Critical thinking

Critical thinking is a key part of independent, self-directed learning.

Learning at Lincoln - Three women sitting at a table with laptops laughing.

In higher education, critical thinking doesn’t mean criticising or finding fault. Instead, it means thinking in depth about something and we can do this by asking lots of questions for example:

Why? Who? What? Where? When? How? What if? What next?

Critical thinking is about taking nothing for granted; so when you’ve asked the question, then it is good practice to question the answer.
Critical thinking is about examining arguments to see whether they are well-reasoned and logical (here an argument is not a disagreement but a reason or set of reasons which leads to a conclusion).
Critical thinking also involves reading between the lines and looking for what is not being said as well as what is being made obvious.
Most of all, critical thinking is about keeping an open mind and being prepared to question your own points of view and understanding alternative ones.

Critical thinking at university

University can feel very different to previous educational experiences where you may have had someone else guiding you and telling you what you should be doing. At university, you will be expected to take more responsibility for your self and becoming a self-directed and independent learner. The ability to critically evaluate situations and ask yourself questions such as Why? Who? What? Where? and When? are an important part of this process and will gradually become second nature. You will not be on your own in all of this; there will always be staff who can provide help and support for you in the process.

“Learning to never take something at face value and to constantly question the world around you is a crucial part of developing as an adult, and is a significant advantage when producing your own world view. It is especially important when moving on in academia and for those subjects with a philosophical or ethical element, this will be very important in critical thinking skills.”

Rich Croxford, 3rd year Politics and International Relations – Things I’ve learned that have got nothing to do with my course

You may also find it useful to look at the section on Reflective Practice as the processes of reflection are closely related to the development of critical thinking.

Study Module

Critical Thinking - Skills for Study

All University of Lincoln students have access to the learning resource hub Skills for Study, provided by the Library.

Follow this link to a Critical Thinking skills module and complete topics on:

What is Critical Thinking?
Critical reading and Writing
Evaluating evidence

You will need to login using your University of Lincoln credentials to access this learning resource.

Learning at Lincoln

Critical thinking

Critical thinking is a key part of independent, self-directed learning.

Critical thinking at university

Study Module

Critical Thinking - Skills for Study

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Learning at Lincoln

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Critical thinking

Critical thinking is a key part of independent, self-directed learning.

Critical thinking at university

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Study Module

Critical Thinking - Skills for Study

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