Section: Lesson 1: Foundations of Critical Thinking | Critical and Systems Thinking | NextGenU.org

  • Dr. Maya Chen, an epidemiologist with a background in environmental science, found herself facing a perplexing situation. A small town was experiencing an unusual outbreak of a mysterious illness, and the local interdisciplinary health task force was stumped. As Maya arrived to investigate, she realized that experts from various fields were divided on the cause. Environmental scientists blamed a new factory's emissions, hydrologists pointed to changes in the water supply, and sociologists insisted on examining community behaviors. The town's residents added their own theories, ranging from government conspiracies to supernatural causes. Maya knew she needed to approach this problem by integrating insights from multiple disciplines, but the conflicting information and emotional responses were overwhelming. She wondered how she could cut through the noise and get to the heart of the matter while respecting each field's perspective.

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      Lesson Summary Foundations of Critical Thinking File
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      Micro-learning Lesson 1: Foundations of Critical Thinking SCORM package
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      Study Guide Lesson 1 Foundations of Critical Thinking File
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      This document contains more concise notes to help you study or quickly refresh your mind about the content, as well as extra practice questions.
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      Flashcards Lesson 1 Foundations of Critical Thinking URL
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      Branching Logic Activity SCORM package
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      This branching logic activity will help you practice and apply what you've learned about the foundations of critical thinking to real life scenarios. 
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      Quiz: Lesson 1

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      Dr. Chen applied critical thinking to examine claims from various experts, identifying logical fallacies and biases. She created a framework for rational, cross-disciplinary discussion, encouraging evidence-based arguments. This approach helped narrow down potential causes of the outbreak, setting the stage for a deeper, multi-faceted investigation.