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Sample Critical Thinking Paper on Clinicians Reflection in Action

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Tuesday, 07 June 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

Clinicians Reflection in Action

Over the past week, when we have been tackling medicine competences as a context for thinking, I have been able to learn the how, when and where of critical thinking and this has helped me be able to critically evaluate situations and be able to reason, judge and come out with conclusion and solutions that are quite logical and possible. The whole aspect has tackled critical thinking aspect in terms of how one thinks about something, and the concept of our mind response I terms of ‘what’ and the thought context characterized by when and where questions.

From the readings, I have been able to identify the core competences that are necessary in the improvement of the health care. These competencies include the ability to communicate well with the patients, having knowledge, technical skills, emotions, values and reflection in all my daily tasks when in a healthy environment. I was also able to understand the institute of medicine definition of competence as the summary of expected behavior that one ought to have while in practice (Greiner,, 2003, P. 23). These include patient centered care, working in interdisciplinary teams that help in ensuring the continuation of integrated care, being able to employ evidence based practice and also quality improvement as well as utilization of informatics.

Generally from the past week discussions, I have been able to evaluate myself and can describe my reflection in the following pattern.
I am being quite flexible in the workplace context in the sense that I am able to undertake various instructions at the same time and am able to perform them.
I am able to take into the account of how, what, where during my work and learning
In my practice, I do not close my mind to any possibilities as I know that many options may be available and it would be upon me to find the best option from the many available.
Generally, I am asking almost all the questions that I ought to be asking though I forget some.
When in critic, I am able to synthesize the query and problem in question and this is giving me the sense of understanding the patterns involved as well as the details in dealing with how, what, where and when.

Based on the instruction given, I am able to apply my knowledge and be able to adapt that knowledge to any given situation.
When making conclusions, I am able to gather all the available facts and with the facts, I am able to make solid conclusions based on the data.
If a situation arises, I am able to make critical decisions as to how a difficult task ought to be tackled using teamwork.
From the learning, I am able to use the facts available criticize and then be able to predict the outcome of the problem or the situation at hand.

I am also able to adapt what I have learned and apply it in situations that do arise during the course of my work.
I am also able to consider the various options available and be able to come up with better and more creative approaches.
I also able to keep up with the learning and teaching paces so that I may not miss anything vital that I ought to know.
I try to apply the critical thinking concepts so that I may find a central ethical ground in a given situation so that I may have neutral reactions.
I am able to put pieces of information together thereby being able to know how these concepts adds up together.

References
Rubenfeld, M G, and Barbara K. Scheffer. Critical Thinking Tactics for Nurses: Tracking, Assessing, and Cultivating Thinking to Improve Competency-Based Strategies. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett, 2005. Print.
Greiner, A., Knebel, E., Institute of Medicine (USA)., & Institute of Medicine (USA). (2003). Health professions education: A bridge to quality. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.

CLINICIANS’ REFLECTION IN ACTION 3

Running Head: CLINICIANS’ REFLECTION IN ACTION 1

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on Analyzing in an Event

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Thursday, 12 May 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

Analyzing Critical Thinking in an Event

Patient care ought to take a central focal point in the in a nursing station. This is because, without careful attention and intervention by the responsible persons, nurses could do a lot of damage, and harm to patients who might have reported to the healthcare for medication and attention. A nurse therefore ought to use critical thinking techniques so that he or she may be able to diagnose and verify a potential threat that a certain patient may be facing. I will describe a situation which had affected patient safety, had unintended outcomes, why the breakdown.

The case in question happens to be of a patient who had reported to a healthcare facility claiming that he had fallen and that his leg was in pain. The nurse in attendance examined the patient and using her critical thinking methods assumed that the patient had suffered some sprains on his leg. (It should be noted that later on the patient was discovered to have fractured his leg when he had fallen). After the nurse assumed that the patient was suffering from a splint, she gave the patient first aid, dressed the patient, gave the patient some pain relieving drugs and then sent the patient away (Lunney, 2009). The repercussions of her action were terrible as after one day, the patient returned because he was in too much pain and the doctor had to intervene. The doctor recommended an x-ray, which showed that the patient had suffered a fracture.

Based on the incidence the breakdown occurred because the nurse entirely listened to the patient’s side and instead of using critical thinking and nursing skills, she applied the general knowledge that led to the suffering of the patient.

We can say that the nurse was not confident in her reasoning but the doctor was and the whole context that ought to be considered was not factored in (Rubenfeld, 2005). We can also deduce that the nurse did not explore all the alternatives available and was not fully integrating the patient so that she could understand fully the condition of the patient. The nurse in question did not consider possible options available and did not base his decision on usual business practices. She did not break down the situation to discover the causes, a possible outcome of the sources and therefore we can deduce that she did not follow the said standards and set procedures. We can also indicate from the case that not all information was gathered when coming up with the conclusion and therefore the conclusion was not adequate.

As a manager to make sure that such mistakes do not happen again, I would institute a program whereby all patients who report of accident cases be screened further to assess whether there is any internal injuries that may have been inflicted. At the same time, it should be mandatory for accident victims to undergo x-ray services to verify that the patient has no problem. At the same time, measures should be taken so that the nursing personnel do a rational examination of ideas, possible inferences, assumptions, principles and arguments, making reasonable conclusions based on issues, and expected outcomes (Swansburg, 2002). Punishment should also be imposed on the nurse who did not perform according to the nursing codes.

References
Lunney, M., & NANDA International. (2009). Critical thinking to achieve positive health outcomes: Nursing case studies and analyses. Kaukauna, Wis.: NANDA International.
Rubenfeld, M G, and Barbara K. Scheffer. Critical Thinking Tactics for Nurses: Tracking, Assessing, and Cultivating Thinking to Improve Competency-Based Strategies. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett, 2005. Print. +
Swansburg, R. C., & Swansburg, R. J. (2002). Introduction to management and leadership for nurse managers. Boston: Jones and Bartlett.

ANALYZING CRITICAL THINKING IN AN EVENT 2

Running Head: ANALYZING CRITICAL THINKING IN AN EVENT 1

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on Team

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Thursday, 12 May 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

Team thinking

Team thinking is a situation whereby members of the team plan to act or to contribute towards the team’s objectives by suggesting issues and points that would help the group in its focus on moving forward. The team members think about what they are doing or what they ought to do and the leader assesses the criticality of the thinking in response to the set goals. Members of a team ought to follow a certain order when participating in a team to create order and to allow the evaluation of their thinking.

I belong to a team that is responsible for looking and visiting the elderly. The team is called “Eldercaretaker” the teams work is to act as emotional monitors for the elderly by promoting their welfare in terms of personal and emotions. Our main role is to act as the synthesizers and interpreters where we provide insights to the elderly and helping in the provisions of solutions for the elderly. When with the elderly, we recognize that they are part of the team and we hold discussions and dialogues with them to find out how we can help these elderly people. The team demonstrates the roles of emotional monitor, synthesizer’s role and the critic role.

According to the continuum of thinking, team thinking is a process that requires more dialogue, discussions, and criticisms so that through the interaction, an answer that is unbiased and that which holds the view of the majority rather than a simple art of sharing information can be obtained (Rubenfeld, 2005).
The strategies the team uses to help think about the entire picture is by allowing the members evaluate the idea in question, then plan for the execution before allocating the resources. Through discussions and critically evaluating the options available, an unbiased option is left as the final and the optimal solution for the team. This is made possible though collaboration and contribution of each of the team members.

Team thinking and individual thinking differences and similarities
Individual thinking may lead to failure of the project while the team thinking in most cases never fails. At the same time, individual thinking results to individual performance, which may not be comprehensive whereas team building may result to a comprehensive survey and results. Individual thinking focuses on task and doing while team thinking focuses on thinking and then doing thereby doing reflection in action. Team thinkers are also strong collective thinkers unlike the weak collective thinking of the individual thinker.

The similarities of team thinking and individual thinking includes the fact that both individual and team thinking focuses on the same objectives and at the same time the result may
Be the same for both team and individual thinking in regard to given information. Improving teamwork
The steps that I would apply to improve the work of the team is by
Being a good leader who is strong and has an independent personality and one who is open to suggestions and criticism.
I would make everyone get involved in the teamwork by distributing the roles and works of the team, as this would increase efforts and personal contribution towards the group (Fraher, 2011).
I would also keep everyone informed of the group work so that they may have the zeal to work harder to meet targets.

I should also act as a mind guard whereby I would shield the ground from negative information that may destroy the team.
Team thinking inventory
1. What strategies are used to help team members think about the big picture as well as the parts?
Some strategies that could be used to think about the big picture includes given specific critical thinking roles so that they will be able to evaluate the options to derive an optimum solution. 2. What strategies are used to help team members see the situation from different perspectives?
Strategies that could be used to help the team see the situation in the big picture includes engaging the team members in individual roles and then subjecting the same role to the team. This would help the team see the individual point of view in a global perspective 3. What strategies are used to help team members see their bias and their assumptions?

Discussions and criticism are important strategies that could be used to help the team members to see their bias and assumptions. 5. What strategies are used to help team members think beyond cause and effect consequences?
Being exposed to challenging situations is strategies that may help the team think beyond the obvious. Being given a difficult task with various options would help team members move out of their cocoon and think big 6. Does the thinking that occurs in the team resemble simple sharing of information or discussion/dialogue? Why? How can you move in the direction of discussion/dialogue?

The thinking that occurs in a team is that of information sharing. This is because each of the team member gives hi/her contributions and supports their facts. Encouraging contribution and criticism would help the team move in the direction of discussion and dialogue as the members argues their points. 7. What is done to encourage team members to share their thinking or feel comfortable enough to talk about it?
To encourage team members, they should be encouraged to contribute as well as given time to participate. They should also be given specific roles to play in the team. 8. How is conflict managed in the team to promote thinking instead of discouraging it?
Conflict is managing by reasoning with the conflicting team members, and then giving the optimum solution and remedies. Creating unity between the parties to the conflict and trying to harmonize the team helps in promoting thinking.

9. What other source of gratification are available for team members to socialize, obtain the recognition, and interact, besides interdisciplinary teamwork?
Community works and meeting with other team members where discussions are held are good sources of gratification for the team members. Here as they socialize and present their arguments critically, they are recognized and at the same time motivated when they are noticed and appreciated. 10. How were the interdisciplinary team members prepared for their thinking roles?
The team members were not fully prepared for their thinking roles because they had not done it in the past. 11. How does the team deal with ambiguity? How long can they tolerate not having a solution?

