Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving in the Age of ChatGPT: Experiential-Bibliotherapy-Blogging Project

Critical Thinking and ChatGPT

Critical thinking is one of the most essential human skills that allows us to process, analyze, and evaluate situations and resolve problems. Critically analyzing a situation or a problem requires concentrated, controlled, and logical thinking that leads to actionable and implementable comprehension and solutions (Calma & Cotronei-Baird, 2021; Smith 2003). Critical thinking has been defined in several ways in extant literature (Davies & Barnett 2015). It is defined as a tool to assess statements (Ennis, 1962) and as a skill to be reflectively skeptical (McPeck, 1981). Thinking critically also means developing an acumen to think logically and systematically to solve problems (Mayer & Goodchild, 1990), or to confirm or refute a line of thought or arguments (Moore, 2011). One of the most used definitions of critical thinking has been given by Ennis (1996) where it is defined as “reasonable reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do (p. xvii).” Here being reasonable refers to the fact that one must follow a logical sequence of thinking instead of being random or absurdist. Being reflective refers to pondering over one’s thinking process and being metacognitive instead of being purely instinctual. Finally, the decision or result of critical thinking must lead to some action or opinion formation. Thinking critically must end with an actionable or implementable conclusion.

In several industry-led studies, critical thinking and problem-solving are the most often cited skills that need to be focused on in the present times (McKinsey, 2021, 2022; Melnichuk, 2022). For tackling challenges of the 21st century like environmental degradation, critical thinking has been considered as a key skill by bodies like UNESCO to achieve SDGs (Straková & Cimermanova, 2018). In b-schools and management education, teaching critical thinking is essential as it helps future managers in processing and evaluating information and making managerial decisions (Smith, 2003). Since managers grapple with highly volatile and complex real-world problems, critical thinking skills enable them to navigate the business world with logical and systematic thinking (Mingers, 2015). Critical thinking also helps future managers to make decisions when they face environmental and/or ethical conflicts, for example, profitability vs sustainability (Hummel et al. 2018). Overall, incorporating critical thinking skills in management education equips students with better managerial decision-making skills, which can lead to easy absorption of students by the industry (Bloch & Spataro, 2014; Carr et al., 2018).

Peer discussions, debates, and case study analyses are some pedagogical tools that can foster critical thinking skills. Future managers can be assisted in thinking critically about business problems through group projects, simulations, and open-book examinations. At the managerial skills and management courses level, critical thinking has been associated with strategic management (Casey & Goldman, 2010), business negotiations and arbitration Page and Mukherjee (2007), team management and business leadership (Garcia, 2009), managerial problem solving (Quigley, 2013), selling and marketing skills Clabaugh et al. (1995), and business transformation (E. Sharma & Sharma, 2018). Various pedagogical and assessment techniques are used to impart and hone critical thinking skills (Snyder & Snyder, 2008). Simulations and case studies are used prominently to make students comprehend and resolve real-life business scenarios with the help of critical thinking skills (Kennedy, 2007; Roy & Macchiette, 2005; Samaras et al., 2021). Consulting projects and real-life business scenarios are also used to foster critical thinking skills (Cloete, 2018). In terms of assessing critical thinking skills, several instruments like the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (Facione, 1990) and the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (Butler et al., 2012) have been developed. Researchers have experimented with Bloom’s Taxonomy and pedagogical tools like business case studies to assess critical thinking skills (Dwyer et al., 2014; Nkhoma et al., 2017). Capturing perceptions through a survey is another tool used to assess critical thinking (Wilkin, 2017).

Specifically in business education, critical thinking has been considered an integral part of the business communication domain among other domains. Formulating strong arguments based on the analysis of the provided information or the given situation is a vital aspect of oral and written communication (Dyrud & Worley, 1998; Hill et al., 2011; Sharma & Pankaj, 2022). Gathering relevant information, analyzing the information, situation, and/or the audience, and formulating strategies to communicate one’s ideas effectively are key components of communication as well as critical thinking (Bean, 1996; Bloch & Spataro, 2014). Morrison (2017) explores the usage of genre theory in a business communication (writing) course to develop critical thinking skills in the form of transferring classroom learning to business contexts. Various innovative practices like incorporating a client-based consulting project (Muir, 1996), a merger and acquisition exercise (Paulson, 2011), a memo-writing assignment for finance majors (Carrithers & Bean, 2008), or reading and analyzing business journals (Roever, 1998) are devised in the context of critical thinking in business communication. The most recent survey by Moshiri and Cardon (2020) reported that critical thinking is highly prioritized by communication faculty in their teaching and assessment of business communication skills. Given the importance of critical thinking in the business communication domain, a special issue was published in 2014 focusing on teaching and assessing critical thinking skills in the context of business communication (Knight, 2014).

