Thinking and Intellectual
Performance
Chap. 2
Essential Question: Why is
Critical Thinking important?
Topic: Metacognition –
Thinking about thinking
P. 28 Self Assessment
Review the self-assessment and add
up your score. If your score falls below
30, reflect of areas to improve.
The role of thinking in study
Human learning means a difference occurs
within the learner
You think differently, behave differently
and/or feel differently as a result of mental
activity.
Good thinking is critical thinking – “the
disciplined art of ensuring that you use the
best thinking you are capable in a given
circumstance” (Paul & Elder, 2012)
Critical Thinking
Becoming a critical thinker means that you can
routinely use higher order thinking skills based on
reason and evidence. It’s not just knowledge
based facts that you memorized.
An important aspect of critical thinking is the
ethical concern of being fair. This is a challenge
(especially in an election year!) to listen to all
relevant viewpoints equally.
Three Stage Model of Critical Thinking
 Unreflective Thinking – one who is careless, undisciplined, passive,
conforming and unfair in thought
 Novice Thinking – one who is active, persistent and courageous
 One who is aware of their thinking
 One who questions and looks for explanations
 Advanced Thinking – one who is autonomous, trusts reason, has
humility and a sense of justice
 One who can learn from others and admit the errors of thining
 One who monitors the thinking, processes and uses a wide range
of strategies to improve the thinking
Academic Disciplines
Each discipline reflects a distinct way of
thinking. You may find some are easier for
you than others.
For example: Algebra is mathematics with
the unknown while physics is the interrelations
between mass and energy. p. 30 is a good
explanation of this with examples
All academic subjects are products of
thinking. Thinking creates content.
There are three types of Knowledge
 Declarative – knowing specific information ab out something. This is
usually facts and theories. We call this factual knowledge and
conceptual knowledge.
 Factual knowledge consists of basic pieces of information in a
particular academic discipline.
 Conceptual knowledge is the larger grouping of related ideas.
 A basic unit of declarative knowledge is known as the
proposition, one thought or idea. However, your brain does not
think this way. It takes each small part and links it by meaning to
may a schemata.
 A schemata are metal networks of related facts and concepts
that influence the acquisition and understanding of new
material.
Procedural
The second type of knowledge is procedural.
Either physically or mentally, you create a
result
Examples: reading, adding, writing
The process of knowing how is call
productions.
Turn to p. 34-35 and lets compare the two.
Conditional
Knowing when and why to use a particular
strategy based on understanding the tasks and
ourselves.
You have become aware of your own learning
strengths and weakness and adjust your
studying accordingly
See p. 36
p. 37 Exercise 2.2
Don’t peak!
Chapter 2
Thinking and Intellectual Performance
Types of Knowledge
Declarative—possessing specific information about something (facts and concepts; created with
proposition (one basic unit for storage)
Procedural—knowing how to do something; created with productions (systematic sequence)
Conditional—knowing when and why to use a particular strategy based on understanding that task and
ourselves.
Schemata—mental
networks of related
facts and concepts
that influence the
acquisition and
understanding of
new information
(many propositions).
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Six level system of intellectual performance
created in 1956
This was updated and revised in 2001
These six levels are a progression from a simple
declarative learning to a more complex
creative understanding
Draw the chart on p. 38 in your notes.
Chapter 2
Thinking and Intellectual Performance
Homework: Read the chapter
Especially p. 38-41
We will use this tomorrow in class. (Brush up on
your Three Little Pigs story, too.)