causes and effects of problems. 34 Examines possible solutions to a given problem are states how effective they are. 35 Assesses strengths and weaknesses of possible solutions.


36 Selects key points from diverse sources to create a new account and/or argument.

HE STUDENT Understanding and analysing links between ideas

37 Summarises key points in a text or an argument. 38 Identifies unstated assumptions and biases in an argument. 39 Contrasts different points of view on a specific topic.


40 Check clarity, relevance and fairness of different arguments and points of view. 41 Recognises basic fallacies in argumentation (e.g. popular, strawman, ad hominem, post hoc ergo propter hoc). 42 Arrives at nuanced evaluations of ideas, arguments and options. 43 Identifies problems to be addressed in a research project. 44 Rank problems in order of priority. 45 Selects best options from a range of proposed investigative or experimentation procedures and justifies choices. 46 Produces a systematic evaluation of different possible solutions to a problem, devising and referring to explicitly stated criteria.


47 Constructs a new argument or theoretical position from a synthesis of different sources. 48 Relates the content of texts to known ideological frameworks. 49 Applies new evidence to an existing theoretical construct.

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AT WORK Understanding and analysing links between ideas

50 Identifies patterns in business and operational data. 51 Summarises key points from a business-related report. 52 Identifies assumptions in a proposal.


53 Checks the strength of argument in a proposal (e.g. its significance and coherence). 54 Evaluates the plausibility of explanations in a report, e.g. the weight of evidence. 55 Assesses the significance of implicit assumptions in a proposal. 56 Identifies problems to be addressed in relation to specific work issues (e.g. products, services, internal systems, working practices). 57 Selects the best solution to a problem. 58 Defines the scope, purpose and workings of a particular course of action and explains potential impacts of changes in a presentation. 59 Evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of a particular point of view or proposal.


60 Identifies and accesses appropriate sources of knowledge and expertise in pursuit of solutions to problems.

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1CD 347 Listen and read about sport and breathing.

Write the words.

2 Find out how much breath there is in your lungs.Think!

When you do sport, you often breathe a lot. When you breathe, the air moves in and out of the lungs. Put your hands on your chest and see what happens when you breathe in and breathe out.

breathing in breathing out

Science102

1 Write down how tall you are. 2 Take a balloon and take a deep breath. 3 Now blow all the air in your lungs into the balloon. 4 Ask a friend to tie a string around the mouth of the balloon. 5 Now measure around your balloon and write your result. Look at your friends’ results. What do you notice?

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Examples of activities practising CRITICAL THINKING

Here are some examples of activities within Cambridge courses that support the development of competencies in this area. For each example, we have given one of the competencies that it supports, as well as the most relevant Can Do Statement that it specifically relates to. These examples are suitable for different stages of learning – from Primary to Adult learners.

2 1.23 Read the newspaper article and check your ideas to Exercise 1.

Reading A newspaper article1 Work with a partner. Look at the pictures. What do you think happened in the story?

3 Read the text again and answer the questions.1 What school did the children go to?2 Where did they fi nd the treasure?3 What did the teacher do when she saw the bag?4 Who opened the bag?5 What was inside the bag?6 Who did the police speak to about the objects?

Explore expressions with look

4 Find four examples of look + preposition in the newspaper article. Then complete the sentences with the correct preposition.1 I was looking for my keys, when I found my

mobile phone.2 Can you look the kitchen for my bag?3 My aunt is working so I’m looking my little cousin.4 I’m not sure what it is but it looks an old boot.

Vocabulary bank • page 110

Your turn

5 Look at the text. Write your own answers to the three questions in bold in the fourth paragraph.

6 Work in small groups. Compare your answers to the questions in Exercise 5 and decide which is your favourite.

I think thieves stole these objects.

I agree. But where did they come from?

Explore

4 Pupils from Parkland School in Leeds were surprised last week when they were cleaning the park. They were looking for rubbish when they found something that looked like treasure!

‘I was looking after their bags when I heard someone shout by the lake. I ran over and one of the children was jumping and pointing at a large bag. They weren’t laughing but they were really excited,’ said their teacher, Mrs Gibson. ‘I phoned the police immediately.’

The police looked in the bag. It was full of expensive objects like watches and clocks, and even some gold. There were also some old photos, a Hungarian passport, two train tickets to Berlin and an old newspaper from 1956.

But where did these things come from? Who did they belong to? What were they doing there?

Police detective Stuart Bolan said, ‘This morning I spoke to police in Hungary and they are trying to fi nd the owner of the passport. The bag was in the park for a very long time so it really is a mystery.’

Were the children still talking about it a week later? ‘They are very excited and are going to do a project on what they found,’ said Mrs Gibson.

