The Importance Of Critical Thinking In Professional And Academic Fields

Critical Thinking in Professional and Academic Fields

Question:

Discuss aabout the Professional Skills for Reflective and Individualistic.

Critical thinking is involvement of reflective and individualistic thought processing. The procedure of critical thinking comprises of recognition, analysis and appraisal of argument. Reflective justification is important in critical (Jackson 2015). This convention is important in both professional and academic field. Nurse, psychologist, teacher and student also need to do reflective thinking so that they can take decisions in a systematic way. In school in had to think critically as I had to assess the knowledge that I have gathered. In my professional life, I had to use critical thinking in assessing certain situation and solve problem according to the assessed situation. Academically, I was not satisfied with the answers that I obtained from my textbooks; I consulted several hundreds of scholarly article in order to find the right information about a particular subject. In personal life, I am successful because I have always asked questions to understand the situation. According to Nosich 2012, In order to interpret the situation or to solve problems critical thinking has always helped me. To me critical thinking is assessing a situation thoroughly and act according to the necessity of the situation. It is not that I have never put a wrong step but critical assessment has helped to get out of that trouble.

Critical thinking is all about making right judgment. It helps in assessing certain situation with the method of evaluation (Fu 2013). In information and communication technology, critical thinking plays a significant role. Analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating data are the components that information and communication technology demands. ICT professional needs to be critical thinkers, one should have the capacity to think differently because social media attracts comments both positive and negative comments (Kwan and Wong 2015).  ICT professionals like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates thought critically, reformed the computing world, and gave it a new face. The individual applied critical thinking and discovered “smart phones” and “app” that comprised of institutionalization of a new concept and developed new opportunity to assess information by applying completely new procedure. In communication, information technology helps in generating communication in a more effective way. In global market, information technology pays a major role as communicating in an effective way is the part of their professional. Critically sorting out ideas to handle different aspects that they confront in their professional life is what their profession involves. According to Mirabella et al. 2013, it is very admirable that the ICT professionals have to assess a perspective and value both service and impacts that it has on the human world. 

It is very important for a student to be critical thinker because development in perspective comes from systematically assessing of learning. There are many problems and challenges that a student encounters. Critically assessing of the situation and taking necessary step is the only way they can overcome a problematic situation. It is significant for professional to examine a situation and respond in pertinently to that by analyzing and assessing the situation.

Information and Communication Technology and Critical Thinking

Portfolio SWOT analysis:

	Strengths                                                                     Weakness	Weakness
Internal	·         Positive attitude ·         Educated ·         Visionary ·         Team worker	·         Lack experience ·         Procrastinator ·         Impatient ·         Judgmental
	Opportunities                                                                         Threats	Threats
External	·         Communication skills ·         Ability to adapt to change ·         Suitable openings in job ·         Networking	·         Competition that are present in the environment ·         Delay in getting started with my career. ·         Fear of failing ·         Waiting for the right time

In my SWOT analysis, I have revealed that I am procrastinator. Every person has personal weaknesses but very few of them want to change their weaknesses into strength. Those individuals, who wants to rectify their flaws and transform their amateurish mistakes to strength has to utilize certain strategies that can help me to increase my opportunity level. One should have the power and faith on themselves to acknowledge the weaknesses that they have only then they could successfully get rid of those. Self-improvement is the first step to bring changes in my weaknesses. Procrastinating is the behavioral attribute that projects lack of sense of responsibility in an individual. I like taking up responsibility but after getting them, I lose interest in fulfilling them. Though I am a positive individual, still I confront obstacles like lethargy and lack motivation. Theory of motivation by Maslow says that self-actualization is the process through which an individual can correct themselves and increase chances. The theory of motivation has influenced me greatly in to asses strategies that will help with my future achievements.

Specification in setting goals will help me to perform well. According to Locke’s, goal setting theory goals should be specific rather than vague. Goals and intensions works side by side and influence a human behavior to work harder in order to complete the task in time. The goals that I need to set should have clear target. A clear target will definitely help me in rectifying my weakness, as I will not get the scope to delay my work. I will have a target that I will have to complete in a specified time.

I need to believe that if I increase my effort my performance level will increase. If I work hard, my level of performance will increase and thus I will gain greater competency level. Vroom’s expectancy theory depends on the perception that an individual possess. The theory will assist me to attain goals more effectively and most importantly on time. I want to convert my weaknesses in to strength so that I can maneuver my skills and effectively present myself in my workplace. To avoid procrastination I have to increase my focus. I should also try to strategize my plan and set time limit for every work so that I can finish those in time.

