Glossary of Terms

A GLOSSARY OF THINKING TERMS compiled by David S. Martin, October 2010

Many uses are made of the following words in the educational literature, and we propose that these working definitions will give us a common vocabulary for our Feuerstein program discussions:

Analyze — to take a concept apart and examine its components in depth

Bridging — the process of making a connection between a thinking strategy and its possible application to school subject matter, the workplace, family life, social life, etc.

Cognition — the process of thought and construction of concepts.

Concept — a labeled category or an idea, not a concrete object.

Creative Thinking — the process of developing a solution to a problem using imagination, connecting previously unconnected ideas, brainstorming, innovation, and sometimes humor.

Critical Thinking — the process of systematically developing a solution to a problem, using steps such as problem-identification, data collection, analysis of alternatives, development of hypotheses, and development of conclusions.

Inference — pulling together a set of elements and stating their meaning as a whole; going from the specific to the general.

Logic — a process of working with at least two given premises and using their information to create a conclusion which is new knowledge.

Mediation — the process by which one human being assists a learner to acquire a skill or knowledge, not by telling, but by questioning, leading, giving hints, and coaching—the learner develops her/his own strategy.

Metacognition — the process of thinking about one’s own thinking processes, as a way of reflecting on the steps used in solving a problem, so that one becomes aware of one’s own mental toolbox.

Problem-solving — a process of systematically analyzing a difficult challenge and developing a strategy for identifying possible solutions to the challenge.

Strategy — a particular way of approaching the solution to a problem; effective learners have a repertoire of many strategies.

Synthesis — to take the individual elements of a concept and re-combine them into a meaningful whole.