UNEVOC Connect

Critical thinking is the ability to form our own opinion from a variety of sources, to think though complex issues in a complex way. Critical thinking opens our minds in the face of stereotypes and any attempts of manipulation. It is a tool through which we can develop a more in-depth understanding of social, political and economic realities and power relations.

Critical thinking is a term used by educators to describe forms of learning, thought, and analysis that go beyond the memorization and recall of information and facts. In common usage, critical thinking is an umbrella term that may be applied to many different forms of learning acquisition or to a wide variety of thought processes. In its most basic expression, critical thinking occurs when students are analyzing, evaluating, interpreting, or synthesizing information and applying creative thought to form an argument, solve a problem, or reach a conclusion.

It is, first and foremost, constructive thinking. In practice, it means distrusting information online. It is the process we undertake to reflect, access and evaluate the assumptions underlying our and others' ideas and actions.

Critical thinking skills include: "metacognitive competence concerning abilities of reflection, analysis and questioning of information resulting in proactive behaviour and citizenship. ... media literacy as the equivalent of media information literacy, where the alphabet and language used are media content. Media literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills to think critically about media information through an understanding of media representations, structures and implications." (p. 16).