Moving from Analysis to Evaluation

1. Moving from Analysis to Evaluation Or, “Well, it’s my opinion” isn’t good enough anymore

2. How do we make judgments? • Often quick, instinctive, even “knee-jerk” • Often rely on non-critical thinking • “That’s what I like.” • “We’ve always done it this way.” • “That’s how people around here (or in my field) think.” • Rarely stop to consider the underlying criteria for making our judgments— • We judge on autopilot, not on standards.

3. Intellectual Traits Required • Intellectual Integrity: willingness to hold yourself to the same high standards you hold others to; the resolve to do the work and not take short-cuts (especially in a hurry) or rely on autopilot thinking. • Pursuit of truth: willingness to change your mind, even if it’s painful or leads you to an uncomfortable place.

4. Linked to these are • Practicing critical, not noncritical thinking: Replacing stereotypes, egocentrism, haste, enculturated patterns, and habitual thinking with reasoned examination of real evidence based on known elements • Accepting that some things can’t be proven “absolutely”—so determining that you have done enough thinking for what your pitch and moment require

5. Where are you going to use these? • Paper 2: Evaluating a scholarly article • Paper 3: Evaluating a cultural event • Group project paper: Evaluating your work • Final exam • Other classes—book reviews, lab reports, peer assessments, site visits, observations, etc. • Hopefully, in lots of phases of your life

6. Standards of Critical Thinking • Clearness (C) • Accuracy (A) • Importance, Relevance (I,R) • Sufficiency • Depth • Breadth • Precision CRTW shorthand for all of these is “CAIR STANDARDS”

7. Much of the evaluation of these standards • Is contextual—depends on the moment, the purpose, and the audience • Is often bound by point of view

8. Clearness

9. Characteristics of Clear Thought • Easily understood: uses language, examples, and illustrations appropriate to the subject & the audience; connects with POV • Free from the likelihood of misunderstanding • Implications of the pitch are readily apparent

10. Impediments • Me-focused, not you-focused • Not anticipating what others won’t understand • Not overcoming FBIs that inhibit clearness • Not being able to step outside the proposer’s POV

11. Accuracy

12. Accurate Thinking • Describing the way things actually are • Bound by what is provable—but standards of proof may vary, based on subject & discipline. Can’t be based on “Well, it could have been like this…” (e.g. Obama’s birth certificate or two of Carr’s friends) • Assumptions and evaluative criteria can be articulated and defended

13. Impediments to Accuracy • Fear • Inertia, Habits, Enculturation • Wishful thinking and denial • Hasty generalization • Folk wisdom • Limited or non-representative sampling • Non-critical thinking

14. Importance & Relevance

15. Importance, Relevance • Elements that really matter in deciding an issue—often founded on concepts underlying the assumptions • Not always the glamorous or “sexy” parts, and not always the comfortable or likable ones, either • May vary from person to person (both in the writer and the reader) or discipline to discipline

16. Impediments • Losing sight of the purpose • Losing sight of the context • Not setting “weights” on information • Refusing to consider evidence presented • Jumping to conclusions • Undue outside influence

17. Sufficiency

18. Has to do with both quantity and quality • Makes you slow down and ask about all the steps • Requires you to get past old habits and enculturation • Apply disciplinary thinking • i.e., “show your work” Sufficiency

19. Depth

20. Depth • Making yourself look at concepts and theories underlying the assumptions • Checking the sources to see what the information is based on • Thinking about an issue in 3-D: scuba diving, not jet-skiing • Antidote to “surf and click” reading and thinking

21. Breadth

22. Breadth • Expanding the world-view of the question (responding to egocentrism and developmental thinking) • Seeing the “big picture” • Thinking “outside the box” • Not thinking in clichés

23. Precision

24. Precision • Using the right terms, not the nearly-right terms • Avoiding hyperbole and sound bites • Not relying on generalities and stereotypes but going for specifics (e.g. not “Democrats raise taxes” but “Obama’s economic plan will raise taxes for the top 1% of wage earners”)

26. I just can't sleep tonightKnowing that things ain't rightIt's in the papers, it's on the TV, it's everywhere that I goChildren are crying, soldiers are dying, some people don't have a homeBut I know there's sunshine behind that rainI know there's good times behind that painHey, can you tell me how I can make a change?I close my eyes and I can see a brighter dayI close my eyes and prayI close my eyes and I can see a better dayI close my eyes and pray I just can't sleep tonightKnowing that things ain't rightIt's in the papers, it's on the TV, it's everywhere that I goChildren are crying, soldiers are dying, Some people don't have a homeBut I know there's sunshine behind that rainI know there's good times behind that painHey, can you tell me how I can make a change?I close my eyes and I can see a brighter dayI close my eyes and prayI close my eyes and I can see a better dayI close my eyes and pray

27. I lose my appetite knowing kids starve tonightAm I a sinner, 'cause my dinner is still on my plate?Ooh I got a vision to make a differenceAnd it's starting today'Cause I know there's sunshine behind that rainI know there's good times behind that painCan you tell me how I can make a change?I close my eyes and I can see a brighter dayI close my eyes and prayI close my eyes and I can see a better dayI close my eyes and pray for the brokenheartedI pray for the life not startedI pray for all the ones not breathingI pray for all the souls in needI pray, can you give 'em one today?

28. Evaluating ‘Pray’ • POVs: The artist, the target market, the record company, sophisticated consumers • IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS from each POV (collectively, do a circle) • Ask ‘To what extent is it CLEAR? ACCURATE? IMPORTANT? RELEVANT?’ Score it 0-5 (low to high) • Collect EVIDENCE to support each of your four answers.