WOTS-UP? 

A New Model for Critical Thinking, Situation Analysis, Conclusions and Effective Recommendations

by Dr. Jonathan Cooley

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of minds to think.”

“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”

 Albert Einstein

Now recognized as one of the most important educational goals and personal skills is Critical Thinking. It is important in business, in academics, and in everyday life as we wade through the jungle of information, social media and news stories.

Where have we gone wrong in education?

Let’s look at what Critical Thinking means, then propose some suggestions and strategies teaching and incorporating Critical Thinking into education – both in academics and in business settings.

First, we will review the article “Critical Thinking: Multiple Models for Teaching and Learning” Posted on November 29, 2017 by dasmo  at Oregon State University (https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/wicnews/2017/11/29/critical-thinking-multiple-models-teaching-learning/).

Finally, we will summarize our article on a New Critical Thinking Model.

Review: “Critical Thinking: Multiple Models for Teaching and Learning”

It uses a number of references (included below) and discusses the concept of Critical Thinking and explores different models and strategies for incorporating Critical Thinking into various subject-matter courses whether K-12, undergraduate or graduate. Critical Thinking is RARELY TAUGHT as a course or seminar and is more often relegated to tangential presentations or discussions buried within other course subjects.

The article emphasizes the importance of Critical Thinking skills in higher education and addresses the assessment of Critical Thinking.

Here are the major topics and bullet points covered in the article with my additions and occasional comments:

Critical Thinking Defined – many definitions exist. Here are four:

1. Critical Thinking is variously conceived and described, encompassing different perspectives and models.

2. Understanding one’s own perspective and those of others is just one model of Critical Thinking.

3. Dialectic thinking is the concept of a discussion or argument between two or more people holding different points of view about a subject, issue or topic. It involves critiquing ideas to produce counter-perspectives and synthesis.

• Critical thinking can also involve inductive reasoning, reflective judgment, and testing evidence.

Bloom’s Taxonomy:

• Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives outlines six cognitive skills for Critical Thinking:

1. knowledge,
   1. comprehension,
   1. application,
   1. analysis,
   1. synthesis, and
   1. evaluation.

• Some view Bloom’s Taxonomy as a sequential process, while others criticize it for being product-oriented.

Beyer’s Evaluative Thinking Model:

• Barry Beyer’s model emphasizes Critical Thinking as an evaluative activity, focusing on criteria for judging claims.
  • Beyer identifies ten cognitive operations involved in Critical Thinking, including distinguishing facts from value claims, detecting bias, and recognizing logical fallacies. Basically, these 10 steps are

1,  Define the problem

2.  Ask essential questions

3.  Gather information

4.  Interpret information

5.  Seek different viewpoints and perspectives

6.  Develop and apply criteria for evaluation

7.  Consider multiple alternative solutions

8.  Reflect on implications and consequences (and unintended consequences)

9.  Evaluate and revise your thinking

10. Communicate and apply your thinking

While these steps are well advised and useful, Dr. DeBono could criticize them as they are not “simple” or “memorable”. Successful Critical Thinking involves dispositions, criteria, argumentation, reasoning, point of view, and judgment.

Critical Thinking as a Divergent Process

• Some proponents view Critical Thinking as a divergent, exploratory practice that opens up new solutions and evaluates existing ones.
  • The connection between critical and creative thinking is highlighted, emphasizing the importance of uncertainty and challenging conventional accounts.

Teaching Considerations and Strategies

• Strategies for promoting Critical Thinking in the classroom include helping students recognize their existing knowledge, identifying biases, formulating open-ended questions, and using diverse sources. With the advances in Google, Baidu, ChatGPT and other AI resources, it is now becoming more important to properly frame and ask the right questions rather than being a personal repository of information and knowledge.
  • Students should be encouraged to check the validity of sources, consider multiple perspectives, and develop evaluation criteria. For Active Learning, assigning students to support an arbitrary viewpoint is often an exercise in recognizing alternative perspectives and biases.

The Writing-Critical Thinking Connection

• Writing and thinking are recursive and interdependent processes that enhance each other.
  • Writing can be used to discover existing knowledge, and strategies like free writing and write-and-pass exercises can help students uncover their thoughts and share ideas.

Assessing Critical Thinking: Current Models

• Choosing an assessment approach requires understanding how Critical Thinking is defined, considering the skills and processes to be assessed, and recognizing student motivations and environments.
  • The Washington State University Critical Thinking Project offers a rubric with criteria for assessing Critical Thinking in student writing.

Second-Wave Perspective on Critical Thinking

• The article briefly mentions an alternative perspective on Critical Thinking that incorporates non-analytic thinking, such as imagination and intuition.
  • This perspective recognizes the interplay between logical and non-analytic skills and promotes Critical Thinking as a broader process.

Please Note: this above summary provides a general overview of the article and may not capture all the details and nuances presented in the original text or accompanying resources.

WOTS-UP? 

A New Model for Critical Thinking, Situation Analysis, Conclusions and Effective Recommendations

By Dr. Jonathan Cooley, DBA, MBA, BS

Alexis Cooley, BA, MA

Image for educational purposes only. Retrieved from stock images.