When ambiguity occurs, the team members handle it by consulting wide and having discussion. With proper guidance, the team members are able to tolerate with ambiguity as long as it last, as they will know that the issues are being handled 12. How does the team examine its own thinking process e.gg, how it works, not what it is doing it)?
The team examines its thinking processes by focusing on what it has so far achieved and the bit that has not been tackled. By doing so, the team members are motivated when there are some progress and where there are failures, they find out what went wrong and what ought to have been done.

References
Fraher, A. L. (2011). Thinking through crisis: improving teamwork and leadership in high-risk fields. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Rubenfeld, M G, and Barbara K. Scheffer. Critical Thinking Tactics for Nurses: Tracking, Assessing, and Cultivating Thinking to Improve Competency-Based Strategies. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett, 2005. Print.

TEAM THINKING 2

Running Head: TEAM THINKING 1

 

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on 9/11 Attacks

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Friday, 29 April 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

9/11 Attacks

Introduction
Humanity today is living in troubled times, and arguably, a century where the fate of humanity is so uncertain. Problems experienced by the human race are both self inflicted and transnational. In such a time, we cannot separate the study of such events from the practicability of critical thinking. If successful critical thinking is likely to generate reliable accounts of correct subjectivities as well as reproduce meticulous disciplinary practices, structures, and standards, criticism must be incorporated with intellectualism in analyzing and construing the previous events that have been affecting the human race.

There is an amazing concept behind the term ‘critical thinking’ that makes individuals fail to understand it every time they think about what it means. Critical thinking involves a realm of smart, multifaceted thoughts on what others have written about a subject, or there is evidence in any form for which an individual has to analyze, comprehend and interrelate with, intelligently. Sometimes it seems to be too much to ask for, however, it is about writing and scrutinizing where the writer has challenged her/himself and then hands over a challenge to the reader, which can be compared with the baton on a relay race (Neil & Stuart, 2002).

The idea involves picking the baton from where it was left and come to a conclusion of the race. Criticism is simply the practice of acting in response as well as assessing the thoughts, argument, and technique in order to enable the readers to appreciate how and why you value these bits and pieces of the literature. While critical thinking may be subjective to any field or topic, to be exact, it can show a discrepancy in method as well as the technique in relation to the discipline, and most of its common principles. For instance, rational thinking, making autonomous assessments and findings, and a well-structured skepticism on the subject in question, are common to all disciplines. Notwithstanding the area of study, the applicability of critical thinking expertise will definitely lead to a comprehensive and flexible judgment in addition to an improved understanding of the subject in question.

Consequently, critical thinking is a fundamental technique required in all disciplines including homeland security operations. Although there are numerous examples of critical thinking in the world, its applicability on daily issues surrounding health, money, family, national security and development cannot be ignored. In this paper, we shall constrain ourselves to a critical thinking model that could be used in support of homeland security while at the same time analyzing one historical occurrence that might have been prevented or toned down by using this model.

The September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have altered the sense of safety among Americans and other nations in the world. The question that lingered in many peoples’ minds around the world was that, if a well-guarded nation as America could be attacked in its major cities, then what about other struggling nations given the nature of radicalism that has augmented the level of terrorism in the world. Since this day, such thoughts have put homeland security under the radar with prominent policy focus as the world and the American nation come to terms with the uncertainty of assuring security of humanity in the 21st century.

This uncertainty brings into a question whether homeland security and other agents, who are considered intellectuals, are well prepared for the uncertain future. Dealing with the systemic stress brought to the American people and the government by homeland security is another area of focus (Thomas, Lee, Fred, Jamie, & James, 2004). If homeland security agents are to tackle efficiently the menace of terrorism with the complex changes associated with it, it will be of importance to be acquainted with a more robust critical thinking model that could be used in support of homeland security in order to achieve the increasing demand for service and accountability associated with their discipline. For instance, it is common knowledge that homeland security deals with a lot of data of great magnitude, which requires translation and knowledge extraction on a daily basis.

The use of a well structured and effective model of critical thinking in examining the data and work in the day to day responsibility of the homeland security personnel is vital to the success of attaining their mandate and responsibility. Failure to employ such a model of critical thinking in their work such as natural and manmade disaster is a recipe for the mass causalities, loss of property and lack of public trust as witnessed in events such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and the Cuban Missile Affair during the cold war.

September 11, 2001 presented a challenge to the government structures that had never witnessed some challenges beyond what natural disaster could present to the nation for decades. Though there were threats of possible future attacks, it was more of a society involvement, and no serious preparedness was put into consideration despite the nation having fewer national structures to deal with the threat. It is evident that prior to 9/11, the government practically overlooked several warnings concerning the lack of the U.S.’s preparedness when it came to the eminent terrorist attacks (Charles, 2006). On the other hand, the national commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States was opined that

“The 9/11 attacks were a shock, but they should not have come as a surprise. Islamist extremists had given plenty of warning that they meant to kill Americans indiscriminately and in large numbers. Although Osama Bin Laden would not emerge as a signal threat until the late 1990s, the threat of Islamist terrorism grew over the decade.” (Thomas et al., 2004)

Such laxity of the security apparatus raises the question of whether the security apparatus at that time were well prepared for terrorist attacks. One then wonders whether with such knowledge it was necessary to take steps that could help in dealing with the threats associated with disasters.

Paul-Elder Model of Critical Thinking
After assessing the events associated with terrorism considering the uncertainty of the world today, I find Paul and Elder Model of Critical Thinking instrumental towards helping the national security in their mandate. The model is comprehensive in the aspects of learning the concepts of critical thinking as an important leadership skill (Paul & Elder, 2001). The Paul-Elder model presents a comprehensive approach to critical thinking, which permits an easier understanding of this vital strategic leadership skill that will help homeland security. Essentially, I find the model easier to learn, put into practice, and teach, which are elements an individual must commit to in order to be termed as a ‘Master Thinker’, according to Paul’s suggestion (Neil & Stuart, 2002).

The model is comprised of two complementary parts, namely, the elements of reasoning and intellectual standards. The model has eight elements of reasoning, which include purpose, question, information, concept, inference, assumption, point of view, and implications (Neil & Stuart, 2002). These elements are present in all thinking. They have implication for the others in that if one changes, definitely the other element will have to change. For instance, if the purpose of the thinking is changed, questions will have to change. Before committing to using these elements, the question arises on what is the importance of the assessment of thinking. In the case of homeland security, once they had analyzed the thinking there was a great need of using the universal intellectual standards. As a starting point, it will be of importance to incorporate these reasoning standards as a reasonable person in reaching a judgment. Paul asserts that “when you internalize them and explicitly use them in your thinking, your thinking becomes clearer, more accurate, more precise, more relevant, deeper, broader, and fairer” (Richard & Linda, 2001).

In addition to the use of the standards, some factors that Paul suggests are credibility, sufficiency, reliability, and practicality when it comes to critical thinking. In the case of homeland security, in order to analyze the threats of the terrorist attack, first it would have been important to analyze them by identifying each element in the model of thinking in their reasoning, while at the same time, paying attention to the intellectual standards.

To begin with, the purpose of the thinking and their actions is essential in this process. For instance, it was imperative for the relevant authorities at that time to ask if their purpose was inclined towards their goals, values, desires, and needs. Many times people tend to accept such duties due to the excitement and challenges that are associated with them, thus, becoming a false purpose (Neil & Stuart, 2002). Then comes the question, if it means that the concerned parties were not aware of their purpose, to protect the country from such atrocities.

Questions are imperative when it comes to critical thinking since they offer a means by which at least appropriate questions may be raised. Such questions should be based on questioning that brings about broader deliberations on matters and problems as well as the assortment of available ways of determining or answering them (Neil & Stuart, 2002). If the FBI were aware of the threats, the correct question to ask themselves would be: who is this enemy causing a threat to the security of the United States? Knowing the enemy is critical towards managing the security of a country.

If the security employed to probe questions in their thinking, it is likely to gain comprehensive knowledge of their enemy as a requisite in addressing the complex national security environment of the United States. For instance, in the summer of 1963 when CIA operatives received information concerning the presence of Russians in Cuba, they discounted the information rather than asking critical questions concerning their presence. Instead, they fell victims to the determined Soviet crusade of denial and trickery that shrouded the operations of Soviet military along with missiles into Cuba (James, 2002).

We are in a society that does not lack information on anything due to the advancement of technology. As a critical thinker, it is important to determine what information is important in your case in addition to seeing how they interrelate. Again, Paul (2001) brings out how the mind consumes information in three approaches: inert information, which is useless, activated ignorance, which is dangerous when using false information as the truth, and lastly, activated knowledge, which is considered as powerful for such information brings out the true understanding of the situation. For instance, September 9 /11 incidents were marred by a lot of ignorance. “Scott McClellan, while saying that al Qaeda was a top priority from the beginning, in the same press briefing on March 22, 2004 mentioned a previously forgotten report from April 2001 (four months before 9/11) that shows that Bush Administration officially declared it “a mistake” to focus” so much energy on Osama bin Laden” (Charles, 2006).

Then one may question in the case of the Cuban crisis, what made the U.S. agency get things the wrong way? It is clear that these agencies thought that since the previous information from Cuba was false they had to assume that this was also false (James, 2002). In both cases, it does appear that no one determined what information was important.

In regards to critical thinking, concept is another factor which is considered a powerful element of thinking. The simplest explanation of a concept is an idea that creates meaning for other ideas (Paul & Elder, 2001). When a great thinker has a concept, he or she is able to shift the thinking to other dimensions so that he/she can view them from different perspectives. Getting ensnared in just one idea makes a person see things in one way. For instance, the notion of conceptual thinking was eminent in America on September 11, 2001 since the concept of a ‘missile’ or ‘bomb’ attack changed and so did the idea of protecting against such a conceptual shift.

“But the White House admitted that in the face of increased terror warnings before 9/11 it only once convened its task force on counterterrorism before 9/11. President Bush himself admitted that he “didn‘t feel the sense of urgency” about terrorism before 9/11, despite repeated warnings that Al Qaeda could be planning to hijack airplanes and use them as missiles.” (Charles, 2006)
Before that day, Americans knew that hijacked planes were used for holding hostages but not as terrorist weapons for killing masses. In the Cuban crisis, it should be noted that the American authorities were not blind to the fact that the Soviets might carry out an armed forces exercise in Cuba. In fact, there were two assumptions: the Soviets were likely to deploy defensive weapons, and they would use offensive missiles (James, 2002).

