CRITICAL THINKING - Center for Social Justice

To earn the critical thinking micro-credential, students must demonstrate proficiency in the following areas (Education Design Lab Durable Skills Sub-Competencies):

Manage Ambiguity - Trust the process; manage their own anxiety; and gather information before settling on solutions prematurely.

• Outline the solution

• Assessment of consequences

• Use of relevant information

• Present an alternative

Question Assumptions - Resist easy answers; probe more deeply; and improve the problem-solving process.

• Identifies stated assumptions underlying the reasoning

• Identifies hidden or unstated assumptions underlying the reasoning

• Explains approach for determining if assumptions are true

• Determines if assumptions should be accepted or rejected

Speak w/ Clarity + Precision - Communicate ideas and information effectively, minimizing confusion and misinformation.

• You focus on what the speaker is saying

• Establishes a clear protagonist

• Provides clear call to action

• Shows confidence

• Uses time constraints effectively

Demonstrate Self Awareness - Enlarge the conversation; Evaluate their own performance; recognize their motivations; and manage their anxiety.

• Shows a sense of self

• Shows perspective on self

• Reflects on oneself in relation to others

• Reflects on past actions without passing judgment

• Describes strategies for managing emotions under stress

• Uses awareness of past actions to inform future change

The following are the prompts each student reflected on in developing their Critical Thinking reflective recordings:

Day 1:

• What main takeaways or learning did you have from today's sessions? 

Day 2:

• What patterns are you seeing between how Healthcare and SNAP is being discussed in the public sphere (TV, social media, radio, public statements, etc.) and how this is shaping how these policies are being formed? 

• How do you understand from our larger conversations between the SLW sessions, and our small group discussions how these issues around Medicaid and SNAP will come back to affect Hoosiers in Indiana? 

Day 3:

• Reflecting on what you learned during SLW, how do the roles and interests of different stakeholders--such as policymakers, advocacy groups, and program recipients--intersect or conflict in decisions about Medicaid and SNAP cutoffs?

• What’s one assumption you had about Medicaid, SNAP, or healthcare policy that changed during SLW? What challenged or complicated it?

• How do patterns in Congress around shaping Healthcare and SNAP reveal insights about power structures and political decision-making?

• How can lobbying efforts effectively challenge harmful assumptions and shift the policy conversation toward equity and inclusion?

Critical Thinking Rubric: This rubric assesses students' ability to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and solve problems effectively. It emphasizes skills such as managing ambiguity, questioning assumptions, communicating with clarity and precision, and demonstrating self-awareness in the reasoning process.

For specific Learner/Earner results click on their assessment for this skills below.