The article (out for publication) introduces a new model for Critical Thinking called WOTS-UP? CARROT. The authors emphasize the importance of teaching individuals how to think rather than just memorizing facts. They argue that existing models like SWOT analysis and Fishbone diagrams focus on analysis but overlook situational key issues, expected outcomes, and potential unintended consequences.

The WOTS-UP? CARROT model was developed to address this gap. The mnemonic WOTS-UP? is derived from Warner Brothers’ character Bugs Bunny and his famous line “What’s-up, Doc?” The authors use Bugs Bunny and his iconic munching on a carrot as a memorable image to represent the Critical Thinking process.

The article compares the WOTS-UP? CARROT model to other popular Critical Thinking models such as SWOT analysis, SETS analysis, Porter’s Four Forces analysis, and Fishbone analysis. While these models provide valuable components of Critical Thinking, they do not guide the entire process or consider unknowns and potential unintended consequences.

While other models such as Bayer’s 10 steps or DeBono’s Hats are applicable and effective, they do not meet DeBono’s own criteria of being easy to remember and apply.

The WOTS-UP? CARROT model consists of several steps based on the mnemonic and a basic framework:

1. Identify Key Issues: Identify the major problems or issues to be addressed.
2. Analysis: Conduct an analysis of weaknesses, opportunities, threats, strengths, unknowns, and PESTEL factors (People, Economic, Social & Ethical, Technological, Environmental, and Legal).
3. Draw Conclusions: Drawing conclusions based on the analysis.
4. Make Recommendations: Make recommendations based on the conclusions and consider alternative solutions.
5. Anticipated Expected & Unexpected Outcomes: Considering the expected results of implementing the recommendations and potential unintended consequences.

The charts below outline the WOTS-UP? combined with PESTEL analysis

The authors highlight the importance of recognizing potential unintended consequences, both positive and negative, of recommendations. They provide an example of an ocean reserve in Hawaii that had both positive and negative unintended consequences where seal populations actually decreased after expanding a protective reserve but Tuna catches outside the reserve dramatically increased.

The article concludes by applying the WOTS-UP? CARROT model to a case study involving IKEA and child labor in India. It demonstrates how the model can provide a more thorough analysis and decision-making process, including considering unknowns, conducting a PESTEL analysis, and assessing potential unintended consequences and threats.

Overall, the WOTS-UP? CARROT model aims to provide a comprehensive framework for Critical Thinking and decision-making, addressing key issues, analyzing the situation, drawing conclusions, making recommendations, and considering potential outcomes and unintended consequences.

Top of Form

Works Cited in the article “Critical Thinking: Multiple Models for Teaching and Learning” Posted on November 29, 2017 by dasmo  (some sources no longer available)

Beyer, Barry K. Critical Thinking. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, 1995.

________. Developing a Thinking Skills Program. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1988.

Bizzell, Patricia, Bruce Hertzberg, and Nedra Reynolds. The Bedford Bibliography for Teachers of Writing. 5th Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.

Carpenter, C. Blaine, and James C. Doig. “Assessing Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum.” Assessing Student’s Learning 34 (Summer 1988): 33-46.

“Critical Thinking and Broad Knowledge Meeting Notes.” 2 Nov. 2001. Center for Instructional Innovation, Western Washington University. 4 March 2003.  http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/gened/dialogue/critical_notes_nov.htm Source no longer available.

Elbow, Peter. “Teaching Two Kinds of Thinking by Teaching Writing.” Re-Thinking Reason: New Perspectives in Critical Thinking. Ed. Kerry S. Walters. Albany: SUNY Press, 1994. 25-31.

Flower, Linda. “Taking Thought: The Role of Conscious Processing in the Making of Meaning.” Thinking, Reasoning, and Writing. Ed. Elaine P. Maimon, Barbara F. Nodine, and Finbarr W. O’Connor. NY: Longman, 1989. 185-212.

French, Joyce N. and Carol Rhoder. Teaching Thinking Skills: Theory and Practice. NY: Garland, 1992.

Gocsik, Karen. “Teaching Critical Thinking.: 1997 Dartmouth College Composition Center. Source no longer available.

Scriven, Michael and Richard Paul. “Defining Critical Thinking.” Draft Statement for the National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking. Foundation for Critical Thinking. 27 Feb. 2003. <http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/definint-critical-thinking/766>

Sheridan, James J. “Skipping on the Brink of the Abyss: Teaching Thinking Through Writing.” Critical Thinking: Educational Imperative. Ed. Cynthia A. Barnes. New Directions for Community Colleges, No. 77. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992. 51-61.

Smith, Carl B. “Two Approaches to Critical Thinking.” The Reading Teacher 4.4  (Dec. 1990): 350-51.

Stewart, Ruth. “Teaching Critical Thinking in First-Year Composition: Sometimes More Is More.” Teaching English at the Two-Year College 29 (Dec. 2001): 162-171.

Taylor, Peter. “We Know More Than We Are, At First, Prepared To Acknowledge: Journeying to Develop Critical Thinking.” 12 March 2003 <http://www.faculty.umb.edu/pjt/journey.html>

Walters, Kerry S. Re-Thinking Reason: New Perspectives in Critical Thinking. Albany: SUNY Press, 1994.