Arena:  Applied Critical Thinking

Modes of Thinking

Lab Content

Introduction

Presentation

Activity 1

Activity 2

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Introduction

The words, Modes of Thinking, written in purple chalk with a bar diagram and words written underneath it in different-colored chalk.

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All people have preferred modes of thinking. Can we recognize our go-to mode? Can we determine the appropriate mode for the specific task?  Modes of Thinking. lie on a spectrum from convergent to divergent. By identifying them, we can improve our skill with each mode. Convergent Thinking, concrete analysis, is about coming to a right answer. Critical Thinking is about how we make decisions when we can’t quantify our reasoning. Intuition is knowing without conscious reasoning. Associative Thinking is sequential — one thought freely leads to the next. Divergent Thinking liberates us from time and space. Imagination is the most divergent mode of thinking.