Critical and Creative Thinking at NC State

Expectation

The Pack Proficiencies (General Education Competencies), including Critical and Creative Thinking, develop through multiple and sustained experiences across the General Education Program (GEP). The GEP provides a foundation for Critical and Creative Thinking and other Pack Proficiencies (General Education Competencies). It is expected that each degree program provide additional support to build upon that foundation throughout the major.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the active, persistent and careful

consideration of a belief or form of knowledge. It includes

analysis and judgements about the ideas and conditions that

support beliefs and conclusions that follow. Critical thinking

involves analyzing and evaluating one’s own thinking and that

of others, and is subject to intellectual standards including

clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, significance, depth,

breadth, logic, and fairness.

Outcomes

A generally educated NC State student will raise questions, formulate problems and identify appropriate information when solving a problem.

A generally educated NC State student will evaluate and interpret information presented when solving a problem.

A generally educated NC State student will generate, judge and synthesize appropriate solutions for a problem.

A generally educated NC State student will organize and communicate their thinking effectively in written form.

Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is the generation of new ideas within or

across disciplines. It draws upon or breaks rules and

procedures in those disciplines and actively engages students

in bringing together existing ideas into new configuration;

developing new properties or possibilities for something that

already exists; and discovering or imagining something

entirely new. Standards for judging creative thinking include

originality, appropriateness, flexibility, and contribution to the

domain.

Outcomes

A generally educated NC State student will apply creative thinking skills to explore alternatives, convey unique or novel ideas, create new knowledge, and adapt to new context and information.

A generally educated NC State student will apply creative thinking skills to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of ideas, recommend appropriate solutions and take risks in proposing approaches or directions.

Critical and Creative Thinking Outcomes Map

Assessment of Critical and Creative Thinking

Additional Links

Findings