WHY CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT FOR ENGINEERS?

What is Critical Thinking? Why are Critical Thinking Skills Important?

Critical thinking is the ability to remain analytical while forming a connection between ideas. Critical thinking skills are required to solve real life problems.

It is the subject of much debate; advocated by some of the earliest philosophers like Socrates, Chanakya, and Plato. Seventeenth-century English philosopher and statesman, Sir Francis Bacon was seriously concerned with the way we misuse our minds in the pursuit of knowledge. He understood that our minds are notorious objects and should not be allowed to succumb to their natural tendencies. 

In the present era, we live in a world full of information and as we human beings are multi-tasking, problems arise in the processing of information. As the Best B.Tech. College in Jaipur, we understand the importance of critical thinking in the process of decision-making. This not only assists engineering graduates to make the right decision but also raises them as responsible and evaluative human beings. 

Critical thinking can be referred to as the ability to remain analytical while connecting different ideas to draw useful results. Critical thinking should be intrinsic to an engineer’s mental faculty as it complements the other attributes needed for the role and is a crucial factor for exceptional outcomes. 

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Primary Objective of Critical Thinking Skills

One primary goal of higher education has always been to inculcate the habit of critical thinking among students, to raise them as responsible, evaluative human beings. In India, where engineering seems to be one of the most sought-after professions for job security and remuneration, engineers themselves seem to have fallen deep into the rabbit hole of technical knowledge. 

Moreover being the Top Engineering College in Rajasthan, they sit in front of their computer screens, coding their way through life with blinkers on, shutting off every bit of analytical contemplation. Thus, critical thinking is a process of rationalizing, which is:

• Self-directed
• Self-disciplined
• Self-monitored
• Self-corrective 

Need of Critical Thinking Skills

For engineering graduates and budding engineers, the development of critical thinking skills is of utmost significance as it enables to achieve:

• Clarity of actions
• Accuracy
• Practical thinking
• Fidelity
• Attentiveness
• Systematic decision making

Studies have shown that engineering professionals who practice critical thinking skills can do better at both the personal and professional levels. For instance, specific fields of engineering demand such skills from students. These are:

• Telecommunication
• Robotics
• information and communication technology
• machine learning
• Mechatronics
• Physics
• Other associated areas 

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Observations show that engineers who practice critical thinking are far better in their professional and personal lives. At Arya College, Jaipur, we emphasize that students should learn and inculcate critical thinking skills. This will allow them to transform data into a relevant piece of information that can be easily interpreted for obtaining necessary outcomes. Moreover, as learning is a continuous and lifelong process, critical thinking skills will improve with time. 

Future engineers who are equipped with such exceptional skills will have a competitive edge over their colleagues and peers both at the professional and personal levels respectively. In addition to this, critical thinking skills cannot be developed or learned overnight as it is the responsibility of the higher education institutions to provide the right environment to the students where such skills can be fostered and inculcated.