CTS-A: Critical Thinking Skills
Week 10: Critical Thinking Skills
This module feels like the most challenging one among all the modules I'm currently taking. The reason is that this module is generally about learning the future I will be going forward. It is also a class that makes me think about my personality again. I have to connect everything I learn in design communication to CTS, which seems to help me systematically analyse and understand everything, work well with my team, and learn about the society I’m stepping into.
In order to think about what CTS is, I learned about visual metaphors in class. We built up “Emotional Intelligence,” “Collaboration Skills,” “Assertion Conflict,” “Fact & Reliable Sources,” “Growth Mindset,” and “Digital Media” in sequence from the bottom up. In order to reach CTS, we started with “Emotional Intelligence,” which we considered the most fundamental skill, and built up one by one to complete CTS.
I think each of these areas plays a key role in developing balanced critical thinking skills. Basically, the visual metaphor we created is completely consistent with my opinion. Emotional Intelligence,” which I think plays the most fundamental role. Is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions and those of others. That’s why I see it as the basic area in CTS. "Collaboration Skills" means listening to team members, sharing ideas, and respecting each other. I find it closely related to "Assertion Conflict," where you need to assert your own opinions and also be able to critique those of your teammates. “Fact & Reliable Sources” is an area where you need to be able to distinguish between opinions and facts. Also discern between reliable and reliable sources of information. Finally, “Growth Mindset” is the belief that you can develop your abilities and intelligence through effort and learning. As the saying goes, effort never betrays.
While taking CTS classes, I think the most memorable activity for me was “Spirit of a NEW GENERATION!” in Week 9. The activity involved forming groups and explaining the spirit of young generation designers based on 4 clusters. Each of us shared at least 60 photos and videos to express who I am. Our group used four clusters that Identity, Perspective, Creativity, and Future. Through this activity, I had time to learn more about not only my spirit and identity but also those of my group members. I got to know what their identities are, what they consider most important, and what kind of wonderful dreams they have for the future. It was an incredibly interesting activity that let me understand others’ perspectives, not just my own designer mindset.
Through these activities, I discovered many great advantages of working in a group. Previously, I had a very independent personality. Thus I didn’t prefer group work. However, because of this I was only thinking of my own perspective and opinions, and I realised once again how closed I was. I realised that working in a group was more enjoyable than I thought, and how interesting it was to hear other people's lives and opinions. I realised that things that I could never think of alone were possible when working in a group. I wanted to continue working in a group and talk to more people in the world and work with them. The activities in CTS helped me reflect on my life and continue my journey of finding my identity.
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References Link:
Being critical requires you to not only gather appropriate data and information but to examine it carefully and question its reliability and
University of Greenwich. "Critical Thinking." University of Greenwich, 24 April. 2023, https://www.gre.ac.uk/articles/ils/critical-thinking.
Daniel Goleman perceptively and accurately noted that emotional intelligence is critical to leadership success, claiming that emotional inte
"Developing Emotional Intelligence" Lucas Filice and W. James Weese, 19 March. 2024, https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/4/1/37.
New research points to the potential of professional development training for boosting teams’ collaboration skills.
"Collaboration Is a Key Skill. So Why Aren't We Teaching It?" MIT Sloan Management Review, 23 June. 2022, https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/collaboration-is-a-key-skill-so-why-arent-we-teaching-it/.
Teaching strategies that leverage insights on the impact of a growth mindset on learning by Stanford professor Carol Dweck.
"Growth Mindset and Enhanced Learning." Stanford Teaching Commons, https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-guides/foundations-course-design/learning-activities/growth-mindset-and-enhanced-learning.