Despite these efforts to teach and assess critical thinking skills, researchers acknowledge that teaching and assessing critical thinking skills is a complex and daunting task (Calma & Cotronei-Baird, 2021; Peach et al., 2007). The most recent literature review by Calma and Davies (2020) also asks for further research in teaching and assessing critical thinking in the business context and links it with real-life problem-solving. In this regard, the present research discusses a project that fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the help of critical thinking frameworks and bibliotherapy-inspired use of ChatGPT.

Action Research

Aiming to foster critical thinking skills, the instructor conceptualized an innovative self-improvement project based on bibliotherapy-inspired usage of ChatGPT using action research methodology. Previously, action research has been conducted to improve professional business communication skills offline (D. Sharma, 2022b, 2023) as well as in online contexts (D. Sharma, 2022a, 2022c). Here we focus on fostering critical thinking skills with the help of bibliotherapy-based ChatGPT usage. The impact of the intervention was measured by actual changes in the habits and behaviors of the students that they shared in the form of a blog post for the class’s blog and orally in the form of class discussions. Additionally, statements were created based on the critical thinking framework by Paul and Elder (2019). The participants rated their critical thinking skills on a scale of 1-5, where 1 denotes strongly disagree and 5 denotes strongly agree. Additionally, the confidence and skillfulness in using ChatGPT as a coach and assistant were also measured with statements based on previous research (Getchell et al., 2022). A post-and-then-pre design was used to capture the effectiveness of the intervention as this design mitigates the bias and sensitivity of pretest designs (Howard, 1980; Russ & Drury-Grogan, 2013). At the end of the intervention, first, the participants reflected upon their present status of critical thinking skills and the confidence and dexterity in using ChatGPT as a coach and assistant. Then we recorded their perception of the same statements assuming they had not participated in this intervention. The two scores of the post-and-then-pre design were measured with a paired-sample t test. The survey data were collected after the completion of the course and the project in the final session of the course. The blog posts were submitted as a part of the course assignment before the final session of the course. The final session was also used as an oral reflective session where students reflected upon their experiences and learnings from the project.

Participants and the Context

The intervention was run in a trimester I Post Graduate Diploma in Management program as a part of the business and professional communication course “Critical Reading and Writing.” It was a 30-hour on-campus course in an AACSB-affiliated b-school in India. Overall, the course aimed at fostering critical reading and writing skills in the students. The self-improvement project that fostered critical thinking skills was one of the assessment projects carrying 30% marks. The participants (n = 122) had completed the undergraduation from various streams (science = 27, commerce = 64, arts = 10, technology = 14, others = 7), aged between 20 and 24 years, and almost equally distributed in terms of gender (48% females, 52% males). The research board approved the project. Due consent of the students was taken to include their data in the research study.

Project

A project was developed to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the management students. At the initial stage, the students participated in a brainstorming session wherein they identified a problem in their personal life that they wanted to solve with the help of critical thinking skills (Table 1). The most common problems identified by the students in their personal lives were social media addiction (n = 54), time management (n = 38), and the lack of public speaking skills (n = 31). We discussed the importance of critical thinking and various aspects of problem-solving skills with the help of pre-reads and discussions in the classroom in session 2 of the course. The students were divided into groups of 6 and were assigned a pre-read. The students were to give a short presentation of 3-4 minutes on the relevance and importance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in personal and professional lives based on the preread and general research on the Internet. The prereads were taken from sources like Harward Business Review and Forbes.

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Table 1.

Use of Bibliotherapy-Inspired ChatGPT at Various Steps of Critical Thinking Framework.

