In regard to a choice a friend has made, ask, “Why do you decide to
do that?” After the friend gives his or her initial response, ask that
she or he to elaborate so that you can understand his or her thinking.
In your log, explain why you decided to ask that friend about that
particular decision, describe the context within which your conversation
occurred, and write down the questions you used to get a full and
accurate understanding of your friend’s reasoning. Then write your
friend’s response as fully as possible. Capture not only the option
chosen, but the other options considered and the reasons leading to
rejecting those options and selecting the option chosen. Carefully
analyze what your friend said, but do not evaluate. In your log, map the
decision your friend made, showing the reasoning process as objectively
and fair-mindedly as possible, whether you agree or disagree with it.
In fact, go out of your way not to reveal your evaluation of your
friend’s decision – be as analytical as possible without being
evaluative. Share a draft of the map with your friend and explain to
your friend how to interpret it. Listen to your friend’s comments about
the accuracy of your analysis as it is revealed in the draft decision
map you made. Note in your log all the amendments or revisions your
friend wants to offer. Make another draft of the decision map in your
log and compare the two side by side. Reflect on what you learned by
allowing your friend to view and comment on your analysis. Did your
friend change his or her story, add more reasons in favor of the
selected choice, add more reasons opposed to rejected choices, ask you
to remove argument strands that looked like weak reasons, or ask you to
bolster argument strands that looked flimsy?
Using the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric from Chapter 1,
add a final part to this section of your reflective log in which you
permit yourself a few evaluative comments on your friend’s decision
making.
