Critical Thinking as a Cognitive Educational Technology

Abstract

The article deals with higher education issues related to the formation of students’ intellectual work skills. The research objective of the paper was to consider critical thinking as a cognitive technology in education. In this regard, the didactic and structural approaches to the study of critical thinking do not contradict one another: each approach is a logical complement of the other and reveals certain aspects of the complex concept of critical thinking, giving emphasis to the argument, which is a tool, used both in critical and dogmatic thinking. By the general competence we mean principles of thinking, the ability to produce a reasoned piece of oral and written language, understanding and analysis of philosophical issues, considering the essence and value of the information. Among the professional competencies, the following should be listed: the ability to reconsider the gathered experience critically, the ability to collect, process, and interpret the data of modern research, to form judgments about the value and impact of the professional activity. The logical competence draws focused attention to the critical argument, regarding it throughout the course Logic. It is concluded that critical thinking can be seen as a cognitive educational technology for the formation of logical competence.