Stages and duration	Step of Critical Thinking Framework	The use of bibliotherapy inspired ChatGPT as an assistant	Example of conversation with ChatGPT
Workshop 1: Session 4 of the course, 90 minutes	Knowledge and Comprehension	Used ChatGPT to learn comprehensively about the problem	• Summarize the best books/latest research available on the problem.
Workshop 2: Session 7 of the course, 90 minutes	Analysis and Application	Used ChatGPT to list all probable solutions and available strategies to resolve the problem	• Analyze the problem and its probable solutions and strategies to overcome/resolve it from different perspectives
Workshop 3: Session 11 of the course, 90 minutes	Synthesis	Used ChatGPT to devise an actionable plan for the existing problem	• Devise an actionable plan in the context and discuss various iterations of the plan
Workshop 4: Session 13 of the course, 90 minutes	Evaluation	Used ChatGPT at the implementation stage	• Discuss the challenges faced daily while implementing the plan and ask for alternatives. • Additionally, discussed the successful implementation of the plan and asked for further motivation to follow the plan.
Reflective session and survey data collection: Session 18	Reflection		• Filled out the survey questionnaire.• Reflected upon the experience and learnings from the project

Note. All workshops and the reflective session were conducted in consecutive weeks for 5 weeks. The course was run for 10 weeks and had 20 sessions of 90 minutes each. The overall assessment scheme of the course was this project with ChatGPT (40% marks of the total course), a business magazine cover story analysis (40% marks), and an analysis of a business letter to shareholders by the CEO (20% marks). The rubrics of the assessment are given in Annexure 1.

Further, the students were introduced to Paul and Elder’s (2019) framework in the classroom. The students were asked to apply the six steps of the critical thinking framework to solving their problem. For various steps of the framework, the students were encouraged to take the help of text-generating AI, ChatGPT. However, before the students could start using ChatGPT, as a prerequisite, the students were asked to complete a MOOC course on the use of ChatGPT ethically and professionally on LinkedIn Learning. LinkedIn Learning access was provided to all the students. Once all students completed the course, a discussion session was conducted to clarify doubts and discuss concerns of the students regarding ChatGPT and its usage.

The first step of the framework is “Knowledge,” focused on building a knowledge base about the main problem. In a conventional bibliotherapy intervention, participants are asked to read a book or some literature on the topic. For this project, the students were encouraged to use ChatGPT. However, before the students could start using ChatGPT from a bibliotherapy perspective, they were introduced to bibliotherapy as a tool to resolve personal and professional problems. The students were given seminal research papers to read. By reading these papers, the students got a sense of how bibliotherapy is used in various contexts to understand the problems one faces in life and resolve them. With this conceptual knowledge of the bibliotherapy processes the students conversed meaningfully with ChatGPT by asking questions like which the most useful books are to manage time or what existing research and literature say about social media addiction. From this starting point, the students inquired further about the problem they wanted to resolve. Using ChatGPT, the students read summaries of books like 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 2015), Eat That Frog (Tracy, 2017), and Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Life (Ormerod, 2018). The second step of the critical thinking framework is “Comprehension.” An in-depth understanding of all aspects of the problem is required to critically analyze it. Here the students were introduced to different strategies to converse with ChatGPT, which they used according to their needs. Using ChatGPT, the students summarized the latest research in psychology and social sciences about their problems. The students inquired about different perspectives on how to resolve the problem. They comprehended the problem and its possible solutions from various perspectives as how a sportsperson would resolve a time management problem. They asked ChatGPT to give a perspective of their ideal persons (e.g., a Hollywood celebrity or a sportsperson) on the problem they are facing. The next two steps of the critical thinking framework are “Application” and “Analysis.” Using various creative and innovative prompts the students analyzed the problem they were facing. Empowered with the analysis they have done on the problem and its various aspects; they listed all possible solutions to resolve the problem. The next step was “Synthesis,” where an actionable plan from the list of all possible solutions. These 5 steps were covered in a 3-hour workshop as a part of their business communication course.

The final step of the critical thinking framework is “Evaluate,” where one tests the solutions to the problem one has chosen after careful thinking and analysis. The students get 1 week to implement the action plan they devised in the workshop by conversing with ChatGPT. Some aspects of the action plan were to make “To-do lists,” “Lock the phone in a drawer for the entire evening and night,” or “read a text for 15 minutes in front of a mirror.” They were asked to share their experiences with ChatGPT. If the students were able to achieve their daily goal, they would share it with ChatGPT and ask for further motivation. If the students completely or partially failed to achieve their daily target, they were to share this with ChatGPT and ask for strategies to improve their performance. At this stage, the students were also advised to use their critical thinking skills and analyze the information/response provided by ChatGPT. They had options to discuss their issues with the course instructor or the campus counselor. The students recorded their progress and experience in a daily log and shared it with the course instructor.

