For any Study Skills or Student Success course with a critical thinking emphasis.
This text is designed to facilitate students' understanding of how they think and to enhance their power to apply their thinking ability. Through the application of critical thinking to study skills and life skills topics, readers will increase their ability to understand how their minds work and to maximize their achievement. Students will learn how to apply problem solving, decision making, and logical reasoning processes to all aspects of their lives.
Emphasis on personal action and responsibility encourages students to make well-considered choices and to be responsible for the consequences, helping them to avoid unexamined responses to people and situations.
Critical thinking is consistently applied to college, career, and life situations. Through understanding how text topics apply to their own lives and goals, students can internalize the meaning of each thinking process.
The book emphasizes the combination of knowledge and action, helping students to realize that their knowledge is useless unless it is actively applied toward desired outcomes. Once students master the basic thinking skills presented in this book, they will be ready to be effective “knowledge-workers”, meeting and exceeding the demands of their employers in the twenty-first century global economy.
Features + Benefits
Keys to Success material—This text takes the successful core material of Keys to Success and gives it a strong critical thinking emphasis while maintaining Keys' friendly, straightforward tone.
Expanded thinking material—The Keys critical thinking chapter is expanded to four chapters, with an extensive section on problem solving and added topics such as inductive and deductive thinking, truth and fallacy, and common errors in logic.
The Thinktrix—This critical thinking model, developed by educators is currently in use in many classroom situations. The critical thinking process is discussed in the basic terms of seven mind actions. Applications are designed to activate each of the different mind actions in the system.
Makes critical thinking accessible by helping students understand how they think. Ex.___
Information literacy—Includes a text-wide focus on thinking about information.
Helps students to become critical consumers of the data that they encounter in this information age. Encourages students to take the time to evaluate information before accepting or rejecting it, and presents a variety of evaluation strategies. Ex.___
Math and science material—The text includes a full chapter on quantitative thinking.
Helps to make math and science more approachable and understandable. Ex.___
Chapter exercises: —Life Thinking: Applying What You Learn
—One or more exercises that will involve applying critical thinking skills to the students' real life situations and needs. Ex.___
—World Thinking: Becoming Information Literate—An exercise that expands information literacy in light of the chapter material. Ex.___
—Team Thinking: Working Together—An exercise, based on one or more chapter topics, that requires critical thinking in a group setting. Ex.___
—Personal Thinking: Writing in Your Journal—An exercise that encourages the student to sort through personal thoughts relating to the chapter material. Ex.___
—Work Thinking: Career Portfolio—An exercise that applies critical thinking skills toward a career-related task or goal. Ex.___
These activity-based applications allow students to relate what they have read to their own lives.
TECHNOLOGY AND PEARSON CHOICES
MyStudentSuccessLab 3.0 (www.mystudentsuccesslab.com ) is an online solution designed to help students ‘Start strong, Finish stronger’ by building skills for ongoing personal and professional development. This TOPICAL based technology promotes student engagement through:
· Video interviews on key issues ‘by students, for students’.
· The Learning Path Diagnostic offers 65 Full Course Pre-Diagnostic (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 1-2) and 65 Full Course Post-Diagnostic Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3-4)questions, and 20 pre-test (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 1-2) and 20 post-test (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3-4) questions.
· ThePractice exercises improve class preparation and learning.
· Graded Activities build critical thinking skills and develop problem-solving abilities (includes Essays and Journaling).
· Instructors benefit from an Implementation Guide to easily assign and assess progress.
· Students have access to relevant FinishStronger247 YouTube videos, the Pearson student Facebook page chock full of tips, MySearchLab use for doing effective research, and more.
PearsonChoices - CourseSmart and Custom Publishing. Having choices for how to deliver course content is important.
· CourseSmart Textbooks Online is an exciting new choice for students looking to save money. As an alternative to purchasing the print textbook, students can subscribe to the same content online and save up to 50% off the suggested list price of the print text. With a CourseSmart e-textbook, students can search the text, make notes online, print out reading assignments that incorporate lecture notes, and bookmark important passages for later review. For more information, or to subscribe, visit www.coursesmart.com .
· Pearson Custom Publishing allows professors to create their own professionally produced customized textbooks and media products to best complement their course. We offer high-quality content, professional design, quick production, and reliable on-time delivery. The result is a valuable textbook that students will use, cover to cover, tailored to meet exactly the needs of the professor, students, and course. Visit www.pearsoncustom.com .
1. Thinking Critically: Interacting With Information.
What Is Critical Thinking? Who Is a Critical Thinker? How Does Your Mind Work? What are Inductive and Deductive Thinking? What Are the Types of Knowledge?
