ABSTRACT
We all want our students to be critical thinkers, define who “we” is but what do we mean when we say that? The importance of critical thinking is borne out by continuing discussions in everyday life. Managers and CEOs argue for the importance of critical thinking and decry the lack of attention given to it in schools; “We need to refocus on content in our communications. What we communicate and how well we communicate will always be more important than the medium of communication” (Dilenschneider, 2001, p. 26). In our increasing technological age, critical thinking remains central; “At the heart of design and engineering is critical thinking. The ability to separate what is worthwhile from what isn’t is the hallmark of the best in many fields, from film directors to project managers, programmers to designers” (Berkun, 2001). Critical thinking is an important issue of discussion in multiple disciplines including communication, education, nursing, and psychology. There are debates over definition (e.g., Facione, 1998) and discussions about specific teaching strategies (e.g., Fritz & Weaver, 1986: Garside, 1996; Palmerton, 1992; Powell, 1992).
