CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVE THINKING

Lesson Manuscript

Sub-topics
1. Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking Defined
2. Importance of Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking
3. Critical Thinker and Creative Thinker
4. Characteristics of a Critical Thinker and a Creative Thinker
5. Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking Skills
6. Steps in Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking
7. Tips to Boost Critical Thinking Skills and Creativity

1. Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking Defined

Critical and creative thinking are two different ways of processing information but they
can be used together and work well when combined. Critical thinking allows you to
evaluate the ideas that your creative thoughts have come up with. Critical thinking
enables you to decide which is the best solution. When you think critically you glean
information. When you think creatively you come up with new solutions to problems.

Critical thinking is the process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying,

analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by,
observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief
and action”, (Scriven & Paul, 2004).
 The intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing,
applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or
generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication,
as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal
intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy,
precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth,
breadth, and fairness (Scriven & Paul, 2004).
 “Overlaps with elements of creativity (heuristics) and problem-solving
(algorithmic) and is related to other areas of research on human activity, such as
intelligence, metacognition, and self-regulation of learning”, (Berbard et. al.,
2007).
 Additionally, other scholars (Braswell & Whitehead, 2002) link the development
of critical thinking to the people moral beliefs and ethical responsibility.
 As Hale (2008) profoundly states, critical thinking becomes the foundation by
which all learning takes place. Hale points to the scholarly works of a community
of critical thinkers dating back to Socrates whereby their writings have
“developed a concept of education which stressed the importance of thought,
inquiry, and intellectual independence which has been embedded into the
learning process. To discuss critical thinking is to discuss teaching and learning”
 “What educators call critical thinking is what professional fields know as
professional judgment. It is the realization that promoting the common good
demands reasoned judgment as well as justice and compassion” (Facione,
Giancario, & Blohm, 1999).

Creative thinking is a way of looking at problems or situations from a fresh perspective

that suggests unorthodox solutions (which may look unsettling at first). It can be
stimulated both by an unstructured process such as brainstorming, and by a structured
process such as lateral thinking (Business Dictionary, 2020).
 Additionally, Doyle (2020) states that creative thinking is the ability to consider
something in a new way. It might be a new approach to a problem, a resolution to
a conflict between employees, or a new result from a data set. Employers in all
industries want employees who can think creatively and bring new perspectives
to the workplace.

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2. Importance of Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking
2.1. Importance of Critical Thinking
a. Critical Thinking Is a Key to Career Success
 There are many professions where critical thinking is an absolute must.
 Lawyers, analysts, accountants, doctors, engineers, reporters, and scientists of
all kinds must apply critical thinking frequently.
 But critical thinking is a skill set that is becoming increasingly valuable in a
growing number of professions.
 Critical thinking can help you in any profession where you must: analyze
information, systematically solve problems, generate innovative solutions, plan
strategically, think creatively, and present your work or ideas to others in a way
that can be readily understood.
 And, as we enter the fourth industrial revolution, critical thinking has become one
of the most sought-after skills.
 Critical thinking is considered a soft or enterprise skill — a core attribute that is
required to succeed in the workplace.
 Other soft skills include: problem solving, creativity, communication and
presentation skills, and digital literacy.
 Critical thinking can help you develop the rest of these soft skills.
 Developing your critical thinking can help you land a job since many employers
will ask you interview questions or even give you a test to determine how well
you can think critically.
 It can also help you continually succeed in your career, since being a critical
thinker is a powerful predictor of long-term success.
b. Critical Thinkers Make Better Decisions
 Every day you make thousands of decisions.
 Most of them are made by your subconscious and a few, like which shoes to
wear today, don’t require much thought.
 But the most important decisions you make can be hard and require a lot of
thought, such as when or if you should change jobs, relocate to a new city, buy a
house, get married, or have kids.
 At work, you may have to make decisions that can alter the course of your career
or the lives of others.
 Critical thinking helps you cope with everyday problems as they arise.
 It promotes independent thinking and strengthens your inner “BS detector.”
 It helps you make sense of the glut of data and information available, making you
a smarter consumer who is less likely to fall for advertising hype, peer pressure,
or scams.
c. Critical Thinking Can Make You Happier
 Knowing and understanding yourself is an underappreciated path to happiness.
 We’ve already seen how your quality of life largely depends on the quality of your
decisions, but equally as important is the quality of your thoughts.
 Critical thinking is an excellent tool to help you better understand yourself and to
learn to master your thoughts.
 You can use critical thinking to free yourself from cognitive biases, negative
thinking, and limiting beliefs that are holding you back in any area of your life.
 Critical thinking can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses so that you
know what you have to offer others and where you could use improvement.
 Critical thinking will enable you to better express your thoughts, ideas, and
beliefs.
 Better communication helps others to understand you better, resulting in less
frustration for both of you.
 Critical thinking fosters creativity and out-of-the-box thinking that can be applied
to any area of your life.
 It gives you a process you can rely on, making decisions less stressful.
d. Critical Thinking Ensures Your Opinions are Well-Informed
 We have access to more information than ever before.