While looking at Inference as an element of critical thinking, it is important to note that it helps in drawing conclusions based on understanding of assumptions. Conversely, Neil & Stuart (2002) suggest that as far as elements are concerned, inferences can be good or bad, true or false, logical or illogical. However, they are quick to clarify that the key to comprehending inferences lies behind a proper evaluation of the fundamental assumptions in addition to the application of good judgment in arriving at an accurate conclusion. In the Cuban crisis, the U.S. got it wrong by concluding that the evidence or information from Cuba was a false alarm. However, it turned out to be a case where a false inductive conclusion resulted afterwards in false deductive conclusions. Then one wonders if there was some use of abductive reasoning strategies?

Assumption is a correlated element with the inferences since it is difficult to live without them just like understanding the happenings of the world without some concepts. Neil and Stuart (2002) have categorized assumption into two categories, namely, value based and descriptive. These concepts describe a situation. Time and again, the differences in suppositions create divergence for the critical thinker. In normal situations people have used conscious assumptions to achieve planning when there is a shortage of accurate information. Thomas et al. (2004) argue that this is an absolutely logical and reasonable method to thinking. However, the assumptions we usually come to with our subconscious mind, sometimes do not reach the validity threshold. Using the Cuban crisis, one would question if what was assumed about the evidence was the source of evidence, and whether the Soviets deploying the weapons in Cuba was correct?

Point of view is another crucial element of the thinking process. This is essential in the essence that one can see different situations from different angles. For instance, homeland security should be in a position to examine terrorism from different points of view, such as a security domain, political, legal, or an amalgamation of the three domains. Examining diverse points of view is useful to a critical thinker, particularly in strategic leadership circumstances, appreciating the environment as well as elucidating uncertainty. In both cases, the human perception affected the analysis extensively. The concept about the United States being an enemy of communism was a misconception of the U.S. agents.

Implications are defined as what we anticipate to take place prior to making a decision. As such, the consequences are the happenings subsequent to the decision (Paul & Elder, 2001). As a critical thinker, it will be important to think about the repercussions of your viewpoints, opinion, as well as actions. Consequently, Paul (2001) is of the opinion that master thinkers must be able to think of implications in three different categories: possible, probable, along with inevitable. Furthermore, he suggests that when thinking about anything, it is crucial to think of all the reasonable possibilities both positive and negative. It follows that one has to consider the consequences of an action.

Conclusion
From the above analysis, it is evident that critical thinking was lacking in one way or another in both cases. This affected the decisions made and the results that came after their judgement. It is worth knowing that there were numerous occasions where critical thinking or methods could have changed the results if it could have been employed effectively. In analyzing the Soviet missile deployment to Cuba, the errors and failures bring some questions on the assumptions, the evidence and the patterns they entail, to make reflective judgments, which is the case with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

References
Charles, P. (2006). The Disaster after 9/11: The Department of Homeland Security and the Intelligence Reorganization. Journal of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security, 1-32.
Gary, K. (1998). Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
James, H. H. (2002). Soviet Deception in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Studies in intelligence, 46-58.
Neil, M. B., & Stuart, K. (2002). Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking. Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall.
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2001). Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life. Upper Saddle River NJ: Prentice Hall .
Thomas, H. K., Lee, H. H., Fred, F. F., Jamie, S. G., & James, R. T. (2004). Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. New York: National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Retrieved August 21, 2013, from http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Exec.htm

Running head: 9/11 ATTACKS 1

9/11 ATTACKS 9

 

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on Presenting Information to patients

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Thursday, 21 April 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

Presenting Information to patients

Introduction
Patient’s information is critical to both the Patient and the health care attendant. This is because it contains vital information that pertains to patient’s health records. It is therefore the responsibility of the health care attendant to device clear and concise ways to present such information to the patient. It should be noted that the way information is passed to the patient may reflect either positively or negatively. Information conveyed wrongly may have negative reaction while positive conveyance of information is likely to boost the attitude of the patient. This therefore explains why information should be presented in way they will enhance the conditions of the patient. This being the case, healthcare attendant ought to critically assess the information and then device the best strategies of presenting the information to the customer (Rubenfeld, 2005). In the subsequent paragraph, I will give an example of presenting information and then describe how that contributes to critical thinking.

One of the creative ways that I would use to present information to the patient is by calling the patient to the doctor’s room or visiting them in their private room. First, I would inform the patient of the rights that they have when they are in the hospital concerning confidentiality and their stay at the hospital. I would also inform the patient when and why patients’ information may be disclosed.

Concerning the patient’s treatment, I would tell the patient of the possible causes of his or her disease, and how he or she can be treated when in the hospital and the various options available. I would then tell the patient how I would use his medical information to treat them. For example, supposing one has a broken leg, I would ask the patient if he/she has a history of diabetes and explain why I am asking so. I then would tell the patient of what will be done to the broken leg and the treatment to be applied. After treating the patient, I would inform them of the medication to take, the duration of taking the drugs and injections if applicable and also inform them of when they should refer to the hospital for checkup (Goodwin, 2012).

Informing the patient of his or her illness and the various treatment modes involves critical thinking. This is because great care must be applied to make sure that the patient is not negatively affected by the information. This therefore calls for the caregiver to find the best atmosphere to communicate with the patient. At the same time, a caregiver should know how to talk with the patient by using simple language and not using jargon or other shortened forms of communication (Lipe, 2004). This involves applying all the critical thinking skills to communicate with the patient. Under such conditions, critical thinking is applied when the caregiver looks at the implication of negative communication, and employs positive trends that would reassure the patient of his/her health (Rubenfeld, 2010). This would require critically preparing the patient psychologically, then sourcing for facts that would convince the patient that the conclusion is logical enough.

Conclusion
When passing information to the patient, no jargon should be used. This is because information translated in the wrong way may lead to wrong actions being taken by the patient. The best way to pass this information is through a one on one basis so that the health personnel may be able to answer all the patient’s questions critically and where possible, in the company of a friend or a family member. In addition, I should be precise on the requirements that the patient ought to have in order to fulfil a certain procedure.

References
Goodwin, M., & Sommervold, C. (2012). Creativity, critical thinking, and communication: Strategies to increase students’ skills. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Lipe, S. K., & Beasley, S. (2004). Critical thinking in nursing: A cognitive skills workbook. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, B. K. (2006). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Tracking, assessing, and cultivating thinking to improve competency-based strategies. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, B. K. (2010). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.

PRESENTING INFORMATION TO PATIENTS 2

Running head: PRESENTING INFORMATION TO PATIENTS 1

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on Use of Technology influencing the Ability of Students

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Tuesday, 19 April 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

How is the Use of Technology influencing the Ability of Students to think critically?

 

Abstract
This paper presents a proposal to investigate the influence of technology use in learners’ critical thinking competences. It proposes a case-study approach for the qualitative exploration of this relationship, identifying the researcher’s active observatory and participatory experience of five classroom settings in different schools as a fitting design and structure. The proposal outlines a literature dispute between the supportive and undermining roles of technology use among learners in the development of their critical thinking competences, identifying an effort to address it as the purpose for the study. The proposal also includes a summary of the study’s anticipated outcomes, planned chapter outline, and anticipated timeline.

How is the Use of Technology influencing the Ability of Students to think critically?
Proposed Research Focus
The study’s focus shall concern the objective of establishing knowledge about the methods, techniques, and models in which the applications of technology influence students’ capacities in critical thinking. This focus involves the aim of investigating technology use’s impacts and outcomes in the features, trends, ways, and designs of students’ critical thinking abilities in their education and intellectual activities.

The critical thinking abilities that constitute the scope of this investigation concern the collection, use, processing, and application of knowledge by students in efforts to enhance and better their academic performances. The investigation shall focus on the use of a convenient, student-friendly, and popular technology among learners in modern educational environments, such as the iPad. Several sub-questions shall apply in the investigation to bear out and demonstrate this principal focus for the study (Heisserer, 2006, p. 6-8):

How do the internet, communicative, and interactive features and applications of convenient technologies enable or undermine students’ capacities and intellectual competences in the access, use, processing, and application of knowledge and information?
How distinct and significant is the utilization of technology and its varied features and applications in students’ critical thinking potential and performances from the applications of traditional instruction strategies?

How does technology use impact on the extent, scale, variety, efficacy, relevance, and applicability of information and knowledge in students’ academic activities, particularly in regard to the internet’s extensive and global resourcefulness?
These sub-questions shall seek and yield observations and findings that exhibit, explain, and illustrate the effects and influences of technology use in students’ critical thinking capabilities.
The research question shall facilitate learning about the worth and usefulness of technology for students’ academic development. This knowledge is especially critical in modern times when the capacity of education to enable students’ active part in knowledge generation and produce innovative and transformational, rather than passive and conformative, knowledge constitutes a critical aspect of learning (Li, 2010, p. 36).

Critical thinking competences represent vital aspects and necessary outcomes of modern education, especially because of the increasingly complex and broad variety of problems that prevail in varied aspects of life. An investigation into the impact of technology use on the critical thinking abilities of students is necessary to establish whether technology use represents an advantage or an obstacle in the development of adequate and competent levels of these skills, which are critical in modern societies (Van Gelder, 2001, p. 539-540). Knowledge of the influences of technology use on these abilities is essential to avail knowledge on its efficiency and usefulness in enhancing the quality of education, in the context of modern demands of intellectual competence.

Review of Literature
The influence of technology use in students’ critical thinking abilities has been the subject of various studies by authors adopting varied perspectives and positions. The summary viewpoint of authors with an optimistic outlook concerning the roles and impacts of technology in students’ critical thinking involves conceptions of technology use’s supportive and facilitative effect, especially in regard to efficiency and broader variety in the access and application of academic information. Authors with a pessimistic outlook concerning this subject commonly adopt the view that technology-use has diluted students’ productive applications of traditional psychological processes, such as imagination, and hence undermined the effectiveness and productivity of critical thinking capacities.

