How can critical thinking affect your approach to learning new subjects?

Every time we approach a new task or subject we should have goals to strive for to ensure maximum efficiency. Nonetheless, we must also make a conscious effort to avoid staying stuck on our own biases and avoid dogmas - that's where we exercise our critical thinking muscle. Iteration is fundamental, we must incessantly test our ideas and conclusions, like we would a MVP, and observe how the team/market/public reacts to what we thought was a solid point. We must test our conclusion against the maximum points of view possible. This way we ensure we are learning a new subject efficiently and are aware of the common objections to different points.

In our fast-paced world, we are constantly pressured to 'define' our purpose. Starting a learning journey, we often lose sight of why we began, leading to mental or physical freeze. Thus, we must ask ourselves: Do we start by defining the 'endpoint' or 'purpose', or is the true essence found within the process itself? Drawing from my professional work in education, where I firmly believe that education shouldn't solely serve as a means to an end but rather a goal in its own right—a platform for personal or societal growth— Regardless of the path chosen, each journey should ultimately lead to an experience, a destination. A mindset that can serve as a safeguard against the sense of purposelessness we all fall into at times.

Critical thinking begins with goal setting. Start by identifying specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. This approach requires assessing your current knowledge and identifying gaps, enabling a tailored learning path. For instance, one of my clients, seeking expertise in digital marketing, set a SMART goal to master SEO techniques within three months. By critically evaluating her progress and adjusting her learning strategies, she achieved her goal efficiently. Such goal-oriented learning ensures each step is purposeful and directed towards a clear endpoint, maximizing both time and effort.

Critical thinking is critically important in a world that is saturated with choices. It is important to be able to critically determine actual facts before making any decisions. For long-term success, ability to think critically, make important decisions, and strategize & steer accordingly can be a make or break factor in any individual or corporate's lifespan. When learning new subjects, the ability to critically determine & differentiate the "wheat" from "chaff" hones one intelligence. A step further can be the ability to find patterns and relate the learnings of one subject with another, discover new facts and finally, innovate for the betterment of the product, the individual & the society at large.

Critical thinking can significantly impact your approach to learning new subjects by helping to develop an analytical mindset. This is a very powerful skill that helps you analyze your current knowledge, information at your disposal and the missing gap to fill. Having identified your knowledge gap, you be able to set your leaning goals and intentions and with the help of SMART technique, your learning journey becomes purposeful, collected and enjoyable.

In the age of information is increasingly hard to find trustworthy unbiased sources. Long gone are the days when we could trust any article or study. We must question the sources, reasons behind it, sample population and its significance, etc. Some initial questions could be: Why was the study undertaken? ... Who conducted the study? ... Who funded the research? ... How was the data collected? ... Is the sample size and response rate sufficient? ... Does the research make use of secondary data? ... Does the research measure what it claims to measure?

Unfortunately from our childhood we have been applauded for giving correct answers and not so much for asking great questions. No wonder we find answers much more seductive and rewarding but I believe it’s a trap ! When we answer something we process our existing repository of knowledge and vent out finished products. On the other hand, when we question or reflect out of curiosity, we open ourselves to completely new set of information and/or introspect from a fresh perspective. This widens are thinking horizon and pushes our periphery of wisdom. Questioning is therefore most quintessential tool of critical thinking.

Critical thinking emphasizes the importance of data and evidences, helping you to evaluate information and it’s sources critically. This is to ensure that the information is credible, relevant and appropriate to guide your study. More so, you’d be able to question assumptions, biases and explore different perspectives with gives you a chance to deeper understanding of the subject.

I believe that the more you question, the more you are able to have clarity about what you are doing. The same goes for using sources in research work. It is important that as a researcher, I’m questioning and checking the source I am using for credibility, relevance and bias. This is, especially, important in dissertation work. It helps in ensuring that any misinformation is not used and I am able to assess the quality of information myself. This way, I would be confident of the material I have used and can defend it too.

