Teaching Critical Thinking Without Them Knowing

Imagine being able to train someone to think creatively and innovatively without them realizing it. This perspective is often referred to as 'thinking outside the box' or more technically, critical thinking. This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide to effectively teach critical thinking skills to others, while making the process interactive and engaging.

Step 1: Set Simple Yet Challenging Tasks

The first step in your teaching process is to provide participants with simple tasks that require completion within a reasonable yet limited time frame. These tasks can either be real and physical for an authentic experience or written scenarios for a descriptive challenge.

Example: A real physical task: Replace all four tires on a car, each with 5 lug nuts. Replace 3 tires but lose all but one lug nut on the last tire. If communication is limited and no assistance is possible, how do you proceed to get the car to the hospital within 25 minutes?

Alternatively, a written scenario could be provided, for example, adjusting a large picture frame straight with the given tools and resources within 10 minutes. However, the second option requires a higher level of descriptive clarity to ensure the challenge is accurately conveyed.

Step 2: Provide Necessary Tools and Additional Irrelevant Tools

Alongside the essential tools required to complete a task, include additional items that are unrelated to the task itself. The key is to encourage participants to critically evaluate what is necessary to complete the task to the required standard.

Example: Given mechanical level, tape, pencils, hats, and water bottles, what do you do when the level falls and loses accuracy? Participants must figure out how to use the water bottles as a makeshift leveling device to avoid a catastrophic sequence of events that could result in severe consequences.

Step 3: Introduce a Minor, Hidden Problem

Introduce a subtle problem within the task that can be overcome through critical thinking. This should be something that, if left unresolved, would severely impact the task's outcome, testing their ability to find a creative solution.

Example: In the car tire replacement scenario, the final tire is missing most of its lug nuts. How do participants solve this issue within the 5-minute limit? By removing one lug nut from each tire to use them on the last tire, they can overcome the challenge and get the car to the hospital in time.

Step 4: Reward Success

To motivate participants to put in the effort and see the task through, a reward should be included. This could be a treat or any form of incentive that encourages them to solve the problem and not give up.

After the exercise, conduct a group discussion on how the participants approached the problem and the thought processes they used. Highlight that they have just engaged in critical thinking without consciously realizing it. Reaffirm their achievement and celebrate success.

Conclusion

Incorporating these steps into your training sessions can effectively teach critical thinking skills. By making the experience engaging and interactive, participants will be more likely to retain the information and apply these skills in future situations.

Keywords

teaching outside the box, critical thinking, problem-solving