Reasoning plays one of the most important parts when it comes to the critical thinking problem solving process. It ensures justification to any idea that comes up to the critical thinker.
Maria,
Yes, good point. Reasoning with verifiable data/information is a solid foundation for the problem solving process. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I do believe Reasoning is very important as far as critical thinking is concerned because it enables us to gauge and justify the solutions we've come up and re-evaluate it and find the best possible answer to a problem. Without the use of reasoning, critical thinking would fail.
Bernabe,
Yes, it is one of the foundational components of the critical thinking process. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
What role does reasoning play in the critical thinking problem solving process. What each instructor should do is to focus on having the students to use critical thinking in the class room and clinical sites. They need to know they think for a purpose and that purpose is to solve a problem. In nursing critical thinking in many cases save lives and harmful mistakes. The Critical Thinking in Nursing text should be included in all curriculums in teaching, not only in nursing but each course. I do feel that it is most important in nursing.
Pandora,
Yes, I agree that all postsecondary curricula should require critical thinking instruction. Many do this, but most are somewhat inadequate according to many professionals in the field. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Reasoning is the organized, step-by-step thought process that "helps individuals see the different options, segments and outcomes of critical thinking and problem solving."
Reasoning is also a skill that an individual may develop through life experiences, to include formal education.
Miriam,
Well stated. The building of the ability to reason well can be greatly influenced by formal training and life experience. Of course, most our learning is informal, so the formal is a refinement of what is learned from life experience. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I try to repeat to the students that if you don't understand the concept(foundation), you can't solve the problem. Thats why it is critical to pay attention and ask questions from the beginning of the course.
Larry,
Yes, a solid foundational understanding must be acquired before other concepts and skilles are built upon them. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
You have to utilize a common sense approach to figure out any prospective problem. Once you clearly understand what the problem at hand is and you collect pertinent data and input from other sources to clear up the assumptions, you can see what your options are at that point, and sum up your results to alleviate the problem that you encountered in the first place.
bobbe,
Very true and straightforward. This is a terrific summation. Nevertheless, many students who would even agree with the statements above but may not be able to implement this 'common sense' approach when asked to apply it to specific situations in their areas of study. How do we get them to reason in practice? Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Reasoning is using common sense to solve problems, see different options,possible outcomes and using judgment to come to a conclusion.
Marcia,
Yes, implementing a discipline process for thinking through the positive and negative impacts of the possible outcomes. Thank you for sharing your insight.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Habit 5: "Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood."
I see reasoning as a crucial step in problem solving. Reasoning is what we do to make sense of something. Problem solving is what we do to come to a solution, which requires us to make sense of the situation at hand.
Kathryn,
Excellent explanation and rationale. Also, good use of Covey's work. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Reasoning plays a very important role in critical thinking. It is like an internal buffer that we use to look at our data and what we have analyzed about it. It can tell us that we are right on track or way off base
Scott,
Very good observation and summation. Thank you for sharing your insight.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I think that using common sense is crucial the problem relies on timing, we live in a very busy atmosphere that sometimes we do not stop to think on the importance of it.
As we know reasoning is often called common sense...We all call on our common sense everyday to make decisions...it could be just said go with your gut feeling....