From early on, my father would tell me to look carefully for an agenda. "Who is served by..." (Insert any item you are critically questioning). Critical thinking is a liberal arts skill that is struggling to live.It behooves us to understand that there are two types of critical thinking. Lib Arts type teaches us to question potential outcomes, ethics, possibilities, etc. The critical thinking I'm sensung here is the type the work world wants employees to have. This is thinking that prevents possible issues that could compromise the bottom line. Or thinking that innovates ways to push profit. At times, this thinking can be engaged to find acceptable ways to skirt ethics. If there is such a thing. Always start with: what's the agenda?

Personally, my favorite approach is to try to explain the concept to a 8 year old, or make a illustration about it. By dissecting theories and ideas into their fundamental components, we gain a deeper understanding of the underlying principles and their interconnections. This approach not only solidifies your knowledge foundation but also supports comprehension and practical application. Critical analysis transforms abstract ideas into tangible insights, making them easier to retain and put into practice.

When you apply critical thinking to learning, you become more engaged, better at identifying key concepts, and adept at connecting new information to what you already know.

Critical thinking enhances your approach to learning new subjects by encouraging you to analyze information deeply, question assumptions, and make well-informed decisions. ???? It helps you identify biases, evaluate evidence, and connect new knowledge with existing understanding, leading to a more comprehensive and nuanced grasp of the material. ??? This proactive mindset fosters curiosity and continuous improvement, making learning more effective and enjoyable. ????

1?? Mind Mapping: Create a visual representation of the concept with a mind map. This technique helps to break down complex ideas into smaller, interrelated parts, making it easier to see connections and relationships. 2?? Analogical Reasoning: Use analogies to compare the concept with something familiar. This method allows you to draw parallels and understand the concept's nuances by relating it to known experiences or ideas. 3?? Socratic Questioning: Engage in Socratic questioning to dissect the concept further. Ask probing questions about the concept's assumptions, implications, and evidence, which helps reveal deeper insights and uncover any underlying issues or gaps in understanding.

As an educator, I find this essential. I always emphasize to my students that clarity and specificity in speaking and writing are crucial for effective communication, even if they assume I understand their points. Breaking down complex concepts into fundamental components not only aids in comprehension but also enhances communication skills.

Applying logical reasoning involves recognizing patterns, drawing inferences, and deducing conclusions based on evidence. Different types of logic help with this: -Deductive logic ensures your conclusions make sense and helps you eliminate impossible options -Inductive logic helps you make general rules from specific examples, helps you see patterns and make general guesses. -Abductive logic helps you make the best guess with the information available. By using diffrent logical methods, we can better grasp complex subjects and see how different ideas connect.

Logic is essential for critical thinking, but its true power lies in its ability to transcend traditional boundaries. When learning new subjects, leverage interdisciplinary logic. For instance, apply mathematical reasoning to understand patterns in social sciences, or use scientific methods to evaluate historical events. This cross-disciplinary approach not only sharpens your analytical skills but also fosters innovative thinking. One of my clients, for example, utilized game theory from economics to devise strategies in business negotiations, leading to unprecedented success. By integrating logic across various fields, you uncover deeper insights and enhance your intellectual versatility.

After a certain point of critical thinking, you need to start planning to think “what would be better to improve your own skillsets”. Whether you want to increase your knowledge or you want to have those learning as an add-on to improve your resume, after analyzing your skills as an individual to have more impact. If you keep a clear objective with reality in mind that what you are good at, then with critical thinking, you will be able to improve your personal & professional skills, as an overall.

Applying logic to learning new subjects transforms abstract concepts into manageable insights. Consider Sherlock Holmes, whose legendary deductive reasoning epitomizes this approach. In the business world, Amazon's success stems from data-driven decisions, dissecting customer behavior patterns to innovate and excel. Similarly, NASA engineers use logical frameworks to solve complex aerospace challenges, ensuring mission success. By systematically analyzing information and identifying patterns, you make learning efficient and engaging. Logic acts as your mental toolkit, turning confusion into clarity, and transforming daunting new subjects into exciting intellectual adventures.

