11 Critical Thinking Case Study: Rose gets a new phone
Learning Objectives
Critical thinking skills are not just for academic or workplace purposes but are also needed in everyday life. This case study shows how critical thinking allows Rose to purchase the right phone for her needs.
Using critical thinking in everyday life
Having explored the previous two chapters, you should now possess a stronger grasp of refining your critical thinking and web-checking skills. Next, we will examine a case study to apply these critical thinking skills in practice.
Watch this video to find out what Rose did when her phone broke.
After watching the video, what do you think: Did Rose apply Critical Thinking? How?
How would Rose explain her choice?
If Rose were writing a diary about what happened and what thought processes she went through to decide on a new phone, here’s what she might have written.
- My phone broke and I had to get a new one – this information sets up the context.
- My friends and I like photos and videos, so I wanted a good screen and camera and plenty of data – these are Rose’s first ideas about criteria for phone selection
- I checked out some reviews from reliable websites and talked to my friends. According to most reviews, XYZ phone had the best mix of screen, camera and data. My friends agreed with the reviews. XYZ phone was looking like the best choice. – Rose is building the argument using the evidence so far.
- Initially, I thought that XYZ phone would be too expensive for me, but I figured out how to budget for it so it wasn’t a problem – An opposing point of view that looks at the other side makes the argument more convincing
- Therefore, based on the evidence of the reviews and friend opinions, and my budget, I decided that XYZ phone was the best choice for me – this is Rose’s logical connection between evidence and opinion.
Think about what other evidence you could use to make an informed decision on what phone would be best.
