The demands of oral communication are dependent upon:

• why one is communicating
• how one is communicating
• the range and complexity of the information being conveyed
• the circumstances in which one is communicating
• the person with whom one is interacting
• the seriousness of the consequences if communication fails

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the process of evaluating ideas or information, using a rational, logical thought process, and referring to objective criteria, to reach a rational judgement about value, or to identify strength and weakness. Critical thinking means choosing and exercising the methods most appropriate for determining the true worth, merit or value of something – an idea, a plan, a statement of supposed fact, etc. It assumes a certain degree of scepticism and a natural desire for credible, reliable, significant and relevant information. Critical thinking answers the questions: Why? How? What happens if? Is it true? Critical thinking always has a goal, an identified purpose; it is the process of making a judgement based on careful analysis, tangible evidence, and logical interpretation.

Critical thinking uses appropriate clearly identified evaluative standards to distinguish what is true from what is not, what to accept from what to reject, what will work from what will not. In addition, critical thinking involves identifying and employing criteria to evaluate the critical thinking process itself and to validate the outcomes generated. A discovery of error, new information, a different interpretation – all have the potential to produce a revised conclusion.

• the subject of critical thinking is always an idea, an abstraction
• critical thinking involves processes such as clarifying, classifying, determining causality, generalizing, analysing, examining, evaluating and comparing
• pressure for a judgement to be positive or negative is always a complicating factor

Some level of critical thinking is a requirement for all jobs and, by law, required of all adults. Even at entry-level, workers are expected to think through their actions, assess the worksite for safety hazards, and carry out tasks that require normal adult judgement.

Some considerations:

• the complexity of what is being assessed or considered
• whether established assessment criteria exist and, if so, the number of criteria that must be considered (or must they be developed by the worker in which case the clarity of criteria or requirement to develop relevant criteria is a factor)
• the assessment process itself - how routine or unique the assessment process is, how great the need is to process information, the incumbent’s role in the critical thinking process, and the complicating factors that exist
• the effects of the critical thinking – how severe are the consequences of error? What are the occupational risks?