Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Value of curiosity and questioning might relate to:
developing a more efficient way of doing something
developing a new idea
developing and improving products and services
enhancing skills and career opportunities
enhancing the physical environment
financial benefit
greater personal satisfaction
improving interpersonal relationships
Different types of questions may include questions about:
accuracy
breadth
clarity
depth
emotion
fairness
logic
meaning
precision
relevance
significance
social engagement
society
style
taste
Questions of self may include:
am I being distracted by irrelevant information?
are claims warranted?
are there any unstated assumptions?
could I do this differently or better?
do I have any ideas to share about this?
have I seen something that may have application here?
how can I do that?
how can I fix this?
how long will that take?
if they are doing that, could I?
is this a reliable source?
is this relevant to me?
was I fair?
what are the real facts of this situation?
Questions of others may include:
do we have a budget?
how did you come up with that?
how do you feel about that?
how does that work?
what does it mean?
why do you want me to do it like that?
why do we do it like that?
why is it so?
Situations when too much wondering or questioning may be inappropriate or ineffective may relate to:
contractual agreements
extreme time pressure or non-negotiable deadlines
financial limitations
procedures determined by laws or other regulations
safety issues
when others are totally closed to new ideas
Responsibility for answering questions may involve:
acknowledging shared responsibility
adopting a positive 'can do' attitude
following up on practical details
pro-actively seeking information
suggesting a new approach
talking to others about possible answers
Key question to be answered may be determined by:
constraints of the broader context and environment
overall goal - what needs to be achieved
personal hopes and expectations
Information needed to answer the question may be:
accessed by observing people
already inside own head
in journals, books or other printed materials
in workplace documents
in a hardware store
on the internet
with colleagues
with friends or family
Other information may be:
opinions
own assumptions or those of others
personal prejudice
spin or public relations
Preconceptions and assumptions may relate to:
assumptions about the way others are thinking
established ways of doing things
existing ideas, products and services
risk aversion
self-imposed limitations on what is possible

EVIDENCE GUIDE
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the following is essential:
application of a conscious process of questioning to achieve new understandings
knowledge and understanding of how critical thinking and questioning impacts on individual lives, the broader community and work situations.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:
interactions with specific challenges and situations to demonstrate the application of critical thinking (this would usually involve interactions with others).
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
evaluation of a candidate blog exploring different ideas and questions
review of candidate response to scenarios that allow the candidate to apply critical thinking techniques to a particular life or work situation, and to demonstrate ability to portray curiosity and exploration of new concepts
evaluation of candidate response to the challenge of adopting different perspectives on a situation, and ability to both develop and respond to questions from those perspectives
observation of the candidate participating in a group problem-solving session
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of typical blockers to the critical thinking process.
Guidance information for assessment
Critical thinking always occurs in a specific context. Therefore holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is highly recommended. Assessors must, however, retain a strong focus on the critical thinking skills as described in this unit.