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  Astoundingly, more data has been created in the past two years than in the entire
previous history of mankind.
 Critical thinking can help you sort through the noise.
 American politician, sociologist, and diplomat Daniel Patrick Moynihan once
remarked, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own
facts.” 
 Critical thinking ensures your opinions are well-informed and based on the best
available facts.
 You’ll get a boost in confidence when you see that those around you trust that
your well-considered opinions.
e. Critical Thinking Improves Relationships
 You might be concerned that critical thinking will turn you into a spock-like
character who is not very good at relationships.
 But, in fact, the opposite is true.
 Employing critical thinking makes you more open-minded and better able to
understand others’ points of view.
 Critical thinkers are more empathetic and in a better position to get along with
different kinds of people.
 Critical thinking keeps you from jumping to conclusions.
 You can be counted on to be the voice of reason when arguments get heated.
 You’ll be better able to detect when others: are being disingenuous, don’t have
your best interests at heart, and try to take advantage of or manipulate you.
f. Critical Thinking Makes You a Better, More Informed Citizen
 “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.”
 This quote has been incorrectly attributed to Thomas Jefferson, but regardless of
the source, its words of wisdom are more relevant than ever.
 Critical thinkers are able to see both sides of any issue and are more likely to
generate bipartisan solutions.
 They are less likely to be swayed by propaganda or get swept up in mass
hysteria.
 They are in a better position to spot fake news when they see it.
2.2. Importance of Creative Thinking
a. Thinking Creatively Provides Immense Freedom
 When we create, we have the opportunity to engage with the world without
judging ourselves. It’s similar to what we felt when we were a child. Back then we
didn’t care what people thought of us.
b. Creative Thinking Provides Self-Awareness
 We start to think with authenticity as we use our own thoughts, feelings and
beliefs. This creates biases in our ideas, but we can learn to set those aside and
deeply learn about ourselves.
c. We Become More Confident in Our Ideas
 Maybe right now, you don’t present ideas or your ideas get shut down. By
tapping into creative thinking, we can build our confidence in our ideas and start
to contribute to the group and our work at large.

3. Critical Thinker and Creative Thinker

A critical thinker examines the situation and facts and thinks in a linear and rational
way. The critical thinker gathers information, analyzes it and evaluates it. If you think
critically you are able to separate fact from opinion. You like details and clear-cut
information.

Creative thinkers tend to be imaginative and like to brainstorm. A creative thinker

looks at things from various perspectives, coming up with ideas and making novel and
uncharacteristic connections. The creative thinker often goes against standard views
and is apt to take risks. A creative person is curious. He likes a challenge, seeks out
problems to solve and is imaginative.

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4. Characteristics of a Critical Thinker and a Creative Thinker
4.1 Characteristics of a Critical Thinker
a. judgment selectivity and being analytical
b. objective
c. thinking vertically
d. being focused
e. being verbal
4.1 Characteristics of a Creative Thinker
a. open, non-judgmental and capable of productive thought
b. strives to find several answers to a problem rather than just one
c. likes to explore and come up with possibilities
d. thinking laterally
e. being diffuse
f. being visual
Critical thinking is orderly. The thinker progresses from A to B to C, doing so in a
straight line. When you are thinking critically you are using the left part of the brain. The
creative thinker uses the right side of the brain and does not process information in a
linear fashion. Critical thinking demands purposeful and calculated effort and requires
concentration. Creative thinking can happen in your sleep.

5. Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking Skills

5.1. Critical Thinking Skills
1. Observation
 Observational skills are the starting point for critical thinking. Employees who are
observant can quickly sense and identify a new problem. Those skilled in
observation are also capable of understanding why something might be a
problem, and may even be able to predict when a problem might occur before it
happens based on their experience.
2. Analysis
 Once a problem has been identified, analysis skills become essential. The ability
to analyze the situation includes knowing what facts, data or information about
the problem is important. You will also find analysis is an essential skill to
eventually solving the problem.
3. Inference
 Inference is a skill that involves drawing conclusions about the information you
collect and may require you to possess technical or industry-specific knowledge
or experience. When you infer information about a situation, that means you are
developing answers based on limited information. For example, a car mechanic
may need to utilize inference skills to determine what is causing a car’s engine to
stall at seemingly random times.
4. Communication
 Communication skills are important when it comes time to explain and discuss
issues and their possible solutions with colleagues and other stakeholders.
Communication is an important skill to have and improve on for many purposes
at work including critical thinking.
5. Problem solving
 After you’ve identified a problem, analyzed it and discussed possible solutions,
the final step is to execute the solution. Problem solving often requires critical
thinking to implement the best solution and understand whether or not the
solution is working as it relates to the goal.

