Fostering Continued Development in Our Critical Thinking Skills
Successful entrepreneurism requires the effective identification, evaluation, articulation and pursuit of opportunity in an increasingly complex and global economic context. What makes the study and practice of entrepreneurship challenging is that the nature of entrepreneurial opportunities typically requires a skill set that entails elements that can be characterized as both “art” and “science” in nature. Some facets of entrepreneurial opportunities (e.g., market characteristics) lend themselves well to quantitative analysis (i.e., “empirical science”). Other facets require careful analysis of the role distinctly “human” elements play (i.e., “art”), or a deep and thorough sense of the ‘individual’ or ‘self’.
Accordingly, thorough development of our ability to think critically about entrepreneurial phenomena requires careful integration of each of these aspects in order to gain a rich understanding of the nexus of the individual and opportunity. Simply put, continually developing our critical thinking skills crucial to engaging in well-rounded, intelligent entrepreneurial efforts. The following are some ways adult development has been characterized[1] from a stage development perspective. Each characterization helps to illustrate how we can identify where our current thinking is at on a given topic. By extension, each also suggests some ways for advancing it in a meaningful way. Students are encouraged to actively consider and revisit these characterizations to enhance their learning experience throughout the semester and beyond.
William Perry, 1970
Dualism:
Knowledge is seen in true-false, good-bad dichotomies. Authorities have “The Answer”.
Multiplicity:
Students begin to recognize that the world may not be divided into a right/wrong dichotomy. Certainty may exist in a few select areas, but very little is known conclusively.
Contextual Relativism:
Students gain the ability to see knowledge in context. A student applies rules of adequacy and evaluation not only to opinions of others but to judgments of self. To make meaning of different choices it is necessary to narrow down possibilities.
Commitment Within Relativism:
Students comprehend that truth is relative and that they must make decisions based on their own values and sense of identity.
Marcia Baxter Magolda, 1992
Absolute Knowing:
Absolute answers exist in all areas of knowledge. Students use receiving or mastery patterns in their approaches to learning.
Transitional Knowing:
Knowledge can be separated into certain and uncertain categories. Students use interpersonal or impersonal patterns in their approaches to knowing.
Independent Knowing:
Knowledge is open to many interpretations. Students use inter-individual or individual patterns in dealing with knowledge.
Contextual Knowing:
Individuals create their own perspectives by judging evidence in a context.
Four Modes of Thinking Relevant to Teaching & Learning[2]
· Sergeant Friday (Facts)
Transition 1: Understanding Knowledge as Uncertain
· Baskin Robbins (Opinions)
Transition 2: Perceiving Opinion as Insufficient
· Teachers’ / Learner’s Games (Making Arguments)
Transition 3: Limited Empathy
(Decisions combine analyses and values)
· Owned Games (Contextual Decisions)
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[1] As summarized in Teaching Within the Rhythms of the Semester Donna Duffy and Janet Jones, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1995
[2] As summarized by Craig Nelson Workshop at Belmont University, May 2003 entitled Fostering Critical Thinking & Mature Valuing Across the Curriculum (Note: Actual progression of development is not always linear).