HU2000: Week 1 Assignment
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© Ultimate Medical Academy.
What is critical thinking and why is it
an important skill to develop for career success?
This assignment helps you apply your knowledge from this week’s modules
and readings.
Critical thinking skills are needed to solve problems, make decisions, and
create new knowledge. The 21st century is complex, fast-paced, and ever-
changing. Individuals who are successful in the 21st century are critical
thinkers. A critical thinker engages in higher-order mental processes like
interpretation, analysis, prediction, and evaluation.
The Power of Critical Thinking
Answer the questions below.
Critical thinking is a purposeful and reflective process of making reasoned judgments
about what to believe and what to do.
1. Provide an example of a time when you engaged in critical thinking to solve a problem or make a
decision.
I work with individuals with development disabilities. Sometimes they have what they call behaviors.
There have been several times I have had to think critically to determine what to do diffuse the
situation.
2. Explain how critical thinking led to a positive result in the example above.
raise vital questions and problems formulating them clearly and precisely gathers and assesses
relevant information using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions
and solutions testing them against relevant criteria and standards thinks open mindedly with in
alternative systems of thought recognizing and assessing as need be their assumptions implications
and practical consequences and communicates effectively with other in figuring out solutions out to
complex problems critical thinking is short self- directed self-disciplined self– monitored and self-
corrective thinking.
3. In your opinion, of the seven positive critical thinking habits of mind (listed in your textbook), which two
are the most important? Provide an example of each in the chart below.
Most Important Positive Critical
Thinking Habits of Mind
Example of a behavior that displays
this habit
Open- mildness
Is important because if you’re not being
open–minded then you won’t fully
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understand or listen to what the other
persons is saying
Inquisitiveness
Is an important habit of mind because you
more you know the better decision you
make.
