The centrality of ‘critical thinking’ to higher education

During the first and second lockdowns, we received several Whatsapp ‘forward’ messages about COVID-19, and more than half of them were factually incorrect. Still, we have all been guilty of forwarding them to our friends and family members. Do you know why? Our inherent he-said-she-said mindset stops us from thinking logically and factually.

‘Forward’ messages are one of the barrages of information overload we face every day in this digital age. So, is there a scientific way to decipher the factual accuracy of what we hear, read, think, and believe? In these times of information overload, misinformation, and opinions floating as facts, how do we decide what’s right, whom to trust, and what to believe? 

It is not uncommon for us to commit errors in judgement and reasoning–errors that may seem too silly to have occurred when we look back. Can we train ourselves to think more critically and avoid such errors? Thinking systematically, like all skills, is something that one can become better at through training and practice. And this is the rationale underlying the foundation course on critical thinking. 

Read More: https://saiuniversity.edu.in/blogs/saiu-experience/centrality-of-critical-thinking/