Critical Thinkng for Leaders

As Paul and Elder (2020) wrote in our text: “Critical thinkers have confidence in their ability to figure out the logic of anything they choose. They continually look for interrelationships and order within systems of ideas. They use the tools of critical thinking every day to improve their thinking, thereby improving their lives” (p. 28).

This assignment will give you the opportunity to analyze an article of your choosing. As we learned in last week’s discussion forum, confirmation bias tends to cause us to seek out opinions from others that already align with our own. So, make the effort to find an article that you feel represents perspectives or opinions that are different from those you hold. Begin with viewing the short video interview of Dr. Daniel Kahneman, winner of a Nobel prize. His insights into how people think will be informative as you deconstruct your article for this assignment.

Reference

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2020). The miniature guide to critical thinking: Concepts and tools (8th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Analyze the practices of information literacy for responsible leadership decision-making.

Background Information

As we learned from the Kahneman video in Week One, fast and slow thinking (also referred to as System 1 and System 2 thinking) represent two distinctly different ways that our brains engage in the process of decision making. As the graphic below illustrates, System 1 thinking arises from an instinctual, often emotional, response to the issue at hand. System 2 thinking, by contrast, involves a more deliberate, analytical, and effortful approach to decision making.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Carefully review the key points in the Paul and Elder text.

3. Based on the “Template for Analyzing the Logic of an Article,” found on page 29 of the Paul and Elder text, choose an article to analyze for logic. You may choose an article from a newspaper, trade journal, scholarly journal, or even a website (so long as it is from a reputable source, such as universities, research centers, thought leaders in their respective fields).

4. Write a 600-word reflection paper responding to each of the eight key points of the template. You may find pages 30–31 of the Paul and Elder text to be useful, as well. Be specific in your responses to the eight questions on the template, as you analyze your chosen article. Conclude your reflection paper with a paragraph that describes how this activity has informed your ability to better analyze arguments or positions, especially those with which you may not agree.

5. In addition to course materials, your paper must include  at least two additional sources  outside of those included in this course’s syllabus.

6. All papers are to be written in accordance with APA Guidelines (7th ed.), including format guidelines. Since this is a reflection paper, however, you may write in first person voice. Papers must be logical, well organized, grammatically correct, and have correct spelling and sentence structure.  Write in complete paragraphs of at least three sentences in length. 

. If needed, please access APA formatting resources through the Academic Writer website in the Course Homepage widget to create your account which will give you the access during this course.

· Proofread your papers prior to submitting them to ensure the highest quality of presentation. 

· The maximum number of pages is given to encourage you to be concise and use meaningful words. 

· Failure to meet these minimum writing and formatting requirements will result in a lowering of the overall grade.  Use a #12 font in Times New Roman.

· Naming Convention:  Use the following format for naming the (Word document) files that contain your assignment: 

j. Part 1 – Initial of first name 

j. Part 2 – Last name 

j. Part 3 – Assignment name 

j. Part 4 – Date: Using numbers in the order of month, day, and year.

j. Example of file name: SmithJ_Reflection Paper_3-14-21