What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking involves analysing, synthesising and evaluating an argument or claim.

It requires you to deconstruct an argument, bring elements of the argument together in a new form, and judge the strengths and weaknesses of that argument.

These skills are classified in Bloom’s taxonomy of learning objectives as higher order capacities, based on the foundation thinking skills of knowledge, comprehension and application.

In other words, thinking critically involves all the processes listed below, but the focus is on the top three.

Bloom's taxonomy of learning objectives

1. Higher order critical thinking
   1. Evaluation
   2. Synthesis
   3. Analysis
2. Foundation thinking
   1. Application
   2. Comprehension
   3. Knowledge