2. Thinking Skills in Real Life: Problem Solving and Decision Making.
Why is Critical Thinking Essential to Problem Solving and Decision Making? How Can You Define a Problem? How Can You Analyze a Problem Effectively? How Does Critical Thinking Help You to Make Decisions? How Can You Become a More Creative Thinker?
3. Thinking Logically: Evaluating Fact and Opinion, Assumption, and Argument.
What Distinguishes Fact From Opinion? How Do You Identify and Evaluate Assumptions? How Do You Evaluate an Argument? How Do You Construct an Effective Argument? What Are Some Common Thinking Errors?
4. Thinking About Your World: Recognizing Perspectives.
What are Values and How Do They Develop? Why Should You Explore Perspectives? What Is Information Literacy? How Can You Make the Most of Your Library?
5. Thinking Strategically: Setting Goals and Planning Your Time.
Why Plan Strategically? How Do You Set and Achieve Goals? What Are Your Priorities? How Can You Manage Your Time? Why Is Procrastination a Problem?
6. Thinking About How You Learn: Learning Styles.
What Are Some Common Assumptions About Learning? How Can You Discover Your Learning Styles? What Are the Benefits of Knowing Your Learning Styles? How Do You Explore Who You Are? How Can You Start Thinking About Choosing a Major?
7. Thinking in the Classroom: Reading, Note Taking, Memory, and Test Taking.
How Can You Respond Critically to What You Read? How Can You Make the Most of Your Notes? What Note-taking System Should You Use? What Will Help You Improve Your Memory. How Can You Prepare for Tests? What Can Help You Succeed on Tests?
8. Thinking About Expression: Listening, Communication, and Writing.
How Can You Become A Better Listener? How Can You Express Yourself Effectively? What Are the Elements of Effective Writing? What is the Writing Process?
9. Thinking Quantitatively: Math, Science, and Computers.
Why Do You Need To Be Able to Think Quantitatively? How Can Critical Thinking Help You Master Math Basics? How Can You Overcome Math Anxiety? What Do Learning Math and Learning Science Have in Common? What Basics Should You Know About Computers?
10. Thinking for Life: Working Toward Your Personal Best.
How Can You Understand and Accept Others? Why is Teamwork Important? What Strategic Thinking Can Help You Plan Your Career? How Can You Live With and Adapt to Change? How Can You Continue to Grow and Learn Throughout Your Life? How Can you Live Your Mission?
Appendix A: Learning Styles Assessments.
Appendix B: Researching Information and Student Resources on the Internet.
This text is designed to facilitate students' understanding of how they think and to enhance their power to apply their thinking ability. Through the application of critical thinking to study skills and life skills topics, readers will increase their ability to understand how their minds work and to maximize their achievement. Students will learn how to apply problem solving, decision making, and logical reasoning processes to all aspects of their lives.
Emphasis on personal action and responsibility encourages students to make well-considered choices and to be responsible for the consequences, helping them to avoid unexamined responses to people and situations.
Critical thinking is consistently applied to college, career, and life situations. Through understanding how text topics apply to their own lives and goals, students can internalize the meaning of each thinking process.
The book emphasizes the combination of knowledge and action, helping students to realize that their knowledge is useless unless it is actively applied toward desired outcomes. Once students master the basic thinking skills presented in this book, they will be ready to be effective “knowledge-workers”, meeting and exceeding the demands of their employers in the twenty-first century global economy.
Features + Benefits
Keys to Success material—This text takes the successful core material of Keys to Success and gives it a strong critical thinking emphasis while maintaining Keys' friendly, straightforward tone.
Expanded thinking material—The Keys critical thinking chapter is expanded to four chapters, with an extensive section on problem solving and added topics such as inductive and deductive thinking, truth and fallacy, and common errors in logic.
The Thinktrix—This critical thinking model, developed by educators is currently in use in many classroom situations. The critical thinking process is discussed in the basic terms of seven mind actions. Applications are designed to activate each of the different mind actions in the system.
Makes critical thinking accessible by helping students understand how they think. Ex.___
Information literacy—Includes a text-wide focus on thinking about information.
Helps students to become critical consumers of the data that they encounter in this information age. Encourages students to take the time to evaluate information before accepting or rejecting it, and presents a variety of evaluation strategies. Ex.___
Math and science material—The text includes a full chapter on quantitative thinking.
Helps to make math and science more approachable and understandable. Ex.___
Chapter exercises: —Life Thinking: Applying What You Learn
—One or more exercises that will involve applying critical thinking skills to the students' real life situations and needs. Ex.___
—World Thinking: Becoming Information Literate—An exercise that expands information literacy in light of the chapter material. Ex.___
—Team Thinking: Working Together—An exercise, based on one or more chapter topics, that requires critical thinking in a group setting. Ex.___
—Personal Thinking: Writing in Your Journal—An exercise that encourages the student to sort through personal thoughts relating to the chapter material. Ex.___
—Work Thinking: Career Portfolio—An exercise that applies critical thinking skills toward a career-related task or goal. Ex.___
These activity-based applications allow students to relate what they have read to their own lives.