TREASURE IN THE PARK

FACT! Four months before the 1966 World Cup in England, a thief stole the World Cup trophy and hid it inside some newspaper at the bottom of a garden. A dog called Pickles found it seven days later while he was walking with his owner. Both Pickles and his owner received a reward!

HOME WORLD BUSINESS EDUCATIONUK

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Competency

Understanding and analysing links between ideas

Competency

Understanding and analysing links between ideas

Can Do Statement

Compares different types of information.

Can Do Statement

Identifies the basic structure of an argument.

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Super Minds Level 2, page 102 ex. 2, ISBN 9780521148597 [Primary]

Eyes Open Level 2, page 34, ex. 1, ISBN 9781107467446 [Secondary]

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READING1 Look at the photos and match them with the

mysteries.the yeti | the Loch Ness monster | crop circles | UFOs

2 SPEAKING Work in pairs. Compare your answers. What do you know about these mysteries?

3 Read the article quickly. Why isn’t the author writing about any of the mysteries in Exercise 1?

4 2.14 Read the article again and listen. Answer the questions.

Which mystery…1 involves the possible ancient use of modern

technology?2 involves an object found in Asia?3 involves the oldest object?4 hasn’t been connected with alien activity?5 was discovered in a really old city?6 started half a century ago?7 came from under the earth?8 involves a round object with strange patt erns on it?

WHATHAPPENED?9 FUNCTIONS: making deductions

GRAMMAR: modals of deduction (present); should(n’t) have; modals of deduction (past)

VOCABULARY: mysteries; expressions with go

OBJECTIVES

Fact or opinion?A fact is something that can be proven to be true. An opinion is a personal belief. It’s important to be able to see the diff erence.

5 Read about the Nampa Doll again. According to what is writt en in the text, mark the sentences F (fact) or O (opinion).

1 Th e doll was found in Nampa. 2 It was 100m below the earth. 3 It’s from an ancient civilisation. 4 It’s from another planet.

6 Complete the table with two facts and two opinions for each mystery according to the article.

Fact Opinion

Teotihuacan

Th e Suicide Dog Bridge

Th e Lolladoff Plate

A

C

B

D

Competency


Can Do Statement

Distinguishes between fact and opinion.

Identifies evidence and its reliability.

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Think Level 3, page 84, ex. 5-6, ISBN 9781107562707 [Secondary]

3 Read the opinions below. Decide which are mostly positive and which are mostly negative about genetically modified food.

4 Decide which arguments in Exercise 3 you disagree with. Think of counter-arguments and make notes.

5 Work in small groups. Take turns to give your arguments on genetically modified food.

ANALYZE

CREATE

EVALUATE

1 In my opinion, genetically modified food benefits people in developing countries, especially where there is an extreme climate, like in Africa. GM food is stronger and the crops are not easily destroyed by heat.

2 I think that GM food is unnatural. We don’t know for sure, but it may lead to long-term diseases or allergies.

3 Do we really know how growing GM food affects nature? We don’t fully understand yet. For example, it could change the ecosystem of an area and create ‘super insects’ or destroy other plants. It’s an environmental risk. We need to do more research.

4 From my point of view, as a shopper, GM food is not as bad as people think. Farmers have been changing our food’s DNA for centuries by selecting the best plants or animals to grow. It helps farmers produce better, cheaper food. And eventually, that’s an advantage for the customer.

LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS 3

UNIT 5ENVIRONMENT

CRITICAL THINKING 99

Competency

Evaluating options, ideas and arguments

Can Do Statement

Arrives at nuanced evaluations of ideas, arguments

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Unlock Level 3, page 99, ex 3, ISBN 9781107687288 [HE/Adult]

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Further informationHere are a number of books or articles that you could also look at:

Anderson, LW., & Krathwohl, DR. (2001) A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. Pearson.

Black, B. (2008). Critical Thinking – a definition and taxonomy for Cambridge Assessment: supporting validity arguments about Critical Thinking assessments administered by Cambridge Assessment. Paper presented at 34th International Association of Educational Assessment Annual Conference, 9th September 2008, Cambridge.

Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: a restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Boston: DC Heath and Company.

Ennis R.H. (2015) Critical Thinking: A Streamlined Conception. In: Davies M., Barnett R. (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Thinking in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, New York.

Fisher, A. & Scriven, M. (1997) Critical Thinking: Its Definition and Assessment. Norwich, UK: Centre for Research in Critical Thinking.

cambridge.org/cambridgeenglish

You can find information about the other competencies in The Cambridge Framework for Life Competencies at http://languageresearch.cambridge.org/cflc

✓ Collaboration

✓ Communication

✓ Creative Thinking

✓ Emotional Development

✓ Learning to Learn

✓ Social Responsibilities

Documents

Critical Thinking - languageresearch.cambridge.orglanguageresearch.cambridge.org/.../Critical_Thinking_brochure.pdf · CRITICAL THINKING Can Do statements In this section, we have