2. Cognitive Process
◦Cognitive functions are mental processes or actions that are
related to thinking, acquiring knowledge, understanding
through sense experience(five senses sight, vision, smell,
voice and touch & taste) and understanding through
experiences.
◦It involves intellectual functions such as attention,
intelligence, memory, judgement, evaluation, reasoning,
computing, comprehension, problem solving, decision
making etc.
4. ◦ Implicit and complex mental process where images, symbols, concepts, rules
and other mediational units gets mentally manipulated – Kagan & Haveman
◦ Found in every organism
◦ It is a mediating mental process between stimulus and solution
◦ Symbols, images, language and propositions are processed while thinking
◦ It’s a covert behaviour and cannot be seen externally
◦ The process involves trial and error which is actually the overt behaviour of
the thinking process
◦ As it is also considered to be a process between stimulus and solution it is
often called as ‘PROBLEM SOLVING BEHAVIOUR’
6. Types of Thinking: Zimbardo & Ruch (1977)
Autistic Thinking
◦ When ego’s own ideas, dreams,
fantasies, hopes and desires are
expressed is Autistic Thinking
Realistic Thinking
1) Convergent Thinking: Deductive
process where single solution is
sought based on variety of
information
2) Creative(Divergent) Thinking:
Inductive process where many ideas
are created based on present facts
and addition person’s own
3) Evaluative Thinking: Before
accepting facts merits of a situation
or problem is discussed
7. Problem Solving
Problem Solving is
the process of
overcoming
obstacles to
achieve the goal -
Robertson
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
8. Problem Solving Process
◦ Defining the Problem: have three parts- an initial statement, solution
path and goal
◦ Categorizing problem solving: 1) knowledge lean problems 2) knowledge
rich problem, 3) well-defined problem, 4) ill-defined problem, 5)
semantically lean problem, 6) semantically rich problem, and 7) insightful
problem
◦ Understanding the problem: question the assumptions, concept
mapping, taking varied views in consideration, specific knowledge
◦ Seeking different perspectives: different disciplines, culture, gender
◦ Creative Strategies: brain storming, creative problem solving, negative
brain storming
9. Enabling Problem Solving in a Classroom
◦ Concept Mastery
◦ Cognizance of all aspects of the problem that needs solution
◦ Confidence to find solutions in the students and faith that students will solve the problem
by the teacher
◦ Demonstration and application within the classroom
◦ Instructions to the students should be clear
◦ Make students perform all the activities, rules and procedures to arrive at the solutions and
not allow shortcuts
◦ Make students informed of the cognitive strategies they can perform to find solutions
◦ Foster Insightful behaviour among students
10. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is
reasonable reflective
thinking that is
focused on deciding
what to believe or do
- Annis
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
11. Critical Thinking Process
(1)Knowledge of the nature of valid inferences, abstractions, and
generalizations in which the weight or accuracy of different kinds
of evidence are logically determined
(2) Attitudes of inquiry that involve A) an ability to recognize the
existence of problems and B) an acceptance of the general need
for evidence in support of what is asserted to be true
(3) Skills in employing and applying the above attitudes and
knowledge.
12. Fostering Critical Thinking
◦ Habits for developing critical thinking: Metacognition (awareness of thoughts,
formulating questions, recognizing biasness, justifying opinions, reflective on
process), inquisitiveness, systematic in inquiry, truth seeking, self confidence, being
analytical, being open minded, maturity
◦ Argumentation: acceptability of the idea by determining the audience weather
Personal, Public or Technical
◦ Questioning: way of approaching a problem, enquiring existing knowledge and new
information, probe have to be systematic specific and disciplined
◦ Reasoning: deductive(from general statement to specific conclusion) , inductive and
abductive (from specific observation to general conclusion)
◦ Identifying biases and assumptions: bias towards or against, assumptions are ideas
without support of evidence