5.1. Creative Thinking Skills

a. Perception & Empathy
 Being perceptive and empathetic works hand in hand with creative thinking.
Being able to read the mood of a meeting or a discussion you’re having with
people can help immensely.

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  This is the key because there are times and places to share ideas. Specifically,
you may find the best opportunities to share ideas when:
 You’re facing a major problem or issue and can’t seem to find a
way to proceed and solve it.
 During times of change, when the future is more obscure than
usual and you’re thinking of possibilities.
 When there is a clear divide between what people think needs to
happen. It’s especially needed when no compromises can happen
without considerable effort.
 When something new is needed and hasn’t been tried before.
 Empathy also helps with how an idea is presented. Maybe in your workgroup,
people aren’t always receptive to your ideas. However, there is that one person
who always has a plan and people support.
 Empathy is letting that person take “ownership” of that idea and be the voice
behind the idea. In these sorts of scenarios, you build up more than empathy. It
also builds the belief that your idea will prevail in the hands of someone else.
2. Analytical
 Analytical skills help us in understanding many other situations outside of the
social environment. Being able to read text or data and have a deeper
understanding of what they mean will serve you in a variety of ways.
 It was found that with creative thinking, the first step is being able to intake
information and digests it in various ways. Being able to analyze information is
often the first step in the creative thinking process.
3. Open-Mindedness
 Once you’ve taken in the information, it’s important that you have an open mind.
This means you need to set aside your biases or assumptions and encourage
yourself to look at a problem in a new way.
 Biases and assumptions are some of the mental barriers you’ll face. But looking
at the other barriers, they often stem from that sort of thinking. A strict and “this is
how it should be” way of thinking. Other examples of limitations are that you’re
thinking of a problem too logically or that creative thinking is somehow breaking
the rules.
 These are limiting because we know that to have an open mind is to succeed.
Every successful person in the world today had to break rules at some point in
their lives. Consider Richard Branson or Elon Musk whose work revolutionized or
created an entirely new industry. All because they didn’t back down to how things
were. You can do the same thing within your own group in some fashion.
4. Organized
 The last thing people associate creative thinkers are that they’re organized.
While we think of great minds have messy rooms or desks, that’s not the case at
all.
 Being organized plays a crucial role in creative thinking in that it allows you to
better organize our ideas. Not only that, but it also helps to present it as well.
When we present ideas, it’s similar to a speech. There ought to be a structure, a
vision, and have it easy to follow and understand.
 Furthermore, if your idea is given the green light, you’ll need to form an action
plan, set goals, and have specific deadlines. Being organized will keep you on
your toes and prepared for almost anything.
5. Communication
 Communication plays a vital role in all this as well. You can’t sell a group or an
individual on an idea if you can’t communicate effectively. This applies to both
written and verbal communication skills.
 This goes back to empathy a bit in that you need to understand the situation
you’re in. This also means you need to be a good listener and being able to ask
the right questions.
6. Dissect Ideas
 Sometimes creative thinking means taking two ideas and merging them.

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  This helps because in most situations ideas in their base form might not be able
to satisfy the original goal or problem. That or maybe the idea is outright terrible
but, there are some good pieces of information in it.
 The ability to look at ideas and be able to break them down and dissect them and
merge with other ideas is a great skill to have. This could easily help solve
disputes and help to find a middle ground.

