Discussion: Using Critical Thinking to Make Decisions 

You solve problems every day. Some problems are more critical than others. Do you take a job in another state? What car do you purchase? What’s for dinner tonight? Some small decisions (such as, burgers or pizza for dinner) might not require much debate, and the outcome is not critical for your long-term future. However, other decisions, such as moving for a job or which car to purchase, can have long-term consequences. Having a process to make such big decisions increases the possibility of a successful outcome. 

For this Discussion, you will consider a multi-step process for improving your critical thinking skills and how it might apply to making life decisions.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the TED Talk on the five steps to improve your critical thinking, taking note of the five steps mentioned in the video.
• Select a major life decision you have made or plan to make shortly. Make sure it is something you are willing to share with the class. 
• Think about how you might apply the five-step process to your major life decision.
• Think about how each of the five steps applies or applied to your decision.
• Post at least 2 paragraphs in response to the following prompts: 
  • Describe a major life decision you have made or plan to make. 
  • Explain each of the five steps as it applies to your situation. Write a minimum of 3 sentences for each step. You can use the transcript for the video to reference specifics without rewatching the whole video. 
  • Agoos, S. (2016, March). 5 tips to improve your critical thinking [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/samantha_agoos_5_tips_to_improve_your_critical_thinking