Heisserer (2006) identifies a broader, international scope of academic knowledge to which students have access in technology use as a significant advantage in their critical thinking abilities, through increases in the ease and variety of information that the students can access. He recognizes incentive, worldwide communication abilities, unrestricted information resources, collaboration, the authenticity of problems, and a hypertext linkage environment as the promising features of technology use to enhance and strengthen students’ critical thinking capacities. Nevertheless, this abundant and extensive inter-linkage of information, which Heisserer calls “Googlelization”, promotes students’ non-critical assessments of information, undermining the supplement and strengthening of existent knowledge (Heisserer, 2006, p. 6-7). Snyder and Snyder (2008) are of the view that technology use supports the development of students’ critical thinking competences through enabling their active engagement in learning, and hence influencing a departure from memorization and passive lecture consumption. Technology use’s issuance of intellectual challenges and promotion of instruction focus on the learning process, rather than exclusively on content, constitute essential constructive influences on the critical thinking competences of students (Snyder & Snyder, 2008, p.

93-96). Another article focuses on the model of students’ applications of technology use in an examination of technology’s influence on critical thinking competences (Jonassen et al, 1998, p. 24-28). The authors propose that computing technologies’ applications as mind-tools – semantic organization (analysis and organization), dynamic modeling (descriptive), information interpretation (accessing and processing), and knowledge construction (knowledge designing) tools – constitute the basis of technology use’s value for critical thinking skills.

Boone (2009) presents the proposition that the design and model of technology’s application in instruction settings constitutes the determinant factor in strengthening students’ critical thinking competences. Her idea is that educators have to influence learners’ technology literacy in ways that sponsor academic rigor and technology applications in problem solution, critical thinking, and the creation and implementation of practical innovations (Boone, 2009, p. 68). Another position is that technology use can only influence the critical thinking competences of learners positively if there is the incorporation of appropriate instruction strategies (Papanis et al, 2011, p. 151-152).

These strategies constitute the focus of instruction on coaching students how, in contrast with what, to think, teaching data analysis, hypothesis testing, reflection, planning, information evaluation, problem solution, correct inference methods, and deduction, and the recognition of essential relationships among data and information sets. Researchers have observed the trend of improving visual skills among technology users at the expense of critical thinking competences. Traditional learning and education methods such as reading, the researchers observe, engage readers’ imaginative skills actively to yield efficient critical thinking skills (UCLA, 2009, para. 1-6). Carr supports this position by pointing out that he and colleagues have experienced inabilities to immerse and hold their concentration effectively in intellectual material (Carr 2008, para. 3-8). He observes that this is evidence of technology use’s destructive modification of human brains towards the trend of absorbing information in the way of technology’s presentation.

This analysis presents a dispute in the value, role, and significance of technology use in influencing learners’ critical thinking capacities. The relevance of this research is to try to address this dispute by establishing the realistic influence of technology use in a practical learning context.

Approach and Methodology
Qualitative research represents the fitting strategy of investigation for this study as it focuses on achieving a competent understanding of phenomena, through obtaining answers and exploring pertinent issues. The case study technique of research, which emphasizes a detailed and contextual analytical strategy within a limited scope of events or practical conditions, along with the relationships that prevail among them, shall apply in this context (Rowley, 2002, p. 16-18). The case study technique fits this study as it examines real-life circumstances and experiences to provide a competent knowledge foundation for the design and application of ideas and strategies to accomplish desired ends. It employs a strategy of inquiry based on factual (empirical) analysis in a phenomenon’s natural setting, to offer an inductively reasoned-out conclusion based on strong evidence obtained in the evaluation of practical contexts.

The case study design shall address the research question by studying several real-time and practical environments of technology-use among learners to yield evidence of the influence it has on respondents’ critical thinking competences (Unluer, 2012, p. 2-3). The study will produce information and observable trends that shall demonstrate the influence that technology uses among respondents in the studied environments have on their abilities to access, obtain, process, and apply knowledge with academic value in their education, principally in relation to performances in school and the demonstration of intellectual skills.

The strategy of data collection shall comprise the direct observation and a participatory approach in five chosen technology-use settings in school contexts. The researcher shall select five classrooms in different schools where there is the application of technology in the daily learning activities of students. Having obtained the permission of relevant authorities in the schools, the researcher shall observe the technology-use methods and approaches among at least five students, chosen randomly in each classroom, for a period of two weeks. This observation shall involve the researcher’s active presence in the classrooms to take notes and experience the prevalent technology use features and processes in the students’ learning activities (Lacono et al 2011, p. 59-60). The researcher shall evaluate the applied instruction methods in relation to the functioning of the technologies in students’ consumption of resources and instruction material in the classrooms. The observation and participatory activity shall further involve assessments of the impact of these technology uses and instruction methods on the learners’ abilities to access, process, and apply information and knowledge in their lessons and academic activities. Relevant interviews with the student respondents and their instructors shall also be necessary to yield information about the processes and significance/influence of technology use in the critical thinking competences of students, individually and collectively (Van Wynsberghe & Khan, 2007, p. 82-84).

Assessments of students’ input and participation in classroom activity and evaluations shall also be necessary to rate the extent, quality, productivity, and efficiency of technology use-enabled knowledge in students’ critical thinking abilities. The scope of critical thinking in this context shall concern the applications of cognitive methods and skills in goal-directed, purposeful, and reasoned activity, such as problem solution, inference formulations, and decision-making (Heisserer, 2006, p. 6). Relevant data collection tools shall include note-taking, voice-recording devices, direct observation, and daily recordings of opinions and insights in a journal. The applicable theoretical approach shall concern the assumption that the observed associations and process relationships are demonstrative of the influence of technology use in learners’ critical thinking capacities.

Expected Outcomes
Based on insights from reviewed literature, one expected outcome in the study concerns the supportive role of technology use in students’ abilities to access, utilize, process, and apply knowledge in their academic performances. The research is likely to discover technology use’s efficiency in the facilitation of students’ access of a broad and limitless resource of information/knowledge, hence affirming the view that technology use serves a supportive role in learners’ critical thinking know-how (Heisserer, 2006, p. 6-7). It is also likely to establish the employed instructive strategies as critical determinants of the degree of technology use’s usefulness in influencing critical thinking competences among learners.

Proposed Chapter Outline
The study’s proposed outline includes specific chapters for each significant area in the investigation procedure. The planned chapters are as follows:
Chapter 1: Problem background – a description of the setting and significance of the study’s investigation
Chapter 2: Research questions and focus: a statement of the research question, sub-questions, and their intended investigation paths
Chapter 3: An evaluation/review of literature: an assessment and summary of relevant published information about the investigation’s topic
Chapter 4: Methods: a detailed description of the process and structure of data collection and breakdown

Chapter 5: Results: an outline of the outcomes, including the observed features and trends of results
Chapter 6: Discussion of Results: a synthesis of the study’s outcomes, including the established/observed associations and trends among relevant variables and their implications on the research question and sub-questions
Chapter 7: Limitations and Future Research: explanations of any potential weaknesses in the study’s entire process and probable focus for future studies
Chapter 8: Conclusions: an outline of the researcher’s personal opinions concerning the study and its implications for the original research question

Tentative Timetable
The research shall take an estimated six months, including allowances for deliberations, reflections, and other considerations. This plan includes a three-week initial preparation period, a two-week phase for each of five classroom-based observations and participations, a week to consolidate and organize collected data, and two weeks of compiling the report.

References
Boone, K. (2009). “Building Technology Literacy into the Curriculum”. Principal Leadership (2009/10, 68-70)
Carr, N. (01/07/2008). “Is Google making us Stupid? What the Internet is doing to our Brains”. The Atlantic, News Article
Heisserer, G. (2006). “Thoughts on thinking: The Challenge of Critical Thinking”. Critical Thinking (1, 6-9)
Jonassen, D., Yueh, H., & Carr, C. (1998). “Computers as Mind-tools for engaging Learners in Critical Thinking”. Techtrends (43, 2: 24-32)
Lacono, J., Brown, A., & Holtham, C. (2011). “The Use of Case Study Method in Theory Testing: the Example of Steel eMarketplaces”. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods (9, 1: 57-65), retrieved on November 10, 2013 from: http://www.ejbrm.com/issue/download.html?idArticle=257
Li, K. (2010). “Integrating Weblogs in a Pedagogy Model for enhancing Students’ Critical Thinking Skills”. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning (5, 1: 35-49)
Papanis, E., Giavrimis, P., & Papanis, E.M. (2011). “Information and Communication Technologies and Development of Learners’ Critical Thinking: Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes”. International Education Studies (4, 3: 150-160)
Rowley, J. (2002). “Using Case Studies in Research”. Management Research News (25, 1: 16-27), retrieved on November 10, 2013 from: http://www.arf-asia.org/resources/using_case_study_in_research.pdf
Snyder, L., & Snyder, M. (2008). “Teaching Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills”. The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal (L, 2: 90-99)
University of California, LA (UCLA) (11/02/2009). “Is Technology producing a Decline in Critical Thinking and Analysis?” Electronics Business Journal (114)
Unluer, S. (2012). “Being an Insider Researcher while conducting Case Study Research”. The Qualitative Report (17, 58: 1-14), retrieved on November 10, 2013 from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ981455.pdf
Van Gelder, T. (2001). “How to improve Critical Thinking using Educational Technology” Meeting at the Crossroads (539-547)
Van Wynsberghe, R., & Khan, S. (2007). “Redefining Case Study”. International Journal of Qualitative Methods (6, 2: 80-94), retrieved on November 10, 2013 from: http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/IJQM/article/…/542/2495

TECHNOLOGY USE AND STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES 2

Running head: TECHNOLOGY USE AND STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES 1

 

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on Integration Paper

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Monday, 18 April 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

Integration Paper

 

This paper is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for BUS 5893′

Abstract
This integration paper describes the five courses covered under BUS 5893. The various courses and topics covered include Critical thinking, Problem solving, Ethics, and Global perspective. Critical thinking is a fundamental requirement in effective problem solving. The tools of assessment covered in the course include SWOT or TOWS analysis, PEST analysis, Decision trees, and SLOPE analysis. Ethics is a moral philosophy or the philosophical study of right and wrong, otherwise the moral conduct of people. Morality is a collection of philosophies, norms, traditions, and guidelines that act as a reference in human interaction concerning what is right and wrong.

