Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Unit 1 – Apply critical thinking skills in a team environment

• Addressing a workplace problem
• Teams and problem solving
• Organisational frameworks
• Legislative frameworks
• Identify key issue/problem
• Problem solving procedures
• Questions and challenges
• Key stakeholders
• Consultation
• Solutions for workplace problems
• Critical thinking that helps generate problem solutions
• Team decision making
• Developing options
• The problem solving process
• Communication/explanation
• Criteria for assessing the suitability of options
• Evaluate solutions and make a selection
• Finalise and review solution
• Presenting solution to stake holders
• The critical thinking process
• Responding to challenges and questions
• Feedback
• Critical thinking learnings (individuals and teams)

Unit 2 – Apply critical thinking to work practices

• Key characteristics of critical thinking
• Situations in which critical thinking should be applied
• Creative thinking
• Using critical thinking
• Generating sounds problem solutions
• Thinking well
• Applying critical thinking practices
• Benefits of critical thinking
• Critical thinking and leadership skills
• How critical thinking helps people
• Analysing the limitations of existing and proposed work practices
• Stakeholders’ opinions and ideas
• Using critical thinking for problem solving
• Develop a proposal for the solution/s
• Present a solution and justify the decision-making process
• Reviewing decision making practices in the work area
• Feedback on your use of critical thinking
• Identify areas for self-development
• Continuous improvement
• Legislative requirements
• Different forms of legislation

Unit 3 – Develop critical thinking in others

• Research models of critical and creative thinking
• Critical and creative thinking models
• Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Model
• First principle thinking/concepts/mental models
• Skills gaps
• Approaches to instruction on critical and creative thinking methods
• Facilitate learning opportunities for addressing gaps
• The learning environment/learning organisations
• Articulate key features
• Key features and concepts
• Environments that encourage critical and creative thinking
• Analyse current system to identify gaps or barriers
• Safe workplaces
• Opportunities for team members to apply critical thinking skills
• Providing feedback on performance tasks
• Monitoring and improving thinking practices
• Identify additional support for teams and individuals
• Recommendations for improved learning
• Additional learning
• Forms of legislation

Unit 4 – Develop and apply thinking and problem solving skills

• Problem solving in the workplace
• Question types and styles
• Rhetorical questions
• Ways to solve problems
• Brainstorming and mind mapping
• Lateral thinking and observation
• Outcome evaluation and review
• Collaborate and share ideas on problem solving
• Identify challenges and problem solving
• Assessing the suitability of options
• Selecting a workplace issue to resolve
• Structuring questions on an issue
• Developing questions
• Questionnaires and interviews
• Documenting question responses
• Active listening
• Problem solving techniques
• Problem solving processes
• Improvements to the problem-solving process
• Problem solving skills
• Seeking feedback