6. Steps in Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking

6.1. Steps in Critical Thinking
Step 1: Knowledge
 For every problem, clear vision puts us on the right path to solve it. This step
identifies the argument or the problem that needs to be solved. Questions should
be asked to acquire a deep understanding about the problem. In some cases,
there is no actual problem, thus no need to move forward with other steps in the
critical thinking model. The questions in this stage should be open-ended to allow
the chance to discuss and explore main reasons. At this stage, two main
questions need to be addressed: What is the problem? And why do we need to
solve it?
Step 2: Comprehension
 Once the problem is identified, the next step is to understand the situation and
the facts aligned with it. The data is collected about the problem using any of the
research methods that can be adopted depending on the problem, the type of the
data available, and the deadline required to solve it.
Step 3: Application
 This step continues the previous one to complete the understanding of different
facts and resources required to solve the problem by building a linkage between
the information and resources. Mind maps can be used to analyze the situation,
build a relation between it and the core problem, and determine the best way to
move forward.
Step 4: Analyze
 Once the information is collected and linkages are built between it the main
problems, the situation is analyzed in order to identify the situation, the strong
points, the weak points, and the challenges faced while solving the problem. The
priorities are set for the main causes and determine how they can be addressed
in the solution. One of the commonly used tools that can be deployed to analyze
the problem and the circumstances around it is the cause effect diagram, which
divides the problem from its causes and aims to identify the different causes and
categorize them based on their type and impact on the problem.
Step 5: Synthesis
 In this stage, once the problem is fully analyzed and all the related information is
considered, a decision should be formed about how to solve the problem and the
initial routes to follow to take this decision into action. If there are number of
solutions, they should be evaluated and prioritized in order to find the most
advantageous solution. One of the tools that contribute choosing the problem
solution is the SWOT analysis that tends to identify the solution’s strength,
weakness, opportunity, and threats.
Step 6: Take Action
 The final step is to build an evaluation about the problem that can be put into
action. The result of critical thinking should be transferred into action steps. If the
decision involves a specific project or team, a plan of action could be
implemented to ensure that the solution is adopted and executed as planned.

6.2. Steps in Creative Thinking

1. Preparation
 In this stage the thinker formulates the problem and collects the facts and
materials considered necessary for finding new solutions. Many times the
problem cannot be solved even after days, weeks or months of concentrated

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 efforts. Failing to solve the problem, the thinker turns away from it initiating next
stage.
2. Incubation
 During this period some of the ideas that were interfering with the solution will
tend to fade. The overt activity and sometimes even thinking about the problem is
absent in this stage. But the unconscious thought process involved in creative
thinking is at work during this period.
 Apparently, the thinker will be busy in other activities like reading literature or
playing games, etc. Inspite of these activities the contemplation about finding a
solution to problem will be going on in the mind.
3. Illumination
 Following the period of incubation, the creative ideas occur suddenly.
Consequently, the obscure thing becomes clear. This sudden flash of solution is
known as illumination and is similar to ‘aha (eureka)’ experience. For example,
Archimedes found solution to the crown problem.
4. Verification
 Though the solution is found in illumination stage, it is necessary to verify
whether that solution is correct or not. Hence in this last stage evaluation of the
solution is done. If the solution is not satisfactory the thinker will go back to
creative process from the beginning.
 If it is satisfactory, the same will be accepted and if necessary, minor modification
may also be made in solution.

7. Tips to Boost Critical Thinking Skills and Creativity

To improve your critical thinking skills, consider taking some of the following tips:
 Expand your industry-specific or technical skills to help you more easily identify
problems.
 Take additional courses in your field that require critical thinking and analysis.
 Actively volunteer to solve problems for your current organization.
 Seek advice from professionals in your field or industry.
 Play solo and cooperative games that require critical thinking skills, such as
analysis and inference.

To improve your creativity, consider taking some of the following tips:

 Surround yourself with creative people.
 Do something new.
 Meet new people from different walks of life.
 Write down a list of ideas and draw random arrows between them.
 Remove obstacles to creativity.
 Stop telling yourself you’re not creative.
 Experiment randomly.

References:
 Creative Thinking: 4 Stages of Creativity Thinking, 2020 by Aman Sharma
available @ https://www.psychologydiscussion.net/mind/creative-thinking-4-
stages-of-creativity-thinking/610
 Critical Thinking Skills: Definitions and Examples, 2020 available @
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/critical-thinking-skills
 Difference Between Being a Critical Thinker & a Creative Thinker by Cindi
Pearce, 2020, available @ https://www.theclassroom.com/difference-critical-
thinker-creative-thinker-8718111.html
 Dissertation on Higher Order, Critical Thinking Skills in National Police Academy
Course Development by Berth A. Barker, PhD, 2011, Capella University,
Minnesota, USA.
 Steps for Effective Critical Thinking by Rafiq Alamnsy available at
http://www.designorate.com/steps-effective-critical-thinking/

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 What Is Creative Thinking and Why Is It Important? by Leon Ho, 2020, available
@ https://www.lifehack.org/788835/creative-thinking
 What Is Creative Thinking?- Definition & Examples of Creative Thinking by Joy
Doyle, 2020, available @ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/creative-thinking-
definition-with-examples-2063744
 Why Critical Thinking Is Important (& How to Improve It) by Deane Alban, 2020,
available @ https://bebrainfit.com/critical-thinking/

Prepared by:

Prof. Marlon P. Tuiza, LPT, DPA

Subject Professor