The various types of ethics covered in the course include normative ethics, descriptive ethics, meta-ethics, hedonism, consequentialism,and utilitarianism. The topics covered under global perspective include World Trade Organization (WTO), General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT), Currency imbalances, Basel III, North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO, Cyber War Fare, NAFTA, ASEAN, Human Trafficking, G20, Trade Imbalances, UN Security Council, Civil Wars, and QE2 among others
Introduction
This paper describes the integration of the materials covered in the in BUS 5893. The courses covered include Critical thinking, Problem solving, Ethics, and Global Perspective. Critical thinking entails intellectual processes of conceptualizing, analyzing, and synthesizing collected information and using it to decision making process. Problem solving is the process of finding a solution to an existing problem. Critical thinking is a fundamental requirement in effective problem solving. The tools of assessment covered in the course include SWOT or TOWS analysis, PEST analysis, Decision trees, and SLOPE analysis.

Ethics is a moral philosophy or the philosophical study of right and wrong, otherwise the moral conduct of people. Morality is a collection of philosophies, norms, traditions, and guidelines that act as a frame of reference in human interaction concerning what is regarded as right and wrong. The various types of ethics covered in the course include normative ethics, descriptive ethics, meta-ethics, hedonism, consequentialism, and utilitarianism. The topics covered under global perspective include World Trade Organization (WTO), General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT), Currency imbalances, Basel III, North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO, Cyber War Fare, NAFTA, ASEAN, Human Trafficking, G20, Trade Imbalances, UN Security Council, Civil Wars, and QE2 among others. The description and relevance of the various topics under the various courses are as follows:

Critical Thinking
There are many definitions that have been coined by various scholars to describe critical thinking. However, the most inclusive is as follows: Critical thinking is an intellectual and disciplined process of conceptualizing, analyzing, and synthesizing information collected through experience, observation, reasoning, reflection, or communication as a guideline to belief and action. Therefore, a critical thinker is a person who makes an informed decision regarding his beliefs and actions before consenting to them.

Frederick (2008) identifies Observation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, inference, explanation, and meta-cognition as key critical thinking skills in business success. When commeting about the most effective people in an organizational set up, Chartrand et al. (2009) says that people with critical thinking skills have good problem analysis and solving skills, are creative, knowledgable on their job requirements, and have the ability to evaluate information presented to them. His comment underscores how relevant critical thinking skills are. Observation as a critical thinking element entails looking at something with a critical view of making conclusion about it.

Active listening skills are relevant elements of critical thinking. A critical listener developes a deeper understanding of the matter through asking questions for more information on unclear concepts. Reflection and reasoning skills entail an evaluation of the likely consequences of an action or decision before undertaking it. For instance, the senior management of an organization may have to critically evaluate the consequences of the decisions regarding commisioning of a given commercial product advert before consenting to it.

According to Pavlidis (2010), critical thinking skills in problem solving calls for the ability to recognise the existence of the problem, finding the appropriate strategies for solving it, establishing the importance of prioritizing events in seeking the solution, collecting relevant information to the problem, finding out the un-stated values and assumptions, clarifying information communication, interpreting data and evaluating arguments, finding out logical relationships between propositions, and drawing informed conclusions about the most appropriate solution to the problem. Bloom’s taxonomy of critical thinking and learning proposes six logical levels of thinking that can lead to effective mastery of a concept. They include: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Anderson & Krathwahl, 2001).

Knowledge entails ability to memorize previously leant materials by recalling basic concepts, facts, and figures among others.This logical level of thinking is essential to all people outside an educational environment. For instance, effective organizational decision making process calls for decision makers to exhibit knowledge of previous information or actions regarding the matter in question to avoid making vain approaches. Knowledge requires people in question to ask questions about the probable future on the basis of the already established foundation. An organization can predict the performance of a given product in a competitive market environment by evaluating the previous performance trends.

Comprehension calls for a demonstration of understanding of ideas and facts by organizing, translating, comparing, and interpreting by giving ideas.This is a critical thinking required in problem solving strategies to identify best alternatives amid hordes of options.
Application as a logical level of critical thinking entails applying the acquired knowledge to new cases and situations. For instance, as a proffesional marketer, one should be able to apply transferable skills learnt from one organization to another.

Analysis entails breaking up given information regarding a cause and finding out their motives and causes in order to make informed inferences and generalizations. It entails analysis of given elements, their relationships, and how they apply to a general organizational principle.
Synthesis is the process of deconstructing a given body of information and compiling it afresh in a new arrangment as a simpler alternative for informed judgement and decision making process. It leads to generation of a unique comunication plan, and the best alternative strategy in decision making process.

Evaluation as a critical thinking level entails presentation and defending of opinions regarding the validity of one’s judgement. That is, provision of evidence in support of a given proposal. This logical level of critical thinking is essential in organizational decision making process which involves more than one person. It allows the proposer of a given strategy to enlighten other members on the feasibility and effectiveness of his proposal.

In a nutshell, Bloom’s learning taxonomy is an informative body of reference in decsion making and problem solving process in both personal and proffesional lives of successful thinkers. Critical thiking as a course was very informative to me because through it I learnt that critical thinking is the main framework of reference in successful decision making process. There is no doubt that many organizations fail in their product design, and marketing strategies like advertisement messages because of failure to embrace critical thinking skills in their processes. The concept acquired through the case is essential to me in both personal and professional life. The most assistive tool was the application of Bloom’s taxonomy in logical understanding of matters before making a decision.

Problem solving
Problem solving is the process of finding a solution to an existing problem. Problems are part and parcel of human life and thus the search for solutions is an on-going process. According to Sanders and Thiagarajan (2007), problem solving as a process starts with identification of the problem itself, followed by collection of information, analyzing, and synthesizing it to establish possible solutions to the problem. Upon establishing the possible solutions, evaluation of alternatives is undertaken in a bid to establish the most effective solution before implementing it. The final process in problem solving is monitoring the progress of the implemented decision.

In an organizational set up, problem solving can be a more complex undertaking than it is in one’s personal life. Problems faced by business organizations include product design, human resource management, and finding the right marketing strategies that gives it a competive advantage against the market competition (Woods, 2000).

The strategic organizational management tools identified in the course study which are relevant in organization problem solving include SWOT ot TOWS analysis, Decision tree analysis, PESTEL analysis, and SLOPE analysis among others.
SWOT or TOWS analysis
SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknessses, Opportunities and Threats. TOWS is an amalgam of SWOT and stands for Threats, Opportunites, Weaknesses, and Strengths. TOWS was designed as a strategic organizational mamangement tool for marching threata and opportunities within a given organizational environment and the organization’s weaknesses and strengths (Weihrich, 2004). It focusses on how to use the environmental threats as a marketing opportunity for organizational growth and how to convert its inner weakneses into strengths to achieve goals and objectives.

Organizational Strenghs and Weaknesses are encased in internal environment of a company while Threats and Oportunities are part and parcel of the external environment (Tuckwell, 2007). According to Mullins (2005), the strengths of an organization include its brand position in the market, quality of customer service, and organizational culture that supports business productivity. These strengths are critical for survival of an organization in a competive market environment. On the other hand,Weaknesses may include poor pricing that excludes other market segments when compared to competitors and poor product branding among others. Issues such such poor employees’ motivation that may reduce their commitment to the pursuit of organizational goals are also part of the weaknesses of an organization. Threats to an organization include the strengths of competitors that give them a higher competitive advantage and suppliers. Opportunities are new market segments and the weakneses of competitors. SWOT and TOWS are essential strategic management tools for informed decision making process and future planning in an organization.

Decision Tree analysis
Decision trees are strategic management tools used in operational research to determine the probability of occurrence of events following prior decisions. It is an algorithymic decision making tool that helps organizational management is seeking solutions to problems. For instance, if the management of an organization is at loss on the effects of economic recession to its survival, a decision tree would help it identify all the likely occurences that may arise in a recession by linking how the occurence of one event can lead to the occurrence of another and their likelihoods.

PESTEL analysis
PESTEL stands for Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Ecological, and Legal environments of an organization. PEST which stands for Political, Economical, Sociological and Technological factors is normally considered in place of PESTEL. These are factors that fall outside an organization’s control. However, they are very important in strategic management because they have long-term implications on the future of an organization (Groucutt, 2006). For instance, the trends in current technology have implications on the market competition; those organizations which comply to technology can use it as a competitive advantage in production and marketing. Also, the politics of a given market environment have implications on the operation of an organization like taxation systems. Finally, economic forces such as recession have adverse effects on the performance of an organization. Threfore, the management of an organization should consider PEST analysis in their decision making process regarding marketing to ensure that the organization is prepared for worst possible conditions (Watkins, 2007).

SLOPE analysis
SLOPE stands for Strengths, Limitations, Obstacles and Potential Excellence. It is a strategic organizational assessment tool which was created to replace the traditional and expensive approaches like SWOT and competor analysis
Other strategic management tools include competitor analysis, Porter’s five factors forces and general market analysis. In general, the above described marketing and decision making tools are critical in problem solving process.
In defining a problem, an individual or organizational managers seek to identify what prevents them from reaching their objectives. Information gathering process is guided by questions such as; what is the problem? Whose is it? Is it worth solving it? Is this a problem or a sign of a deeper underlying problem? Does the problem need an immediate solution? What are the risks involved in ignoring it? Does it have ethical considerations? What does the solultion need to satisfy in the problem?
From the above problem definition questions, it is clear that critical thinking skills are essential in effective problem solving strategies.

Problem solving as a course was very informative to me. Through it, I have learnt effective decision making strategies in both personal and proffesional life. All the above described tools were very helpful in understanding what needs to be considered before one makes a decision regarding a given problem. I learnt that sometimes leaving some problems un-solved is the most effective answer to them if all posible alternatives have more negative implications. For instance, decisions regarding a product which have reached decline stage in its life cycle. Harvesting process may involve leaving the product unsupported by marketing to die a natural death.

Ethics
Ethics is a moral philosophy or the philosophical study of right and wrong, otherwise the moral conduct of people. Morality is a collection of philosophies, norms, traditions, and guidelines that act as a frame of reference in human interaction concerning what is regarded as right and wrong. Ethics and morality as a body of knowledge is a fundamental requirement for both organizational and personal life (Miller, 2009). Personal ethics entails philosophies and principles that an individual uses as a reference in making judgment of right and wrong or good and bad. On the other hand, organizational ethics is a body of philosophies and principles that an organization uses as a reference in its business dealings. It is often referred as business ethics or Corporate Social Responsibility which calls upon all organizations to conduct their business in the right way that takes care of the environment and all interest of stakeholders, including the general public in a given market environment.

