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FAEC Conference

Critical Thinking Skills

September 3, 2014

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CIGIE Training Institute

“…increase the professionalism and effectiveness of personnel by developing policies, standards, and approaches to aid in the establishment of a well-trained and highly skilled workforce in the offices of the Inspectors General.”

The Inspector General Reform Act of 2008

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Critical Thinking Skills Training ProgramTraining Objectives:• understanding critical thinking and the barriers to it• knowing your own thinking style• learning to de-construct and re-construct an argument• identifying the elements of reasoning• using Socratic questioning • creating effective problem statements• comprehending logical fallacies

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To make you think…

How many birthdays does the average person have?

Two men play five games of checkers. Each man wins the same number of games. There are no ties. How is this possible?

An orchard has 29 apple trees and all but 9 die. How many remain?

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What is Critical Thinking?

…mental process that affects ALL aspects of your life

How often do you stop to think about how you are thinking?

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What is Critical Thinking?

Thinking Non-Critically Thinking CriticallyExample: Shopping

*sidetracked by displays *what buys have I made?*prone to impulse buys *were they good buys?*buy things you want *what do I need?

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Applying Critical Thinking

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To make you think…

Someone builds a rectangular house. All sides have a southern exposure. A bear walks by the house. What color is the bear? Why?

Divide 30 by ½ and add 10. What is the answer?

You have one match. You walk into a room where there is an oil burner, a kerosene lamp, and a wood burning stove. What would you light first?

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What is Monological vs Multilogical Thinking?

Disciplined thinkers think in many different ways (multilogical) versus thinking one way (monological).

• Collaborative Thinking—values teamwork and solving problems together• Systematic Thinking—values processes and synthesizes them in a

methodical, orderly manner• Abstract Thinking—uses theories and abstractions and is idea-centered• Evaluative Thinking—assesses for effectiveness and seeks improvement• Independent Thinking—arrives at own conclusions and tries to improve

own intellectual well-being

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Applying Multilogical Thinking

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To make you think…

k m q w

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What are the Elements of Reasoning?

1. Issue-What is the problem and is it clearly stated?2. Desired Outcomes-What is the goal or purpose?3. Assumptions-What are my assumptions and biases?4. Point of View-What is my point of view and have I sought out other

viewpoints?5. Information-What data do I have and is it reliable?6. Inference-What can I draw from the information?7. Consequences and Implications-What are the solutions and the results?8. Implementation and Monitoring-What should the results look like and

how will follow up occur?

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Applying the Elements of Reasoning

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To make you think…

Each formula contains the initial of the words that help you translate it:

3 F = 1 YM + NH + V + M + RI + C = N E

P + A + A = 3 MN + P + SM = C S8 P or 4 Q = 1 G

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What is Socratic Questioning?

A process that elicits information, clarifies reasoning, explores values and slows down your thinking so that you can improve it. It is based on the concept that everything can be discovered through questioning.

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What is Socratic questioning?…focuses on asking open-ended questions meant to elicit more information.

It is important to ask the right question at the right time in the right way and then listen for the answer.

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Applying Socratic Questioning

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To make you think…Translate each sentence into the more familiar phrase:

Scintillate scintillate asteroid minified. Members of the avian species of identical plumage

congregate. It is fruitless to attempt to indoctrinate a superannuate canine

with innovative maneuvers. Where there are visible vapors having their provenance in

ignited carbonaceous materials, there is conflagration.

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To make you think…

A college science professor placed 2 ping-pong balls at the bottom of a cylinder (7 in. wide by 5

ft. high) attached to the lab floor. Students had 1 hour to remove the balls using anything available in the lab. If they found a solution, all would pass the final exam. They all failed. What could they

have done to pass?

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…and think!

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Critical Thinking Skills (CTS) Schedule

Class Dates Class Locations

December 9-11, 2014 Washington, D.C.

February 24-26, 2015 Washington, D.C.

May 12-14, 2015 Dallas, TXJuly 21-23, 2015 Washington, D.C.

September 15-17, 2015 Washington, D.C.

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Resource Links

CIGIE:http://www.ignet.gov/index.html

CIGIE Training Institute:http://www.ignet.gov/pande/training1.html