Reference no: EM133655844

Develop and apply critical thinking

Purpose of assessment

This assessment will develop your skills and knowledge required to apply critical thinking in order to develop solutions to complex issues arising in the workplace. It will also develop your skills and knowledge required to develop critical and creative thinking skills in others within a workplace context.

Task A - Knowledge Questions

Question A1
Provide a summary of at least three models of critical and creative thinking.

Question A2
Identify and describe at least five characteristics of critical and creative thinking.

Question A3
In your own words, describe the following features of critical thinking:
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Answer in 100-200 words.

Question A4
Describe at least two formal and two informal forms of learning that can be used by employees to develop their skills and knowledge.

Question A5
Describe best practice approaches for instructing teams and individuals in critical thinking.

Question A6
Provide at least two examples of how the critical thinking can be applied in the workplace.

Question A7
Describe at least two features of a safe work environment that encourages critical and creative thinking.

Question A8
Identify and describe two critical thinking methods that may be used to identify complex issues in the workplace.

Question A9
Identify and describe two critical thinking methods that may be used to generate solutions to complex issues in the workplace.

Question A10
Summarise the steps associated with a decision-making process.

Question A11
Describe three advantages of addressing complex issues in the workplace.

Question A12
Explain the following different types of risk that may be associated with pursuing a complex issue in the workplace:
Strategic risk
Compliance risk
Financial risk
Operational risk

Question A13
Explain three barriers to effective decision-making.

Question A14
Summarise the requirements for the development and presentation of a brief and feedback register.

Question A15
Describe four bodies you may be required to seek approval from to develop and implement solutions.

Task B - Define a complex issue and apply decision-making

Instructions
In Task B, you will define a complex issue and apply decision making..
For Tasks B, C, and D, you may either:
Use the provided case study, OR
Use your own workplace

INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE STUDY
You are a newly appointed Operations Manager at Worlducation. You need to:

Identify a complex issue in consultation with relevant stakeholders
Establish the objectives, advantages, risks and resources required when pursuing solutions to the identified issue
Source reliable information about the identified issue
Generate a range of solutions together with relevant stakeholders
Evaluate and compare solutions to choose the best one
Present the chosen solution to stakeholders for feedback
Refine the chosen solution to seek approval for its implementation.

Question B1
Describe a complex issue associated with Worlducation, including:
A brief outline of the issue
Analysis of numeric and financial data illustrating the complex issue
Two objectives when pursuing solutions
Three advantages of solving the issue
Three risks involved in pursuing solutions

Question B2
Establish the legislative and organisational requirements related to the complex issue, including:
A summary of the relevant legislation
A summary of the associated organisational policies and procedures

Question B3
Calculate the resources required for the solution development process.

Question B4
You now need to discuss the complex issues with stakeholders.

Question B5
Evaluate each identified solution to establish their feasibility, including:
Success criteria
Constraints
Evaluation of each alternative against the criteria and constraints
A list of all feasible options

Question B6
Use one appropriate tool/technique to compare all feasible alternatives with one another. Include:
A description of the tool or technique used
Proof of your comparison
An assessment of bias in your decision-making

Question B7
Choose the best solution. Explain:
Why you chose it
How it meets the legislation and organisational policy requirements

Question B8
Prepare a brief on your proposed solution that outlines:
The issue being addressed
The proposed solution
Risks associated with the solution
Advantages of the chosen solution
The resources required

Task C - Refine your solution

5A. Instructions

Tasks

Question C1
Develop a feedback register to record feedback from stakeholders.
Question C2
Now you have developed your solution brief, you need to present it to stakeholders for feedback.

Question C3
Use the feedback from your meeting with stakeholders in the previous question to refine your solution brief. Copy and paste your solution brief from Task B into the template below. Then make adjustment as required, highlighting changes as you make them.

Task D - Develop critical thinking

Instructions
Task D follows on from Task C. In this task, you are to review the critical thinking skills of your team. Then develop learning opportunities for your team members to improve their skills.

Question D1
You need to identify how critical thinking is an important part of Awesome by Design. Prepare a report that outlines:
How critical thinking is a part of the business - make sure you consider:
The vision and objectives of the organisation
The work environment as it relates to critical and creative thinking, including:
systems, policies and procedures supporting critical thinking
barriers to critical thinking in existing organisational systems
Legislative requirements related to critical thinking and training for your team.
How critical thinking is required as part of the work done by your team
Critical thinking skills required for the employees who are going to be coached

Critical Thinking Report:
1. How critical thinking is a part of the Worlducation business

2. Legislative requirements related to critical thinking and training

3. How critical thinking is required as part of the work done by your team

4. Critical thinking skills required for the employees who are going to be coached

Question D2
You now need to plan how you will approach teamwork and communication in an upcoming meeting.
This meeting will determine team and individual team member's critical and creative thinking knowledge gaps. The meeting needs to be inclusive and collaborative.
To plan for your meeting, you are to:
Articulate key features of critical and creative thinking concepts to the relevant team
Develop a set of at least five questions to identify critical and creative thinking knowledge gaps in your team and for one team member.

Question D3
You now need to hold your meeting.

You now need to hold your meeting. Set up a meeting with:
At least two members of your team, as role played by other students in your unit

Use the meeting to consult with your team as a whole and with individual team members. During the meeting, you are to:
Articulate key features of critical and creative thinking concepts.
Identify at least two critical and creative thinking knowledge gaps for your team and at least two critical and creative thinking knowledge gaps for at least one individual team member.
Establish your team's views and experience of the organisation's approach to critical thinking.
Collaborate with team members to identify workplace problems that fall within the scope of the team and require further critical thinking.
Negotiate with team members which problem is the most pressing and relevant

After your meeting, summarise its outcomes including:
At least two critical and creative thinking knowledge gaps for your team
At least two critical and creative thinking knowledge gaps for one individual team member
Team/individual's experience of organisation's approach to critical thinking
List of workplace problems identified in the meeting that are relevant to the team
A description of the problem chosen through negotiation at the meeting as the most pressing and relevant.

Question D4
Develop two processes that create a safe environment for critical and creative thinking. For each process, include:
A description of the process
How the process supports a safe critical and creative critical thinking environment
Description of at least three sources of information related to the process.
Resources required for the process to be implemented.
Any relevant legislative requirements

Question D5
Plan one formal and one informal learning opportunity to address the identified knowledge gaps. For both the formal and informal learning opportunity, include:
A description of how learning will take
Who the learning opportunity is aimed at (e.g., the team or an individual)
How the opportunity complies with organisational and legislative requirements
Reason for choosing the approach
How you will collect feedback

Question D6
Plan one opportunity for a team member to apply their critical thinking skills to address the workplace problem chosen at the team meeting.
Make sure your plan details:
Who will participate in the problem-solving process
Which critical thinking skills and techniques will be applied by the team member
How you will give feedback on the performance of their task
How you will collect feedback regarding the opportunity provided

Question D7
Summarise the outcomes of the formal and informal learning opportunities you facilitated, including:
Feedback received from team member(s)
What you did well
What should be improved

Question D8
Summarise the outcomes of the one opportunity for team members to apply their critical thinking skills to address the workplace problem chosen at the team meeting. Make sure your summary details:
Feedback given to team member(s)
Additional support required for teams and individuals
Feedback received from team member(s)
What worked well
What should be improved

Question D9
You now need to develop recommendations for improving future learning. Make two recommendations for improving future learning. For each recommendation, describe:
What your recommendation is
The resources required for the development of the recommendations
How the recommendation adheres to organisational policies
How the recommendation adheres to legislative requirements
Answer in 100-200 words.

Attachment:- Case Study.rar