Some problems may have more than one solution. One solution may be more effective than the other for a particular situation. Using reflective thinking enables weighing of the different options to arrive at the best solution.
Connie,
Like the comparison because it is very accurate. Having played bridge for many years it requires thinking of numerous possibilities, selecting options and then problem solving as the cards are played. This is what reflective thinking is about. Thank you for this good point.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Brant,
You make a good point and one that we need to impress on our students as we help them develop their problem solving skills.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Juliet,
So true. The time spent in reflective thinking will yield valuable results when it comes to coming up with a solution. Reflective thinking reduces the error factor as well.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I am currently learning to play Bridge and I see the parallels to life in this game. You do much better when playing Bridge if you stop and plan (reflect) on your strategy before you actually attempt to play the hand. If you just start playing before considering how to discard your losers or promote more winners, you may make the contract or not. This is just like solving problems in life; if you don't stop and make a plan or reflect on the possible consequences and rewards of your decisions, you may be successful or you may not be.
I believe that a benefit to reflective thinking is taking into account, and understanding, the task at hand prior to developing objectives in soliving the problem.
I think reflective thinking will give you enough time to properly break down a situation or problem and analyze it. It will give you different perspectives on the problem and make it more easier to choose the best possible solution to the problem.
Sandy,
It seems that many students do not want to think. They just want to take courses, get credit and graduate to high paying jobs. Unfortunately in the real world for them that is not how it works. Being able to think and problem solve are valued skills that will return rewards for many years to come. Hopefully we can get some of them to see the value of working through the steps to refine their thinking abilities.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It allows the student to really THINK. So many times I notice that they just look for wording in the book that matches the wording in the question, but they are not really answering what the question is asking. So when they read the question, then take time to think, they will be able to find the answer easier and it will make more sense.
Jeanne,
You have done a very good job of describing reflective thinking and how it impacts problem solving. Taking the time to due such reflection yields rewards in the long term.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reflection is a sober assessment of the problem that was identified and you are trying to solve. Reflection should be on the problem itself, validity of the collected data, solutions designed to resolve the issue, effectiveness of the solutions applied and adaptations that may be required. Reflection is basically a re-evaluation of everything occuring up to this point and helps develop an understanding of how best to proceed to a successful resolution to the situation.
Vivian,
You touch upon a key point and that is speed. With access to vast data bases and information spending time in reflecting thinking is not the first thing that comes to mind with many students. Helping them to see the value of reflective thinking is a great service you are providing.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reflective thinking is important because it gives the person a chance to step back, observe, internalize the information, critically think and use common sense judgements when making a decision. This is not a easy process for most people because of wanting to hurry up to grt things done.
Daniel,
Walking around a problem can be very helpful, whether it is walking around mentally or physically. This walk around time is spent on trying to see the problem from many different angles and then coming up with a set of possible solutions.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
KEVIN,
You are right on with this comment and perspective. So many students after a challenge comes up want to rush forward without stepping back and analyzing why the product did not come out right. If they will step back they can start to problem solve in their minds about the steps they followed and the way they did things which will help them to realize why the dish did or did not come out as they had anticipated.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Slowing the process down and considering things from a different perspective can help make a sound choice.
developnig critical thinking skills with students is in a kitchen enviroment can be enhanced by having a student stand back and reevaluate how they were shown how to do the dish and how they actually did it, rather them just answering their question as to why did'nt it work right
Elizabeth,
This is critical for the patients that are being cared for as well as for the career growth of the students. The better they get at this the greater their career opportunities are going to be.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When creating a treatment plan for a patient, reflective thinking is essential. It allows us to pause for a moment and reflect what would be in the best interest of the patient that will give the best results. It stops us from creating a plan that may not necessarily reflect the values or the true needs of the patient.
Practicing Reflective Thinking decreases the amount of apologies I need to make. Ha! Reflective Thinking is a process that takes mental & physical effort. To stop, reflect on all aspects of the situation, and envision all conclusions and their conequences. Context & evidence must be considered as well.
