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Mit press essential knowledge series, critical thinking.

Critical Thinking

by Jonathan Haber

ISBN: 9780262538282

Pub date: April 7, 2020

  • Publisher: The MIT Press

232 pp. , 5 x 7 in , 10 b&w illus.

ISBN: 9780262357357

Pub date: March 13, 2020

  • 9780262538282
  • Published: April 2020
  • 9780262357357
  • Published: March 2020
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  • Description

How the concept of critical thinking emerged, how it has been defined, and how critical thinking skills can be taught.

Critical thinking is regularly cited as an essential twenty-first century skill, the key to success in school and work. Given our propensity to believe fake news, draw incorrect conclusions, and make decisions based on emotion rather than reason, it might even be said that critical thinking is vital to the survival of a democratic society. But what, exactly, is critical thinking? In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Jonathan Haber explains how the concept of critical thinking emerged, how it has been defined, and how critical thinking skills can be taught and assessed.

Haber describes the term's origins in such disciplines as philosophy, psychology, and science. He examines the components of critical thinking, including structured thinking, language skills, background knowledge, and information literacy, along with such necessary intellectual traits as intellectual humility, empathy, and open-mindedness. He discusses how research has defined critical thinking, how elements of critical thinking have been taught for centuries, and how educators can teach critical thinking skills now.

Haber argues that the most important critical thinking issue today is that not enough people are doing enough of it. Fortunately, critical thinking can be taught, practiced, and evaluated. This book offers a guide for teachers, students, and aspiring critical thinkers everywhere, including advice for educational leaders and policy makers on how to make the teaching and learning of critical thinking an educational priority and practical reality.

Jonathan Haber was an educational researcher, writer and entrepreneur working in the fields of critical-thinking education, assessment, and technology-enabled learning whose work has been featured in the New York Times , the Boston Globe , the Chronicle of Higher Education , and the Wall Street Journal . He is the author of another MIT Press Essential Knowledge book, MOOCs , and The Critical Voter .

Additional Material

Watch MIT Press Live with Jonathan Haber.

Check out an interview with Jonathan Haber, the man who teaches you to cultivate critical thinking.

Watch Jonathan Haber discuss critical thinking on the David Pakman Show

Listen to an interview with Jonathan Haber at Partially Examined Life.

Read Jonathan Haber's piece in Inside Higher Ed: It's Time to Get Serious About Teaching Critical Thinking.

Related Books

Undeclared

JONATHAN  HABER

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MAKING THINGS HAPPEN IN

K-12 and higher education.

Learn more about Jonathan's books on critical thinking, online education, and educational assessment, including the latest release of Critical Voter and his most MIT Press title on critical thinking.

Find out about Jonathan's professional consulting projects in online learning and academic standards, as well as his own work featured in The New York Times and other publications. 

Read and listen to Jonathan's latest writing and interviews about educational transformation and how to teach and use critical-thinking principles to navigate change and uncertainty.

ABOUT JONATHAN

Jonathan Haber is an educational researcher, writer/author and entrepreneur working in the fields of critical thinking, higher education, assessment and technology enabled learning.  His Degree of Freedom One Year BA project, which involved trying to learn the equivalent of a BA in just twelve months using only MOOCs and other forms of free learning, was featured in  The New York Times , The Boston Globe ,  The Chronicle of Higher Education ,  The Wall Street Journal  and other major media sources.

He is the author of four books, including two for the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series on critical thinking and massive open online courses (MOOCs).  His writing on education-related topics has appeared in  Slate ,  EdSurge  and other publications. 

Jonathan is available for interviews, public speaking, and consulting engagements.

CONTACT JONATHAN

Contact Jonathan directly using the form below.  For media inquiries, contact AMS Communications . 

IMAGES

  1. Critical Thinking in Paperback by Jonathan Haber

    critical thinking jonathan haber

  2. Critical Thinking by Jonathan Haber · OverDrive: Free ebooks

    critical thinking jonathan haber

  3. MIT Press Live! with Jonathan Haber, author of Critical Thinking

    critical thinking jonathan haber

  4. Critical Thinking by Jonathan Haber · Audiobook preview

    critical thinking jonathan haber

  5. Critical Thinking Expert and Author Jonathan Haber on The Future of

    critical thinking jonathan haber

  6. Critical Thinking (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series) eBook

    critical thinking jonathan haber

VIDEO

  1. Jonathan Haber MOOKS HD 720p Video Sharing

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  3. Critical Thinking Skills to Get Us Through a Pandemic with Author Jonathan Haber (5-13-20)

  4. How do I Think Critically?

  5. Dan Ball Interview W/Author Of 'Critical Voter', Jonathan Haber

  6. Нейробиолог Константин Анохин Как устроены разум и сознание