Angie | Substack

Critical thinking, defined

Critical thinking has never been more significant than it is in the age of AI. We see this phrase come up a lot, always in the context of how important it is to maintain our critical thinking skills. But what does that mean?

The word itself offers a starting point. "Critical" comes from the Greek kritikos, meaning able to judge or discern. One of the clearest definitions comes from the education researcher Barry Beyer, who put it simply: critical thinking means making r…

I know academics who ban their students from using AI in assessments and then use it in their lecture preparation.

They are not hypocrites by accident. The ban is about liability, not principle. A student flagged for misconduct carries the weight of a rule the institution applied only downwards.

Next time a colleague argues for AI bans, ask what tools they used to prepare the argument.