My experience in social media:

Social media is the tool through which we can connect ourselves to people through virtual exchange of information (Gerbaudo 2012). I never liked the idea of joining social media personally. However, my friend one day compelled me to open and suggested that I would not be able to interpret the advantage of social media if I do not start using it. Social media can act as a benefactor to an organization (Van Dijck 2013). An individual has to engage himself to know how social media works and assists in publicizing business. I did not know how making thousand friends in face book and talking to them online would help me in my business development. After sometime, I realized that there was an option in the media that helped to assemble people into groups. I can use this option to share my personal experiences. I now have a communication firm of my own and I have page that gives an individual platform to talk about their own success story in business. This way I get to communicate with customers and promote my organization. However, as the community grew the page looked very messy.

Why Students Need to be Critical Thinkers

I experienced success through this venture as it helped me to gain massive public response about my organization. It was important for me to understand the vitality of social media and reach the audiences of the organization in a cost effective manner. I first observed how people interact and connect with other people.

What I learned:

The experience has taught me that accepting changes is very important. Earlier I have said about how I disliked social media but after I understood the priority of the tool, I readily accepted the culture. It has influenced my business and has helped me in growing my business.

How I can handle it in better way:

Social media is a culture acceptance of which has assisted me in climbing the stairs of success. In my future, I will use social media more effectively so that my community grows and I can understand the need of the customers through interactions. I am hoping to open a page where customers can drop feedback and talk about their experience and supply with their valuable perspective as to how our company improve. It will help me to keep track of the customers or viewers and attend to them individually.

Positive and negatives of the situation:

Social media has both positive and negative side. On one hand, it helped me to publicize my business on the other hand some people tried to hack my profile in order to misuse my information or circulate bad reputation about my company.

Organizations are investing hefty amount in Information Communication Technology for revitalizing the system (Kauffman and Riggins 2012). It is a complex but effective way of storing data and information. ICT professional has to follow certain codes of conducts. The ethical codes are designed in such a way that they have to fulfill certain responsibilities in order to assist the organization in achieving its goal. Information technology has to maintain amicable relationship with their co-workers (Olsson et al. 2012). They have to attend training that the company will construct for them so that they can work more efficiently and effectively.

According to Garvey 2014, information and communication technology professional are knowledgeable in specific skills relevant to certain field of technology. They have to agree to ethical code of conducts to prove their professionalism and obedience towards their work. It is their personal liability to take their profession seriously and increase quality and effectively of their work.  Competency comes from the experience.

Work ethic and values

Information and communication technology professionals have to obey code of ethics. Codes of ethics are the part of constitution of the organization (Kossaï and Piget 2014).

• The professionals need to act as ethical authority of the organization. They have a standard through which the practices of the professional can be measured.
• Development and maintain of social culture in an organization is necessary. They need to understand the legislation structure and their responsibility towards society.
• Business should be done through professional perspective. Time to time modification of the existing process is important.
• ICT professional are dedicated and always works for the best interest of the stakeholders. They have to communicate effectively with others.
• They should develop and help their colleagues to develop through embracing the changes and enhancing their performances.

Communication with colleagues

An ICT professional should maintain professional relationship with the colleagues in the workplace (Kenichi 2012). They should listen to their supervisors and should obey the instructions and adhere to them. Mentoring is one of the key responsibility of ICT professional, they need to guide would be professionals. According to Chang et al. 2012 supervisor is the coach, collaborator and consultant. Employees need to give appropriate respect and dignity to their co-workers. They should not be judgmental and mentors should always offer guidance to those who need. Strong interpersonal skill is necessary for effective interaction. Listening and reacting in accordance to it is essential for avoiding misinterpretation in working environment. Everyone needs to play their role effectively that is why efficacy in communication is important (Gajendran and Brewer 2012).

Diversity in the workplace

Diversity in workplace is very essential to me because an organization consist of people who belong to various culture and religion (Gardenfors and Johansson 2014). Paying respect and talking in a respectful manner is very important. In my organization, I have Japanese colleagues who greet each other by bowing. It is a symbol of etiquette in their culture and they consider it ethics of their culture. I think it is important to acknowledge every religion and culture in a workplace because we have to work together and in order to do that we have to support each other emotionally. Professional bonding in a workplace is important that is why we should pay the respect to every individual in a workplace deserves. A good organization always supports all of the employees and motivates them to work together irrespective of their religion and culture (Hård and Jamison 2013).

