Smart thinking essentially has three facets:
How one learns: For memory-and-recall or to create intelligence out of information
How one solves problems: by following steps to solve a problem or deploying strategies
How one thinks about the world and makes decisions: Takes information on face value or the ability of independent thinking and generating new ideas
Smart thinking helps one acquire new information in an effective and efficient manner, use that information to solve problems in a way that creates value for society, and make sense of the world around them. The process of creation involves grasping the problem and generating alternative and better solutions. Today, many high-stakes exams focus on assessing smart thinking, as do recruiters in leading organisations. Therefore, this needs to be developed early in students, as it is responsible for the way the mind learns, solves problems and processes information.
Research from leading institutes has shown that the formative years are an extremely crucial phase when it comes to the development of higher cognitive functions. This is also extremely relevant for success in competitive exams. Students with high aptitude solve complex problems easily and are able to take into account all possible outcomes and make well-informed choices.
How to develop smart thinking
Students can cultivate smart thinking by practising some of the following activities and habits:
While reading/learning: trying to connect information with what they know; summarising what they read and creating a viewpoint; trying to make inferences to go beyond what’s written
While solving problems: comprehending the problem correctly ; identifying relevant information; representing the problem; pan a solution; evaluate whether the planned solution is moving towards solving the problem
While processing information or interacting with others: try to form arguments and conclusions to support your viewpoint; deploy creative thinking techniques to generate fresh ideas; play games that promote thinking; indulge in activities that involve fresh creation.
Smart thinking is, perhaps, the most important skill in this age of information overload. Given that many of the current youngsters will be working in jobs that don’t exist today, we need skills to solve issues that we don’t even recognise as problems. The ability to think smartly will be crucial in creating a brighter future because this will lead to smart choices and newer opportunities.
The writer is CEO & Founder, WizKlub.
