I want good Thinking on this This involves Critical Thinking – have I seen this problem before, what are the likely causes, what information do I need to clearly interpret what’s occurring....? Good thinking, what’s that?

What is thinking? Thinking is the conscious and goal- directed mental activity we do in order to solve problems Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 2

In a perfect world, we would not have to think 3 Because we would never have to solve any problems

The Process of Problem-Solving Problem Analysis Problem Definition Solution Finding Action Planning Recognition of a ‘problem’ Exploration of the problem Data gathering to understand the problem A clear – “best” – picture of the problem is achieved Possible solutions are identified Data is sought, analysed and interpreted Criteria are used to determine the most viable solution What is to be done, by who, when and how? Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 4

Thinking – A Key to Effective Learning “The best thing we can do, from the point of view of the brain and learning, is to teach our learners how to think.” (Jenson, 1996, p.163) “Thought is the key to knowledge. Knowledge is discovered by thinking analyzed by thinking, organized by thinking, transformed by thinking, assessed by thinking, and, most importantly, acquired by thinking.” (Paul, 1993 vii) Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 5

Key Facts about Thinking Thinking is always in relation to thinking about something Thinking exists in a context of constraints (e.g. emotions, beliefs, personality structure, memory limitations, etc) Thinking is a key component of effective human performance, but it is not the only important component Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 6

Brain Barriers to Good Thinking Habits of Perception Incoming information automatically passes through established neural networks – hence the brain will ensure that we perceive what we have learned to see. Restricted Working Memory Despite having almost unlimited capacity for information – Working Memory can only deal with about 7±2 bits of information at once. Slow Conscious Processing Speed The actual processing speed of the brain is slow compared to its capacity and organising ability.

Critical & Creative Thinking What are these types of thinking? What is good thinking? How do we develop skill in thinking? Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 8

A Model of Thinking Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis 9

Generating Possibilities What do we do when we generate possibilities? Generate many possibilities Generate different types of possibilities Generate novel possibilities Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 10 All creative products involve the combining of old ideas or elements in new ways

<> One dark foggy night in Halifax, as Percy Shaw was driving home, he saw two small green lights, very close together near the edge of the road. He was curious so he stopped and saw the ‘lights’ were a pair of cats eyes reflecting the light from his head lights. Percy got back in the car full of ideas and subsequently invented a small device involving two marbles placed close together in a rubber casing; this would then be set in the road at intervals between the lanes of traffic. After a year of experiments, Percy patented the invention and then, in 1935, formed his company, Reflecting Roadstuds Ltd. (That’s Innovation & Enterprise) What is Creativity? A product or response will be judged creative to the extent that it is novel, useful or a valuable response to the task at hand. (summarized from Amabile, 1996, p.35)

The Creative Process Interest Preparation (ongoing- may be years) Incubation (best between periods of intense focused work and rest) Illumination Verification Application

Reframing & Creativity “How your perceive something makes all the difference and you are free to see things from any perspective you wish” (Adler, 1996, p.145) To shift to a different frame will typically reframe one’s perspective and therefore, one’s meaning. And when we do this, our very world changes, which changes the sensory experience, hence how we feel Slimy Pond Life or Tasty Dinner?

Comparison and Contrast What do we do when we compare and contrast? Identify what is similar between things - objects/options/ideas, etc Identify what is different between things Identify and consider what is important about both the similarities and differences Identify a range of situations when the different features are applicable Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 14

Analysis What do we do when we analyse? Identify relationship of the parts to a whole in system /structure/model Identify functions of each part Identify consequences to the whole, if a part was missing Identify what collections of parts form important sub-systems of the whole Identify if and how certain parts have a synergetic effect Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 15

Inference and Interpretation What do we do when we make inferences and interpretations? Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis Identify intentions and assumptions in data Separate fact from opinion in data Identify key points, connections, and contradictions in data Make meaning of the data/information available Establish a best picture to make predictions Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 16

Evaluation What do we do when we evaluate? Decide on what is to be evaluated Identify appropriate criteria from which evaluation can be made Prioritize the importance of the criteria Apply the criteria and make decision Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 17

Meta-cognition What are we doing when we are meta-cognitive? Aware that we can think in an organized manner Actively thinking about the ways in which we are thinking Monitoring and evaluating how effective we are thinking Seeking to make more effective use of the different ways of thinking and any supporting learning/ thinking strategies /tools Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 18

Being aware of one’s thinking, evaluating how well we are using the range of specific thinking skills, and taking necessary corrective action Put simply, meta-cognition is Diploma in Chemical Engineering CP5033 Plant Safety & Loss Prevention Thinking about your thinking What assumptions did I made? How can I spot an error if I make one? Do I know what do I need to know? Copyright 2010: D. Sale & SM Cheah. All Rights Reserved 19

"Metacognitive skills include taking conscious control of learning, planning and selecting strategies, monitoring the progress of learning, correcting errors, analyzing the effectiveness of learning strategies, and changing learning behaviors and strategies when necessary." (Ridley, D.S., Schutz, P.A., Glanz, R.S. & Weinstein, C.E., 1992) Metacognition