Recall the four steps of the problem solving process. Notice where evaluation fits in:
Now that you know how to recognize a problem and generate solutions, you will move on to step three: evaluation. It's time to look more closely at the list of solutions you created during step two. Remember, as you came up with potential solutions, it was important that you not judge too harshly whether or not they would actually work. The time for that comes now in step three!
To evaluate, begin by looking at your list of ideas and determine if any can be removed immediately. For example, you might eliminate solutions that are too expensive or not feasible based on a fixed set of criteria. Consider the following example.
IN CONTEXT
Jevian had created a list of potential locations to throw a 40th birthday party for his best friend. He had come up with 12 cities across the United States that seemed like they would be fun:
Las Vegas New York Orlando Chicago Trenton Newark Los Angeles Camden Cleveland Hartford Atlantic City Buffalo
Jevian and the birthday boy live in New Jersey. Some of the party guests live there as well, but others live in different states. Jevian had recently paid some bills and he did not have much money in his budget for travel. Knowing this, he determined he needed to remove any cities he had listed that were not in the New Jersey, New York, or Connecticut area. When he was done, he had trimmed his list to these seven options:
New York Hartford Atlantic City Buffalo Camden Trenton Newark
When Jevian generated his first list of cities, he brainstormed and wrote down any viable city that came to mind. He didn't think in a way that would constrict his selection. During evaluation, however, Jevian began to consider potential roadblocks and issues. By eliminating solutions that simply could not be put into practice, he ended up with a reasonable list of cities that he could explore further to find the best solution.
When you think critically, you ask questions about the issue, define the problem, and consider reliable data and evidence related to the issue. You analyze the information that you have from different perspectives and stick to logical reasoning rather than letting emotions (or bias) influence your decision-making (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, & Wallace, 2012). In other words, a person who has critical thinking skills is able to make informed, logical decisions that are useful whether they are working as an administrative assistant or a business executive.
Once a list of potential, viable solutions has been generated, the evaluation process can continue in more depth. You want to do the following to help you consider each option:
| Solution | Cost | Attractions | Easiest to Plan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 5 | 7 | 6 | 18 |
| Camden | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 |
| Hartford | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Trenton | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| Atlantic City | 7 | 6 | 5 | 18 |
| Newark | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| Buffalo | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 |
With seven potential solutions, Jevian ranked each criterion on a scale of one to seven, with seven meaning it was the best solution for that criteria. He also ranked Cost as the most important criteria with Attractions and Easiest to Plan holding equal weight.
When looking at the totals, Atlantic City and New York are tied with 18 points each. In a case like this, Jevian would look at the cost to see which one scored higher. Remember that Cost was ranked as the most important criterion. Since Atlantic City scored higher (7), it would mean Jevian should throw the party in Atlantic City.
REFERENCES
Bassham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H., & Wallace, J. (2012). Critical thinking: A student’s introduction, 5th ed. McGraw-Hill Education.