Applying logic is the most interesting part of critical thinking. However, it must be integrated from the very beginning. Logic isn't something that can be applied only later; it must form the foundation of everything we see, hear, speak, and think about. This foundational approach ensures that our evaluations and conclusions are consistently sound.

Here I can refer back to my notes about incessantly testing our knowledge and the importance of iteration. Learning is not a stagnant destination, is not answering a question or passing an exam, its a lifelong dynamic process.

Reflective learning is one of the benefits of critical thinking. It helps you to evaluate your own thought process and identify areas of improvement. With continuous interactions and engagement with new knowledge gained, you will be able to retain new information more than your usual strength. More importantly when you reflect continuously it becomes part of your transferable skill and you can always approach new topics with a versatile and adaptable mindset.

We engage in continuous reflection every day, especially through writing and reading on LinkedIn. It's an excellent platform for professionals to reflect on their own thinking, compare it with others, and gain new perspectives. This ongoing reflection helps consolidate our learning and encourages us to consider various applications and implications of the knowledge we acquire.

In my experience, it helps with understanding how your own biases or biases of others affect how you interpret the information given. i.e., I have found my friend from Singapore interprets information presented in a drastically separate way than I do. (Also, this sharing and discussion leads to gaining more from the material that I might not have considered).

Many people fail to define the thin borderline that divides 'adaptive' and 'flexible'. A flexible structure can sustain large amounts of force by deformation, an adaptive structure makes sure the weight is all equally distributed for peak performance. Similarly a flexible student can study many different subjects but being critically adaptive allows you to learn and master. Cheers!

Critical thinking fosters a lifelong love of learning. By questioning and seeking clarification, you become an active participant in the learning process. This intrinsic motivation translates into a desire to continuously learn and explore new subjects throughout your life.

Change is inevitable. So is the learning experience in life . At many phases, one has to undergo the process of learning,unlearning and relearning . Critical thinking guides you through these phases and prepares you for the next phase.

Critical thinking enhances learning new subjects by encouraging you to question assumptions, analyze connections which develop more holistic understanding and see how different elements fit together from different angles, evaluate sources, caring about the quality of sources that you are using ,and adapt your strategies, that self awareness and all that can lead to open minded approach of learning. This leads to a more active, engaged, and meaningful understanding of the material. And all of that leads to long lasting learning outcomes.

Critical thinking is like having a toolbox filled with adaptable strategies for learning. It enables you to analyze information, adapt study methods, and pivot when faced with challenges, ensuring that you can tackle any subject with confidence and agility.

Critical thinking skills can be developed through conscious efforts overtime. Once developed, one may unconsciously introduce ambiguity while flexing their critical thinking muscles. However, It is important to keep things simple. My own way of keeping things simple is representing my thoughts in diagrams on a piece of paper(s). Looking archaic right? This helps me to see if I could communicate the ideas out of my head clearly to my own self before communicating it to others.

Critical thinking also goes along with intellectual honesty. Whoever the person is , some concepts and ideas will be easy to understand and some won't be at all. One of the risk lies in refuting the concepts that are not fully understood and to keep them out of the equation (in most of the case to avoid time consuming actions or by lack of intellectual honesty). While identifying the un-understood concepts, one person has to be ready taking the time grasping the concepts or being advises by a specialist if it's too much time consuming.

Critical thinking can also come from connecting different perspectives and realms when they seemingly don’t have any common ground from the outside. Digging down further, many things do have commonalities which can lead to new discoveries and ideas for how to resolve problems better.

Shorten the cycle by breaking it down to bite size chunks. Doing so will allow you to stack up wins and get you back on track when (not if) you fail.

Critical thinking encourages innovative and outside-the-box problem solving approaches. Considering multiple angles and challenging conventional ideas, critical thinkers arrive at inventive solutions to challenges of all sorts.