Thinking Skills

Possible ways students might practice to develop their thinking skills. All skills shown are suggested only - schools may select the skills they want to teach or they can write their own.

Critical Thinking Skills

How can students think critically?

Analysing and evaluating issues and ideas

Practise observing carefully in order to recognize problems Gather and organize relevant information to formulate an argument Recognize unstated assumptions and bias Interpret data Evaluate evidence and arguments Recognize and evaluate propositions Draw reasonable conclusions and generalizations Test generalizations and conclusions Revise understanding based on new information and evidence Evaluate and manage risk Formulate factual, topical, conceptual and debatable questions Consider ideas from multiple perspectives Develop contrary or opposing arguments Analyse complex concepts and projects into their constituent parts and synthesize them to create new understanding Propose and evaluate a variety of solutions Identify obstacles and challenges Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues Identify trends and forecast possibilities Troubleshoot systems and applications

Creative Thinking Skills

How can students be creative?

Generating novel ideas and considering new perspectives

Use brainstorming and visual diagrams to generate new ideas and inquiries Consider multiple alternatives, including those that might be unlikely or impossible Create novel solutions to authentic problems Make unexpected or unusual connections between objects and/or ideas Design improvements to existing machines, media and technologies Design new machines, media and technologies Make guesses, ask 'what if' questions and generate testable hypotheses Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products or processes Create original works and ideas; use existing works and ideas in new ways Practise flexible thinking—develop multiple opposing, contradictory and complementary arguments Practise visible thinking strategies and techniques Generate metaphors and analogies

Transfer Skills

How can students transfer skills and knowledge across disciplines and subject groups?

Using skills and knowledge in multiple contexts

Use effective learning strategies in subject groups and disciplines Apply skills and knowledge in unfamiliar situations Inquire in different contexts to gain a different perspective Compare conceptual understanding across multiple subject groups and disciplines Make connections between subject groups and disciplines Combine knowledge, understanding and skills to create products or solutions Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies Change the context of an inquiry to gain different perspectives