Ethics is a very important element of successful business operations. Wray-Bliss(2007) underscores that many organizations in today’s capitalistic world are constantly flouting business ethics in the quest for profits. They are engaged in unethical practices such as environmental pollution, corruption, provision of poor working conditions for workers, infringement of their rights, tax evasion, nepotism and favouritism in employment, manipulation of prices of products, and misleading the public concerning their performance among others. Business ethics requires organizations to obey the corporate criminal law in their pursuit of profits (Suter, 2006).

There are three basic levels of ethics. That is, normative, descriptive, and meta-ethics.
Normative ethics establishes norms or what is regarded as appropriate behaviour people should emulate. For instance, normative ethics demands that health care providers help their patients to recover from illnesses. The set of ten mosaic commandments outlined in the bible constitute normative ethics. It is a societal normal in many global societies that stealing is bad and injustice is wrong and people are expected to avoid such conducts.

Descriptive ethics describes the way people behave. For instance, some people may say that they think stealing is bad, but descriptive ethics rationalises ethics and actions by considering what stealing means in a given context. Consider the case of video piracy through video file sharing programs such as You Tube and 4-shared on the internet. Descriptive ethics may consider the case of someone downloading video files from such sites as diferent from someone who breaks into an apartment to steal. The extend to which the two cases are regarded as stealing is different despite the fact that they are all wrong normatively. Descriptive ethics allow self-reflection of one’s conduct before judging others.

Meta-ethics is the study of how people determine for themselves the norms they follow in their conduct. It is a learnt ethics. For instance, the way parents raise their children through influence and correcting them on what is right and wrong, the way teachers guide their learners on what is right and wrong, and the general teachings of religions constitute meta-ethics. Meta-ethics has given rise to other branches of ethics like analytic philosophy and logical positivism.

Other forms of ethics include virtue ethics which desribes the character of a moral agent as a determinant of ethical behaviour. This ethics was popularised by ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle. The former believed that self-awareness was the driving agent of human conduct. According to his argument, people who are aware of thermselves have an inner tendency of doing what is right that leads to self-fulfilment than those who lack self-knowledge.

Hedonism as a form of ethics advicates for maximization of pleasure and minimization of pain. According to its proponents, an action or decision is ethical if its outcomes maximizes pleasure for the majority people. This argument underscores that the morality of an action is relative. This is because, while killing is universally agreed as unethical, henonists can argue that it is ethical if its outcome leads to the maximization of pleasure for majority people.Closest to hedonism is utilitarianism which posits that an action is ethical if it leads to overall maximization of happiness.
Another form of ethics is consequentialism which holds that the morality of an action depends on its outcome. That is, an action is ethical or morally good if its consequences are good. Acording to this moral philosophy, some of the controversial actions like killing can be regarded as good depending on its outcomes. Such actions that may be represented controversially as ethical include cases like the betrayal of biblical Jesus by Judas Escariot because his death led to redemption of mankind and forgiveness of sins which is a benefit to the sinful world.

Acording to Maslow’s hierrarchy of needs, human needs can be arranged in a hierrachical pyramid shown in the figure below with psychological needs being the basic while self-actualization being the ultimate need that can only be met after meeting the lower ones. On self-actualization, Maslow argues that “what a man can be, he must be” (Maslow, 1954). According to this excerpt, the morality of human actions depends on satisfaction of needs. That is, some of the actions that are universally acknowledged as unethical can be ethical in contexts of pursuit of one’s needs. This means that it is ethical for a person to kill another person in pursuit of needs that leads to self-actualization.


The course of ethics was very informative and through it I have learnt ethical principles that are very critical in life as an individual and as a proffesional. The rationality of ethics is very important in organizational decision making process. For instance, it is ethical to hide the internal squables of an organization to the public upon probing if the action or decision taken will sustain the performance and survival of an organization. Consider a hypothetical scenario of an organization in which poor working conditions leads to an accident that causes some deaths. In this case, it is ethical for the management to conceal the real cause of accident if revealing it to the public may lead to closure of the organization and loss of shareholders’ money. In this scenario the organization should conceal the real cause of accident but undertake measures to ensure that it does not happen again.

Global Perspective
The courses under global perspective were very informative in my academic pursuit. The most informative topics under this study included World Trade Organization (WTO), General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT), Currency imbalances, Basel III, North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO, Cyber War Fare, NAFTA, ASEAN, Human Trafficking, G20, Trade Imbalances, UN Security Council, Civil Wars, and QE2 among others.

GATT was formed in 1948 as a multilateral trade agreement to regulate international trade. Its main aim was to reduce tariffs and trade barriers by elimination of all trade preferences. It was replaced by WTO in 1995. World Trade Orgainzation regulates international trade between member countries. It lays down a framework of reference in negotiating trade agreements between menber states or trading blocks. It also acts as an international dispute resolution forum for its member countries. Among its principles are non-discrimination, binding and enforceable commitments, reciprocity, transparency, and safety valves among others.

Non-discrimination policies include Most Favoured Nation(MFN) rule and the national treatment policy.According to the premises of MFN policy, the WTO memmbers should apply the same treatment conditions to all other WTO members.National treatment policy posits that imported goods should be given equal treatment as domestically produced goods. Reciprocity policy limits the applicability of MFN policy. Binding and enforceable commitments means that all member states of WTO are bound by all negotiation concessions upon accession (Malanczuk, 1999). Transparency policy requires all WTO member states to publish their trade regulations, respond to information request by other member states, and notify any changes made to WTO members. Finally, safety valves are powers given to member states to undertake measures that may limit WTO agreements in the quest to protect public health and environmental interests.The content of the course changed my view regarding international trade and how one nation can benefit from it.

Currency imbalance deals with how a change in a given foreign currency affects the value and economies of other countries. For instance, a change in the value of the United States’ Dollar will have an effect on all global economies of other countries like China and india. The topic was resourceful and informative to my understanding of how global economies are interconnected.
Bassel III is a global banking regulatory standard that requires all global banks of countries to hold a minimum capital requirement as a security against bank’s leverage and liquidity. It was introduced in 2010 in response to the global financial crisis to replace Bassel II. The regulation shows the global measures undertaken by global economies to cushion countries against financial crises. Through the topic, I gained invaluable knowledge on how global economies respond to economic crises to reduce their effects (Bank for International Settlements, 2010).

NATO is a military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed in 1949 following the end of World War II. The organization forms a collective defense system in which member states are quaranteed of a mutual defense against an external aggressor. Currently, NATO has 28 member states of which 22 participate in Partnership for Peace program which is aimed at promoting peace in the world. The history of NATO enhanced my understanding of how far the world has come since the end of World War II in search of a long term peace. Through it, I have learnt the efforts undertaken by different countries to procure global peace and relationship.

Cyber War Fare is a deliberate undertaking by one nation to hack into the network or information system of another country with the aim of causing a destructive sabotage. It is formerly recognized in the United States of America as a fifth domain of warfare. The topic was an eye-opener to me on global matters and how destructive motives of ill-nations have taken warfare to a new domain of information technology (Billo & Chang, 2004).

NAFTA or North American Free Trade Agreement is a trade agreement signed by North American countries; The United States of America, Canada, and Mexico in 1992, with an aim of promoting trade among member countries. The topic enlightened me on the effects of free trade between trading regions and nations such as loss of jobs, creation of trade imbalances, and economic prosperity among others.

Human Trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings, majorly young women and children, for sexual exploitation and forced labor respectively. The topic was resourceful in my understanding of various measures that have been undertaken to suppress organized crimes. Such measures include trafficking protocol which was adapted by the United Nations in 2000 as a convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

G20 stands for Group of twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank governors of the 20 major global economies that control 80% of Gross World Product and 80% of the world trade. The economies also account for 82.2% and 84.1% of world’s economic growth by GDP (PPP) and nominal GDP. The topic was informative to me about the most powerful economies of the world and their role in global economy
Other resourceful topics in global perspective include Trade Imbalances, UN Security Council, Civil Wars, and the role of Queen Elizabeth 2 to the global scene in the 20th century.
In general, global perspective as a course was very informative in my global exposure through history and current affairs.

Conclusion
In summary, the courses covered in this integration paper were resourceful, both to my personal and proffesional life. Critcal thinking has exposed me to analytical processes of analyzing, assessing, and evaluating a situation to make an informed decision for action based on provided information. This knowledge is critical in solving problems as an individual and as a proffesional. Problem solving has taught me strategic processes in finding the most suitable solution to a problem from many alternatives. SWOT or TOWS analysis, Decision trees, PEST analysis, and SLOPE have taught me strategic assessement tools in organizational decision maming process.

The tools will be helpful to me in undertaking situational analysis as a proffesional in my organization to ensure informed decision making. Ethics as a course was one of the most informative material for me, both as an individual and as a proffesional. The material covered taught me on the essence of having personal value system to use as a frame of reference in my conduct with other people. Through virtue ethics which was advanced by Socrates, I learnt that the most effective people in life are those who are aware of their self. Through Maslow’s hierrarchy of needs, I have learnt the importance of prioritizing my personal needs and the role of personal ethics in pursuit of self-actualization.

Finally,global perspectives have exposed my internal thinking process to an outside world. The role of WTO, NAFTA, G20, NATO, and United Nations security council is promoting global relationship through trade and peaceful negotiations was very helpful to my unerstanding of globalization. I will apply the abve described concepts in my relationship with other people and in my daily activities as an individual and as a proffesional.

