Didactics and Technology in Education

A higher-order thinker is a critical thinker. What are the attributes of a critical thinker? In The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools, Richard Paul and Linda Elder describe a well-cultivated critical thinker as someone who:

1. raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
2. gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively; 
3. comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
4. thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing their assumptions, implications and practical consequences as need be; and
5. communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.

By HOWARD RHEINGOLD August 21, 2014 - 8:12am 

"I’ve been writing about digital media for nearly 30 years, and over that time, I’ve been asked over and over again by readers, critics, scholars and myself: “Do these personal computers, digital networks, webs of unfiltered information, mobile attention magnets do us more good than harm — as individuals, families, communities, and societies?” I have come to believe that the answer is: “It depends on how many people know how to use these technologies to their own benefit and that of the commons.”