TECHNOLOGY AND PEARSON CHOICES
MyStudentSuccessLab 3.0 (www.mystudentsuccesslab.com ) is an online solution designed to help students ‘Start strong, Finish stronger’ by building skills for ongoing personal and professional development. This TOPICAL based technology promotes student engagement through:
· Video interviews on key issues ‘by students, for students’.
· The Learning Path Diagnostic offers 65 Full Course Pre-Diagnostic (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 1-2) and 65 Full Course Post-Diagnostic Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3-4)questions, and 20 pre-test (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 1-2) and 20 post-test (Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3-4) questions.
· ThePractice exercises improve class preparation and learning.
· Graded Activities build critical thinking skills and develop problem-solving abilities (includes Essays and Journaling).
· Instructors benefit from an Implementation Guide to easily assign and assess progress.
· Students have access to relevant FinishStronger247 YouTube videos, the Pearson student Facebook page chock full of tips, MySearchLab use for doing effective research, and more.
PearsonChoices - CourseSmart and Custom Publishing. Having choices for how to deliver course content is important.
· CourseSmart Textbooks Online is an exciting new choice for students looking to save money. As an alternative to purchasing the print textbook, students can subscribe to the same content online and save up to 50% off the suggested list price of the print text. With a CourseSmart e-textbook, students can search the text, make notes online, print out reading assignments that incorporate lecture notes, and bookmark important passages for later review. For more information, or to subscribe, visit www.coursesmart.com .
· Pearson Custom Publishing allows professors to create their own professionally produced customized textbooks and media products to best complement their course. We offer high-quality content, professional design, quick production, and reliable on-time delivery. The result is a valuable textbook that students will use, cover to cover, tailored to meet exactly the needs of the professor, students, and course. Visit www.pearsoncustom.com .
1. Thinking Critically: Interacting With Information.
What Is Critical Thinking? Who Is a Critical Thinker? How Does Your Mind Work? What are Inductive and Deductive Thinking? What Are the Types of Knowledge?
2. Thinking Skills in Real Life: Problem Solving and Decision Making.
Why is Critical Thinking Essential to Problem Solving and Decision Making? How Can You Define a Problem? How Can You Analyze a Problem Effectively? How Does Critical Thinking Help You to Make Decisions? How Can You Become a More Creative Thinker?
3. Thinking Logically: Evaluating Fact and Opinion, Assumption, and Argument.
What Distinguishes Fact From Opinion? How Do You Identify and Evaluate Assumptions? How Do You Evaluate an Argument? How Do You Construct an Effective Argument? What Are Some Common Thinking Errors?
4. Thinking About Your World: Recognizing Perspectives.
What are Values and How Do They Develop? Why Should You Explore Perspectives? What Is Information Literacy? How Can You Make the Most of Your Library?
5. Thinking Strategically: Setting Goals and Planning Your Time.
Why Plan Strategically? How Do You Set and Achieve Goals? What Are Your Priorities? How Can You Manage Your Time? Why Is Procrastination a Problem?
6. Thinking About How You Learn: Learning Styles.
What Are Some Common Assumptions About Learning? How Can You Discover Your Learning Styles? What Are the Benefits of Knowing Your Learning Styles? How Do You Explore Who You Are? How Can You Start Thinking About Choosing a Major?
7. Thinking in the Classroom: Reading, Note Taking, Memory, and Test Taking.
How Can You Respond Critically to What You Read? How Can You Make the Most of Your Notes? What Note-taking System Should You Use? What Will Help You Improve Your Memory. How Can You Prepare for Tests? What Can Help You Succeed on Tests?
8. Thinking About Expression: Listening, Communication, and Writing.
How Can You Become A Better Listener? How Can You Express Yourself Effectively? What Are the Elements of Effective Writing? What is the Writing Process?
9. Thinking Quantitatively: Math, Science, and Computers.
Why Do You Need To Be Able to Think Quantitatively? How Can Critical Thinking Help You Master Math Basics? How Can You Overcome Math Anxiety? What Do Learning Math and Learning Science Have in Common? What Basics Should You Know About Computers?
10. Thinking for Life: Working Toward Your Personal Best.
How Can You Understand and Accept Others? Why is Teamwork Important? What Strategic Thinking Can Help You Plan Your Career? How Can You Live With and Adapt to Change? How Can You Continue to Grow and Learn Throughout Your Life? How Can you Live Your Mission?
Appendix A: Learning Styles Assessments.
Appendix B: Researching Information and Student Resources on the Internet.