References
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D.R. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessment: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York : Longhman.
Miller, C. (2009). he Conditions of Moral Realism. The Journal of Philosophical Research, vol 34,p.123-155.
Billo, C., & Chang, W. (2004). Cyber Warfare:An Analysis of the Means and Motivations of Selected Nation States. Institute for Security Technology Studies at Dartmouth College , p.1-142.
Frederick, J. (2008). Business Ethics: Developing Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills. New York: Kendall Hunt Publishing.
Groucutt, J. (2006). The Life, Death and Resuscitation of Brands. Handbook of Business Strategy , p.101-106.
Chartrand, J., Ishikawa, H., & Flander, S. (2009). Critical Thinking Means Business:Learn to Apply and Develop the NEW #1 Workplace Skill. Pearson Education Incorporation , p.1-12.
Malanczuk, P. (1999). World Trade Organization. Encyclopaedia Britannica. vol 442 , p.305.
Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and Personality. New York : Harper and Row.
Mullins, L. J. (2005). Management and organisational behaviour . New York : Prentice Hal.
Pavlidis, P. (2010). Critical Thinking as Dialectics: a Hegelian-Marxist Approach. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies.Vol.8(2) , p.75-101.
Bank of International Settlements, B. f. (2010). Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Basel III: A global regulatory framework for more resilient banks and banking systems. Bank for International Settlements Communication , p.1-77.
Suter, R. E. (2006). Organizational Ethics. Emergency medicine clinics of North America vol 24(3) , p.579.
Sanders, E.S., & Thiagarajan,S. (2007). Performance intervention maps: 36 strategies for solving your organization’s problems. Performance Improvement • Volume 41 • Number 3 , p.44-47.
Tuckwell, K. J. (2007). Strategic planning principles. Integrated marketing communications:Strategic planning perspectives. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada.
Watkins, M. (2007). From SWOT to TOWS: Answering a Reader’s Strategy Question. Havard Business Review.
Weihrich, H. (2004). The TOWS Matrix:A Tool for Situational Analysis. p.1-19.
Woods, D. R. (2000). An evidence-based strategy for problem solving. Journal of Engineering Education, ISSN 1069-4730, vol 108(13) , p.443.
Wray-Bliss, E. (2007). Ethics at Work. In D. &. Knights, Introducing organisational behaviour and management (pp. 506-534). Canibera, Australia: Thompson.

Integration Paper 1

Figure1: Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs

 

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on How is the Use of Technology influencing the Ability of Students

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Friday, 25 March 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

How is the Use of Technology influencing the Ability of Students to think Critically?

 

Abstract
This paper presents a proposal to investigate the influence of technology use in learners’ critical thinking competences. It proposes a case-study approach for the qualitative exploration of this relationship, identifying the researcher’s active observatory and participatory experience of five classroom settings in different schools as a fitting design and structure. The proposal outlines a literature dispute between the supportive and undermining roles of technology use among learners in the development of their critical thinking competences, identifying an effort to address it as the purpose of the study. The proposal also includes a summary of the study’s anticipated outcomes, planned chapter outline, and anticipated timeline.

How is the Use of Technology influencing the Ability of Students to think critically?
Proposed Research Focus
The study’s focus shall concern the objective of establishing knowledge about the methods, techniques, and models in which the applications of technology influence students’ capacities in critical thinking. This focus involves the aim of investigating technology use’s impacts and outcomes in the features, trends, ways, and designs of students’ critical thinking abilities in their education and intellectual activities. The critical thinking abilities that constitute the scope of this investigation concern the collection, use, processing, and application of knowledge by students in efforts to enhance and better their academic performances. The investigation shall focus on the use of a convenient, student-friendly, and popular technology among learners in modern educational environments, such as the iPad. Several sub-questions shall apply in the investigation to bear out and demonstrate this principal focus for the study (Heisserer, 2006, p. 6-8):

How do the Internet, communicative, and interactive features and applications of convenient technologies enable or undermine students’ capacities and intellectual competences in the access, use, processing, and application of knowledge and information?
How distinct and significant is the utilization of technology and its varied features and applications in students’ critical thinking potential and performances from the applications of traditional instructional strategies?
How does technology use impact on the extent, scale, variety, efficacy, relevance, and applicability of information and knowledge in students’ academic activities, particularly in regard to the Internet’s extensive and global resourcefulness?

These sub-questions shall seek and yield observations and findings that exhibit, explain, and illustrate the effects and influences of technology use in students’ critical thinking capabilities.
The research question shall facilitate learning about the worth and usefulness of technology for students’ academic development. This knowledge is, especially critical in modern times when the capacity of education to enable students’ active part in knowledge generation and produce innovative and transformational, rather than passive and conformative, knowledge constitutes a critical aspect of learning (Li, 2010, p. 36). Critical thinking competences represent vital aspects and necessary outcomes of modern education, especially because of the increasingly complex and broad variety of problems that prevail in varied aspects of life. An investigation into the impact of technology use on the critical thinking abilities of students is necessary to establish whether technology use represents an advantage or an obstacle in the development of adequate and competent levels of these skills, which are critical in modern societies (Van Gelder, 2001, p. 539-540).

Knowledge of the influences of technology use on these abilities is essential to avail knowledge on its efficiency and usefulness in enhancing the quality of education, in the context of modern demands of intellectual competence.
Review of Literature
The influence of technology use in students’ critical thinking abilities has been the subject of various studies by authors adopting varied perspectives and positions. The summary viewpoint of authors with an optimistic outlook concerning the roles and impacts of technology in students’ critical thinking involves conceptions of technology use’s supportive and facilitative effect, especially in regard to efficiency and broader variety in the access and application of academic information.

Authors with a pessimistic outlook concerning this subject commonly adopt the view that technology-use has diluted students’ productive applications of traditional psychological processes, such as imagination, and hence undermined the effectiveness and productivity of critical thinking capacities. Heisserer (2006) identifies a broader, international scope of academic knowledge to which students have access in technology use as a significant advantage in their critical thinking abilities, through increases in the ease and variety of information that the students can access. He recognizes incentive, worldwide communication abilities, unrestricted information resources, collaboration, the authenticity of problems, and a hypertext linkage environment as the promising features of technology use to enhance and strengthen students’ critical thinking capacities. Nevertheless, this abundant and extensive inter-linkage of information, which Heisserer calls “Googlelization”, promotes students’ non-critical assessments of information, undermining the supplement and strengthening of existent knowledge (Heisserer, 2006, p. 6-7).

Snyder and Snyder (2008) are of the view that technology use supports the development of students’ critical thinking competences through enabling their active engagement in learning, and hence influencing a departure from memorization and passive lecture consumption. Technology use’s issuance of intellectual challenges and promotion of instruction focus on the learning process, rather than exclusively on content, constitute essential constructive influences on the critical thinking competences of students (Snyder & Snyder, 2008, p. 93-96). Another article focuses on the model of students’ applications of technology use in an examination of technology’s influence on critical thinking competences (Jonassen et al, 1998, p. 24-28).

The authors propose that computing technologies’ applications as mind-tools – semantic organization (analysis and organization), dynamic modeling (descriptive), information interpretation (accessing and processing), and knowledge construction (knowledge designing) tools – constitute the basis of technology use’s value for critical thinking skills.

Boone (2009) presents the proposition that the design and model of technology’s application in instruction settings constitutes the determinant factor in strengthening students’ critical thinking competences. Her idea is that educators have to influence learners’ technology literacy in ways that sponsor academic rigor and technology applications in problem solving, critical thinking, and the creation and implementation of practical innovations (Boone, 2009, p. 68). Another position is that technology use can only influence the critical thinking competences of learners positively if there is the incorporation of appropriate instruction strategies (Papanis et al, 2011, p. 151-152).

These strategies constitute the focus of instruction on coaching students how, in contrast with what, to think, teaching data analysis, hypothesis testing, reflection, planning, information evaluation, problem solution, correct inference methods, and deduction, and the recognition of the essential relationships among data and information sheets. Researchers have observed the trend of improving visual skills among technology users at the expense of critical thinking competences.

Traditional learning and education methods, such as reading, the researchers observe, engage readers’ imaginative skills actively to yield efficient critical thinking skills (UCLA, 2009, para. 1-6). Carr supports this position by pointing out that he and colleagues have experienced inabilities to immerse and hold their concentration effectively in intellectual material (Carr 2008, para. 3-8). He observes that this is evidence of technology use’s destructive modification of human brains towards the trend of absorbing information in the way of technology’s presentation.

This analysis presents a dispute in the value, role, and significance of technology use in influencing learners’ critical thinking capacities. The relevance of this research is to try to address this dispute by establishing the realistic influence of technology use in a practical learning context.

Approach and Methodology
Qualitative research represents the fitting strategy of investigation for this study as it focuses on achieving a competent understanding of phenomena, through obtaining answers and exploring pertinent issues. The case study technique of research, which emphasizes a detailed and contextual analytical strategy within a limited scope of events or practical conditions, along with the relationships that prevail among them, shall apply in this context (Rowley, 2002, p. 16-18).

The case study technique fits this study as it examines real-life circumstances and experiences to provide a competent knowledge foundation for the design and application of ideas and strategies to accomplish desired ends. It employs a strategy of inquiry based on factual (empirical) analysis in a phenomenon’s natural setting, to offer an inductively reasoned-out conclusion based on strong evidence obtained in the evaluation of practical contexts. The case study design shall address the research question by studying several real-time and practical environments of technology-use among learners to yield evidence of the influence it has on respondents’ critical thinking competences (Unluer, 2012, p. 2-3). The study will produce information and observable trends that shall demonstrate the influence that technology uses among respondents in the studied environments have on their abilities to access, obtain, process, and apply knowledge with academic value in their education, principally in relation to performances in school and the demonstration of intellectual skills.

The strategy of data collection shall comprise the direct observation and a participatory approach in five chosen technology-use settings in school contexts. The researcher shall select five classrooms in different schools where there is the application of technology in the daily learning activities of students. Having obtained the permission of relevant authorities in the schools, the researcher shall observe the technology-use methods and approaches among at least five students, chosen randomly in each classroom, for a period of two weeks. This observation shall involve the researcher’s active presence in the classrooms to take notes and experience the prevalent technology use features and processes in the students’ learning activities (Lacono et al 2011, p. 59-60).

The researcher shall evaluate the applied instruction methods in relation to the functioning of the technologies in students’ consumption of resources and instruction material in the classrooms. The observation and participatory activity shall further involve assessments of the impact of these technology uses and instruction methods on the learners’ abilities to access, process, and apply information and knowledge in their lessons and academic activities. Relevant interviews with the student respondents and their instructors shall also be necessary to yield information about the processes and the significance/influence of technology use in the critical thinking competences of students, individually and collectively (Van Wynsberghe & Khan, 2007, p. 82-84).

Assessments of students’ input and participation in classroom activity and evaluations shall also be necessary to rate the extent, quality, productivity, and efficiency of technology use-enabled knowledge in students’ critical thinking abilities. The scope of critical thinking in this context shall concern the applications of cognitive methods and skills in goal-directed, purposeful, and reasoned activity, such as problem solution, inference formulations, and decision-making (Heisserer, 2006, p. 6). Relevant data collection tools shall include note-taking, voice-recording devices, direct observation, and daily recordings of opinions and insights in a journal. The applicable theoretical approach shall concern the assumption that the observed associations and process relationships are demonstrative of the influence of technology use in learners’ critical thinking capacities.

