What is critical thinking?

The simplest way to define critical thinking is taking the facts of a situation, event, or item and using them to form a judgment about that thing. When you employ critical thinking, you're putting your own experience, observation, analytical skills, and reasoning to work to examine the facts and to apply intellectual standards to those facts. Critical thinking involves asking questions, gathering information, removing preconceived notions, and communicating clearly about that which you're analyzing. Critical thinking allows you to more clearly approach any subject to learn and understand it better.

Why is it important for me to learn critical thinking?

When you grasp the principles of critical thinking, you're able to analyze and reflect on the facts and put aside any biases that you may have. You probably already put critical thinking to work in your daily life to one extent or another, but you may not apply it as a discipline. The idea behind critical thinking is to understand the connections between the facts and ideas of a subject or situation, and it involves developing certain skills to engage effectively in reasoning. It's not about the knowledge you've accumulated; rather it's about how you're able to think and reason in a given moment. It's a skill that you have to learn and practice to use effectively.

How does critical thinking affect my career?

You can apply critical thinking as a way to improve yourself at work. Critical thinking skills allow you to make reasonable decisions in the moment, especially when you or others around you are under stress. You can solve problems better when you put critical thinking into practice. Critical thinking also helps you to make decisions without resorting to emotions or selfishness. Thorough knowledge of critical thinking can even help you become more creative and innovative. Critical thinking gives you a suite of tools that you can use to set yourself up for career success.

How can taking online courses on Coursera help me learn critical thinking?

When you take a course in critical thinking on Coursera, you can study topics like understanding arguments, developing negotiating skills, or confronting gender-based violence. You can learn about problem-solving as it relates to the workplace as well as university success. Online courses on Coursera can help you understand reasoning across disciplines and problem solving using computational thinking too.

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Critical Thinking

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584 results for "critical thinking"

Free
Imperial College London
Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success
Skills you'll gain: Research and Design, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Leadership and Management, Business Psychology, Human Learning, Problem Solving, Business Analysis, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Innovation, Strategy and Operations, Design and Product, Product Development
4.7
(3.8k reviews)
Beginner · Course · 1-3 Months
Free
University of Michigan
Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age
Skills you'll gain: Probability & Statistics, Critical Thinking, Correlation And Dependence, Data Analysis, Statistical Tests, Basic Descriptive Statistics, Business Analysis, General Statistics, Probability Distribution, Regression, Statistical Analysis, Decision Making, Entrepreneurship, Experiment, Human Resources, Leadership Development, Leadership and Management, Market Research, Research and Design, Software Engineering, Software Testing, Strategy and Operations
4.8
(1.3k reviews)
Beginner · Course · 1-3 Months
Free
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Leadership and Critical Thinking
Skills you'll gain: Leadership and Management, Leadership Development, Human Resources, Business Psychology, Entrepreneurship, Communication, Business Analysis, Critical Thinking, People Development, Problem Solving, Research and Design, Business Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Decision Making, Organizational Development, Resilience, Strategy and Operations, Customer Relationship Management, Employee Relations, People Management, Change Management, FinTech, Finance, Marketing
4.4
(85 reviews)
Advanced · Specialization · 1-3 Months
Free
Free
Yale University
Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator
Skills you'll gain: Communication, Marketing, Negotiation, Sales, Business Analysis, Critical Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Game Theory, Leadership and Management, Mathematics, Problem Solving, Research and Design, Strategy, Strategy and Operations
4.9
(4.5k reviews)
Mixed · Course · 1-3 Months
Free

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mindware: critical thinking for the information age

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التفكير الناقد | critical thinking

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In summary, here are 10 of our most popular critical thinking courses

Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking: Duke University
Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success: Imperial College London
Critical Thinking Skills for the Professional: University of California, Davis
Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age: University of Michigan
Pets, Politics and Pandemics: Columbia University
Solving Problems with Creative and Critical Thinking: IBM Skills Network
Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects: Deep Teaching Solutions
Academic Skills for University Success: The University of Sydney
Leadership and Critical Thinking: Tecnológico de Monterrey
Know Thyself - The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge: The Unconscious: The University of Edinburgh

Frequently Asked Questions about Critical Thinking

The simplest way to define critical thinking is taking the facts of a situation, event, or item and using them to form a judgment about that thing. When you employ critical thinking, you're putting your own experience, observation, analytical skills, and reasoning to work to examine the facts and to apply intellectual standards to those facts. Critical thinking involves asking questions, gathering information, removing preconceived notions, and communicating clearly about that which you're analyzing. Critical thinking allows you to more clearly approach any subject to learn and understand it better.‎
When you grasp the principles of critical thinking, you're able to analyze and reflect on the facts and put aside any biases that you may have. You probably already put critical thinking to work in your daily life to one extent or another, but you may not apply it as a discipline. The idea behind critical thinking is to understand the connections between the facts and ideas of a subject or situation, and it involves developing certain skills to engage effectively in reasoning. It's not about the knowledge you've accumulated; rather it's about how you're able to think and reason in a given moment. It's a skill that you have to learn and practice to use effectively.‎
You can apply critical thinking as a way to improve yourself at work. Critical thinking skills allow you to make reasonable decisions in the moment, especially when you or others around you are under stress. You can solve problems better when you put critical thinking into practice. Critical thinking also helps you to make decisions without resorting to emotions or selfishness. Thorough knowledge of critical thinking can even help you become more creative and innovative. Critical thinking gives you a suite of tools that you can use to set yourself up for career success.‎
When you take a course in critical thinking on Coursera, you can study topics like understanding arguments, developing negotiating skills, or confronting gender-based violence. You can learn about problem-solving as it relates to the workplace as well as university success. Online courses on Coursera can help you understand reasoning across disciplines and problem solving using computational thinking too.‎

This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Filter by

584 results for "critical thinking"

Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking

Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success

Critical Thinking Skills for the Professional

Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age

Pets, Politics and Pandemics

Solving Problems with Creative and Critical Thinking

Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects

Academic Skills for University Success

Leadership and Critical Thinking

Know Thyself - The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge: The Unconscious

Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator

Introduction to Philosophy

Searches related to critical thinking

In summary, here are 10 of our most popular critical thinking courses

Frequently Asked Questions about Critical Thinking

What is critical thinking?‎

Why is it important for me to learn critical thinking?‎

How does critical thinking affect my career?‎

How can taking online courses on Coursera help me learn critical thinking?‎

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584 results for "critical thinking"

Searches related to critical thinking

In summary, here are 10 of our most popular critical thinking courses

Frequently Asked Questions about Critical Thinking

What is critical thinking?‎

Why is it important for me to learn critical thinking?‎

How does critical thinking affect my career?‎

How can taking online courses on Coursera help me learn critical thinking?‎

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