SWOT Analysis: Turning Weaknesses into Strengths

Information and communication technology is making impact in the global world (Liu and Yuan 2015). The growing use of internet and social media is compelling everyone to acknowledge information communication technology (Newman, Biedrzycki and Baum 2012). The course of ICT has several steps and following those steps, I have effectively learned the necessity of critical thinking in information and communication technology. I have evaluated my strengths and weaknesses effectively and provided strategy to overcome my weakness. I have discussed my view about social media and provided experience. I now know the importance of codes of ethics in ICT. I have also recognized the value of this course in my life.

• Listening to what an individual has to say is very important as it helps in avoiding miscommunication.
• Teamwork is only successful when a team has defined goal of its own. Team leaders need to be supportive and in return team members should follow the orders constructed by them.
• Communication should be transparent without any ambiguity.
• While writing in social media, an individual should adhere to easy language so that everyone can understand.
• Australian workplaces are now acknowledging people from diverse culture, as they want to create a multi cultural workplace culture.
• ICT has helped in connecting people all over the world.
• Smart phones applications are helping people by providing web browsers, music buying option, mapping software etc.

Feedback:

• The things that I learned from this course are necessity of effective communication. I have learnt how to talk to people in a comprehensive manner and attract them with my presentation skill.
• I am very satisfied with the course that because I have learned presentation skills that will help me to attract people.

Suggestions:

• The course should involve non-theoretical classes so that we can gain more experiences that are practical.
• Real life professionals should be brought so that we can get inspired from their life and story.

Reference:

Chang, L.W., Mwanika, A., Kaye, D., Muhwezi, W.W., Nabirye, R.C., Mbalinda, S., Okullo, I., Kennedy, C.E., Groves, S., Sisson, S.D. and Burnham, G., 2012. Information and communication technology and community-based health sciences training in Uganda: perceptions and experiences of educators and students. Informatics for Health and Social Care, 37(1), pp.1-11.

Fu, J.S., 2013. ICT in education: A critical literature review and its implications. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 9(1), p.112.

Gajendran, T. and Brewer, G., 2012. Cultural consciousness and the effective implementation of information and communication technology.Construction Innovation, 12(2), pp.179-197.

Gardenfors, P. and Johansson, P. eds., 2014. Cognition, education, and communication technology. Routledge.

Garvey, W.D., 2014. Communication: the essence of science: facilitating information exchange among librarians, scientists, engineers and students. Elsevier.

Gerbaudo, P., 2012. Tweets and the streets: Social media and contemporary activism. Pluto Press.

Hård, M. and Jamison, A., 2013. Hubris and hybrids: a cultural history of technology and science. Routledge.

Jackson, S., 2015. Research methods and statistics: A critical thinking approach. Cengage Learning.

Kauffman, R.J. and Riggins, F.J., 2012. Information and communication technology and the sustainability of microfinance. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 11(5), pp.450-468.

Kenichi, M.A.S.E., 2012. Information and Communication Technology and Electric Vehicles–Paving the Way towards a Smart Community. IEICE transactions on communications, 95(6), pp.1902-1910.

Kossaï, M. and Piget, P., 2014. Adoption of information and communication technology and firm profitability: Empirical evidence from Tunisian SMEs.The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 25(1), pp.9-20.

Kwan, Y.W. and Wong, A.F., 2015. Effects of the constructivist learning environment on students’ critical thinking ability: Cognitive and motivational variables as mediators. International Journal of Educational Research, 70, pp.68-79.

Liu, S.M. and Yuan, Q., 2015. The evolution of information and communication technology in public administration. Public Administration and Development, 35(2), pp.140-151.

Mirabella, N., Rigamonti, L. and Scalbi, S., 2013. Life cycle assessment of information and communication technology application: A case study of dematerialization in the Italian public administration. Journal of Cleaner Production, 44, pp.115-122.

Newman, L., Biedrzycki, K. and Baum, F., 2012. Digital technology use among disadvantaged Australians: implications for equitable consumer participation in digitally-mediated communication and information exchange with health services. Australian Health Review, 36(2), pp.125-129.

Nosich, G.M., 2012. Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the curriculum..

Olsson, A., Engström, M., Skovdahl, K. and Lampic, C., 2012. My, your and our needs for safety and security: relatives’ reflections on using information and communication technology in dementia care. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 26(1), pp.104-112.

Van Dijck, J., 2013. The culture of connectivity: A critical history of social media. Oxford University Press.