Paul & Elder’s, Criteria for Evaluating Reasoning

From www.criticalthinking.org

1. Purpose
What is the purpose of the student? Is his/her purpose clearly stated or clearly implied? Is it 5. Assumptions
justifiable? Does the student show a sensitivity to what he or she is taking for granted or assuming?
Thinking Points: (Insofar as those assumptions might reasonably be questioned?)
- What is the object of the student’s reasoning? Thinking Points:
- Does the student’s reasoning focus through on her/his goal? - Is the student making assumptions? What are they?
- Is the student’s goal realistic? - How are the student’s assumptions shaping her/his point of view?
Example Questions: - Which of the student’s assumptions might reasonably be questioned?
- What are you trying to accomplish? Example Questions:
- What is your central aim? Purpose? - What are you taking for granted?
- Can you state your purpose clearly? - What assumptions have led you to your conclusion?

2. Question
Is the question at issue well-stated? Is it clear and unbiased? Does the expression of the
question do justice to the complexity of the matter at issue? Are the question and purpose
directly relevant to each other?
Thinking Points:
- Can the question be divided into sub-questions?
- Does the question only have one right answer, or are can there be more than one
reasonable answer?
- Does the question require judgment rather than facts alone?
Example Questions:
- What question are you raising? What question are you trying to answer?
- What questions are you addressing?
- Are you considering the complexities of this question?
- Are there other ways to think about the question?
3. Information
Does the student cite relevant evidence, experiences, and/or information essential to the issue?
Is the information accurate? Does the student address the complexities of the issue?
Thinking Points:
- To what extent is the student’s reasoning supported by relevant data?
- Do the data suggest explanations that differ from those given?
- How clear, accurate, and relevant are the data to the question at issue?
- Has the student gathered data sufficient to reaching a reasonable conclusion?
Example Questions:
- What information are you using to come to her/his conclusion?
- What experiences did you use to support your claim?
- What information do you need to settle the question?
4. Concepts
Does the student clarify key concepts when necessary? Are the concepts used justifiably?
Thinking Points:
- What key concepts and theories are guiding the student’s reasoning?
- What alternative explanations might be possible, given these concepts and theories?
- Is the student clear and precise in using concepts and theories in her/his reasoning?
Example Questions:
- What is your main idea here?
- Can you explain the idea?
6. Inferences
Does the student develop a line of reasoning explaining well how s/he is arriving at her/his main
conclusion?
Thinking Points:
- To what extend do the data support the student’s conclusions?
- Are the student’s inferences consistent with each other?
- Are there other reasonable inferences that should be considered?
Example Questions:
- How did you reach your conclusion?
- Is there another way to interpret the information?
7. Point of View
Does the student show a sensitivity to alternative relevant points of view or lines of reasoning?
Does s/he consider and respond to objections framed from other relevant points of view?
Thinking Points:
- What is the student’s point of view? What insights is it based upon? What are its
weaknesses?
- What other points of view should the student consider in reasoning through the problem?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of these viewpoints? Is the student fair-minded
considering the insights behind these viewpoints?
Example Questions:
- From what point of view are you looking at the issue?
- Is there another point of view you should consider?
8. Implications
Does the student show a sensitivity to the implications and consequences of the position s/he is
taking?
Thinking Points:
- What implications and consequences follow from the student’s reasoning?
- If the student’s line of reasoning is accepted, what implications or consequences are likely?
Example Questions:
- If someone accepted your position, what would be the implications?
- What are you implying?
Vignette #1 Chick’s Co-op Dilemma

Student’s Need
Chick, a junior, white male, pokes his head into your office announcing he just received an offer of a paid co-op from MegaCompany A. He is not his usual
exuberant self. He enters your office without an appointment and sits down in a chair.

Chick expresses that his family is pressuring him to graduate on time. He figured out taking the multiple semester co-op will extend his time in school by
one year and require that he take courses over the summer (when he has no scholarship funding). Besides, he doesn’t want to be 24 when he graduates.
He has decided to decline the offer.

Your Situation
You have been working over the past week on a proposal. It’s 4:30pm. The proposal deadline is at 5:00pm today. Right as Chick graced your doorframe,
you heard the ding of your supervisor’s email reply to what you hope was the final draft of your proposal. Your supervisor is a super-freak editor and
you just know there will be final-FINAL edits that need to be reviewed before the submission deadline.

Prescriptive Scenario
You check Chick’s academic record. He is an engineering major with slightly less than average grades and two years of course work remaining for his BS
degree. He has limited flexibility in his remaining credits. You confirm that accepting the co-op will be a liability, causing him to extend his graduation
by one year and require him to take courses over the summer. You review his schedule without the co-op, ensuring he understands the required course
sequence over the next two years.

wq

Vignette #2 Perfecta’s Schedule

Student’s Need
Perfecta, a first year minority female, shows up to her required advising appointment. Standing, she slides a color-coded, four year course schedule
across the desk to you. She looks at you expectantly, then at the door, clearly anxious to leave.

Your Situation
It’s peak advising season. Between advisement appointments and walk-ins, you have been compiling a mind-numbing longitudinal data-set your
department chair sprung upon you today. The data are for an advisory board presentation tomorrow. You need to compile the data accurately and give
it to the Chair’s secretary in time for her to generate the meeting PowerPoint presentation and hand-out.

Prescriptive Scenario
This is a required advising appointment to verify Universal Tracking progress. You greet Perfecta. She smiles anxiously and glances at the door, again.
Checking her file you see she is currently registered in the required first semester Universal Tracking courses for her major – in fact, the four year course
schedule she produced is copied directly from the catalog. You ask her if she has any questions, she shakes her head no. Noting that she is anxious to
leave, you lift her hold, send her on her way, and return to your report.