Expected Outcomes
Based on insights from reviewed literature, one expected outcome in the study concerns the supportive role of technology use in students’ abilities to access, utilize, process, and apply knowledge in their academic performances. The research is likely to discover technology use’s efficiency in the facilitation of students’ access to a broad and limitless resource of information/knowledge, hence affirming the view that technology use serves a supportive role in learners’ critical thinking know-how (Heisserer, 2006, p. 6-7). It is also likely to establish the employed instructive strategies as critical determinants of the degree of technology use’s usefulness in influencing critical thinking competences among learners.

Proposed Chapter Outline
The study’s proposed outline includes specific chapters for each significant area in the investigation procedure. The planned chapters are as follows:
Chapter 1: Problem background – a description of the setting and significance of the study’s investigation
Chapter 2: Research questions and focus: a statement of the research question, sub-questions, and their intended investigation paths
Chapter 3: An evaluation/review of literature: an assessment and summary of relevant published information about the investigation’s topic
Chapter 4: Methods: a detailed description of the process and structure of data collection and breakdown
Chapter 5: Results: an outline of the outcomes, including the observed features and trends of results
Chapter 6: Discussion of Results: a synthesis of the study’s outcomes, including the established/observed associations and trends among relevant variables and their implications on the research question and sub-questions
Chapter 7: Limitations and Future Research: explanations of any potential weaknesses in the study’s entire process and probable focus for future studies
Chapter 8: Conclusions: an outline of the researcher’s personal opinions concerning the study and its implications for the original research question

Tentative Timetable
The research shall take an estimated six months, including allowances for deliberations, reflections, and other considerations. This plan includes a three-week initial preparation period, a two-week phase for each of five classroom-based observations and participations, a week to consolidate and organize collected data, and two weeks of compiling the report.

References
Boone, K. (2009). “Building Technology Literacy into the Curriculum”. Principal Leadership (2009/10, 68-70)
Carr, N. (01/07/2008). “Is Google making us Stupid? What the Internet is doing to our Brains”. The Atlantic, News Article
Heisserer, G. (2006). “Thoughts on thinking: The Challenge of Critical Thinking”. Critical Thinking (1, 6-9)
Jonassen, D., Yueh, H., & Carr, C. (1998). “Computers as Mind-tools for engaging Learners in Critical Thinking”. Techtrends (43, 2: 24-32)
Lacono, J., Brown, A., & Holtham, C. (2011). “The Use of Case Study Method in Theory Testing: the Example of Steel eMarketplaces”. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods (9, 1: 57-65), retrieved on November 10, 2013 from: http://www.ejbrm.com/issue/download.html?idArticle=257
Li, K. (2010). “Integrating Weblogs in a Pedagogy Model for enhancing Students’ Critical Thinking Skills”. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning (5, 1: 35-49)
Papanis, E., Giavrimis, P., & Papanis, E.M. (2011). “Information and Communication Technologies and Development of Learners’ Critical Thinking: Primary School Teachers’ Attitudes”. International Education Studies (4, 3: 150-160)
Rowley, J. (2002). “Using Case Studies in Research”. Management Research News (25, 1: 16-27), retrieved on November 10, 2013 from: http://www.arf-asia.org/resources/using_case_study_in_research.pdf
Snyder, L., & Snyder, M. (2008). “Teaching Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills”. The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal (L, 2: 90-99)
University of California, LA (UCLA) (11/02/2009). “Is Technology producing a Decline in Critical Thinking and Analysis?” Electronics Business Journal (114)
Unluer, S. (2012). “Being an Insider Researcher while conducting Case Study Research”. The Qualitative Report (17, 58: 1-14), retrieved on November 10, 2013 from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ981455.pdf
Van Gelder, T. (2001). “How to improve Critical Thinking using Educational Technology” Meeting at the Crossroads (539-547)
Van Wynsberghe, R., & Khan, S. (2007). “Redefining Case Study”. International Journal of Qualitative Methods (6, 2: 80-94), retrieved on November 10, 2013 from: http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/IJQM/article/…/542/2495

TECHNOLOGY USE AND STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES 11

Running head: TECHNOLOGY USE AND STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES 1

 

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on Pattern of Change

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Wednesday, 23 March 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

Pattern of Change in Thinking

Patterns of change in thinking vary from persons to persons depending of the conditions surrounding that person. In critical thinking, the analysis that one can make, the evaluation and the inferences that can be obtained from one thinking processes varies depending on the current state of the mind and personal conditions. It is possible that if one is faced with positive thinking, they are likely to subsequent think positively concerning an issue and if they have negative evaluation and inferences, they are likely to have patterns of change in thinking.

This being the case, the initial inferences may be complicated and they may give negative thinking pattern that would make a person make undesired conclusion. In the nursing environments, it is vital to understand that negative thinking patterns are likely to interfere with the overall thinking pattern of a person and this may pose problems as they may deprive a person the capabilities of living up to their potentials. A person who has a negative pattern of change may find it difficult to change and this may lead to mental health problems like stress and anxiety. However, changing these negative thinking habits can be of importance as they are likely to improve the mental status of a person. ‘I am no good’ and” I am the bad one”, are all statement that indicates a negative thinking pattern and measures ought to be put in place to overcome the negative change in thinking pattern.

While working in the nursing environment, having known my negative thinking pattern I am going to apply the cognitive behavior therapy that helps one to eliminate the dysfunctional beliefs that leads to negative thoughts and unrealistic expectations (O’Donohue, 2008). Usually understanding that negative distortions are based on lies, assumptions will help me in changing the scenario and cultivate towards a positive change in thinking pattern. In my field, the negative thinking pattern includes emotion based thinking pattern where emotions controls what I may think and therefore disrupt me from seeing the reality, unsubstantiated thinking patterns occurs where I make conclusions without any logical evidence and facts and the negative physic thinking pattern where I think that other people are only thinking bad about me. Understanding my negative thinking pattern will help me be able to employ a more positive approach and overcome the negativity.

To overcome, I will first accept and acknowledge the problems that I have as pertains to negative thinking. In this, during my working and learning durations I will be giving the problems and situations at hand a second thought so that I may be able to critically explore them to find the best alternative. I will therefore change the world in which I am living by turning around and living positively. Next, I will be alert so that I will be aware when I am using the negative thinking pattern. When I think negatively, I will be taking a positive thinking trend to overcome the negative thoughts. Finally, I will strive to cultivate a positive thinking trend that will replace the negative thinking pattern with the positive thinking pattern (Rubenfeld, 2010). I know that this may take some time but slowly I will be able to have a positive thinking pattern in my life.

It is vital to understand that negative thinking pattern can be disastrous. It is always good to change ones thinking pattern by recognizing the problem and introducing a new thinking pattern (Daniels, 2004). Since it is not possible to immediately change the thinking pattern, the gradual pace should be encouraged until such a time when all the negative and destructive thought are eliminate and replaced with positive thinking patterns.

References
O’Donohue, W. T., & Fisher, J. E. (2008). Cognitive behavior therapy: Applying empirically supported techniques in your practice. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.
Daniels, R. (2004). Nursing fundamentals: Caring & clinical decision making. Australia: Delmar Learning.
Rubenfeld, M. G., & Scheffer, B. K. (2010). Critical thinking tactics for nurses: Achieving the IOM competencies. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett.

PATTERN OF CHANGE IN THINKING 2

Running Head: PATTERN OF CHANGE IN THINKING 1

Sample Critical Thinking Paper on Ethics and Tact

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Wednesday, 23 March 2022 / Published in Critical Thinking Paper

Ethics and Tact

Thomas Henry quoted that, “We live in a world that is full of misery and ignorance, and the plain duty of each and all of us are to try and make the little corner he can influence somewhat less miserable and somewhat less ignorant than it was before he entered it.” It is from this point of view that I introduce tact as a significant virtue in ethics. Generally, honesty is regarded as best policy. Honesty is not always nice, sometimes, blunt honesty can even hurt. During such situations, tact applies. Tact is viewed as honesty that could be seen as criticizing but is worded carefully putting into consideration the feelings of the other person.

Tact means being discriminating about what we say. It means that before we speak, we consider the effect our words will have on other people and thus we choose our words carefully. Tact enables us to honor both honesty and compassion. It allows us to say the truth in a manner that other people can hear it without getting hurt or threatened. Tact requires that we put ourselves in the other person’s shoes and focus on their feelings as well as their circumstances. Tact therefore implies choosing our timing and words well.

For instance, your friend may ask you to accompany her to the park. A rude person would answer, “No, I don’t really like being with you.” However, a tactful response goes, “I don’t really feel like it, but thank you for your invitation. Instead of telling someone, “Your coat is ugly.” A tactful person would say, “It’s not my style but it looks good on you.” However, tact is not merely the choice of words; it is also the entire behavior that a person displays during an interaction. It describes a person’s ability to listen, avoid passing negative judgments, and show empathy and understanding for other people.
Tact has great significance to ethics. First, let us look at what is meant by ethics. Thomas Paul and Linda Elder (2006) posited that, “most people confuse ethics with behaving in accordance with social conventions, religious beliefs and the law”, they instead define ethics as “a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms sentient creatures”. Generally, ethics has this general meaning: rational, optimal and appropriate decision based on common sense.

It includes the possibility of destruction if necessary and if it does not have malicious intentions. Ethics tries to answer the question; what is best to do in life? It seeks to resolve questions surrounding human morality such as evil and good, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and finally crime. As a result, tact is an ethical virtue.

Tact is considered fundamental in ethics. For instance in the work place, ethics defines code of conduct among individuals. Tact is a virtue that cannot be overlooked in such environment. Lack of tact may lead to hostile environments to work with if they are not treated. Employees’ tactfulness is always taken into considerations when they are seeking promotions or moving to the next careers. A person can know whether they are practicing tact when they: are careful about how others feel, do not tease or embarrass others, tell the truth gently and kindly, decide whether to say the truth or remain silent, keep unpleasant thought to themselves and treat different people as they would treat anyone.

Reference
Paul, Richard and Elder, Linda. “The Miniature Guide to Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning.” (2006), United States: Foundation for Critical Thinking Free Press. Print.

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