Higher Education and Critical Thinking

I emphatically advocate education - in all its forms (whether formal or informal). During most of my adult life, I have been active in learning new ideas and skills. Actually, even during the K-12 years (when my formal schooling was marginal, at best), I was always working on some extracurricular projects that involved learning.

An important part of the learning process has to do with challenging old ideas or concepts by applying critical thinking skills. In other words, by exploring and discovering alternative, yet viable and practical methodology to reach your conclusions or procedures. In many instances, there is more than one way to do something... more than one right answer and sometimes it is more effective to "do it your own way" than to adhere to a method that is prescribed and approved by curriculum at hand.

To discourage a method that works, simply because it is unconventional is squelching critical thinking. To penalize students for their alternate views and arguments that may make other students (and professors) feel uncomfortable undermines the educational process and dumbs us down to a simple common denominator. That is not higher education, but rather it is indoctrination that limits progression and the very academic evolutionary process. Your progress is damned when you disincentivize the free exchange of concepts and ideas - no matter how unpopular those views may be. To regulate free speech and punish "offenders" because their views may be construed as "inflammatory" or "objectionable" in respect to the establishment is diametrically in opposition to the meaning of higher education. To tell students that they are wrong, even though they have found methods that work for them is a disservice not only to the students but also to that student's institute of learning and academia in general. If a student discovers an alternate method or a more effective way to do something, wouldn't it be in our best interest to study that student and his/her method(s) for possible inclusion, rather than shooting those ideas down?

Open-mindedness is not one-sided in that it doesn't only apply to learning from the elite and "enlightened" in our society. Everyone is a student. Everyone is also a potential teacher. I truly believe that every person has something valuable to contribute to our society. We ALL just need to be humble enough to listen and observe.