The experiences of the students were shared in another workshop after the implementation week. The students were asked to write their experiences in the form of a blog post. The broad outline of the blog post was the narrating of the critical thinking framework experienced by the students to resolve a problem, the assistance they got from ChatGPT, the challenges of implementing the plan, and any suggestions or advice they would want to give to people who are trying to resolve the same problem (i.e., time management, social media addiction, etc.). The outcomes of the project are discussed in the next section.

Outcomes of the Project

In another workshop after the implementation week, the students shared their experiences. Most of the students (83%) were able to achieve their daily goals throughout the week. Eleven percent of the students could complete the daily tasks for 3-4 days only, and 6% of the students followed the implementation plan for the first day only. Just 8% of the students contacted either the instructor or the campus counselor to discuss the challenges they faced in following the implementation plan. The students shared their experiences orally in the workshop. As a part of the project, the students were required to write a 1000-1500-word blog post for the class’s blog. A general format of the blog post was the 5W and 1H: why, where, when, what, who, and how did you go through this experience?

Orally and through blog posts, the students shared how they used the critical thinking framework and ChatGPT to resolve life problems. Commonly, ChatGPT summarized popular books and the latest psychological studies on the problem. ChatGPT asks the students to acknowledge the problem, share it with the people closer to them like friends or parents, make a to-do list with achievable daily goals, practice mindfulness, etc. Specifically, for social media addiction, the students were asked to unfollow unproductive pages, limit notifications on their smartphones, and do creative and physical activities like taking a walk, etc. For public speaking, ChatGPT suggests students record their speeches and listen, do short courses on online platforms, and listen to public speaking presentations like TED videos. For time management, some of the steps suggested are prioritizing, setting time limits for certain tasks, and using productivity techniques. Students explored and probed further about the steps and techniques suggested by asking further questions from ChatGPT. For example, when ChatGPT suggested productivity techniques to social media addicts or students with time management issues, the students asked ChatGPT to give more details about productivity techniques. The students further inquired about specific productivity techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, time-blocking, or the Eisenhower Matrix and how to utilize them in their specific context.

Additionally, at the implementation stage, the students used ChatGPT to help them follow the action plan daily. Initially, when the students faced a challenge in following the action plan, they shared their experiences and feelings with ChatGPT and asked for help. Sometimes, the students lacked clarity of the concepts, techniques, and strategies. The students then asked for further examples of the concepts to achieve clarity and understanding. Sometimes, the students felt that they had made very ambitious action plans and they requested ChatGPT to reset and readjust the action plan in their context. In some cases, even when the students were able to complete their daily tasks, they turned to ChatGPT to increase their goals and looked for further motivation. Overall, the students used ChatGPT as an assistant and a coach to help them at every stage of the application of a critical thinking framework to overcome their issues.

Additionally, the analysis of the blog post and the classroom discussions revealed the project focused on several aspects of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Some prominent skills focused on by the project are given in Figure 1. Mainly, the students get to visualize their future and observe their present selves to identify a learning gap or a personal problem that can hamper their future accomplishments. They practiced research and knowledge-building skills to first personalize and contextualize the goals and then to identify the steps to achieve their goal. They learn how to experiment and reflect on their daily tasks and achievements. Finally, as students share their experiences in the form of blogs, they learn how to engage the audience by telling a personal story. As the students share the link of their blog posts on their own social media accounts (LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.), the intended audience is primarily their connections on these platforms, which can include their professional connections as well as their peers. In sum, the project created several opportunities for the students to practice and learn various aspects of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

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Figure 1.

Various critical thinking and problem-solving skills targeted in the project.

Post-and-Then-Pre Survey Results and Overall Impact of the Intervention

The difference in students’ perception of competency and understanding of applying critical thinking skills and using ChatGPT as a coach and assistant is shown in Table 2. The critical value of t = 2.3576 is lower than the t value for all statements at the 0.01 significance level.

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Table 2.

Posttest and Pretest Scores of Students’ Perceptions of Understanding and Competency of Using Critical Thinking Skills/Framework and ChatGPT as an Assistant and a Coach.

Statement	Pretest		Posttest		t	df
	M	SD	M	SD
Critical thinking skills
1. I understand the importance of critical thinking skills.	2.71	1.311	4.03	0.374	−14.278	121
2. I feel competent in applying critical thinking frameworks in my solving personal and professional problems.	2.38	1.278	4.44	0.959	−12.362	121
3. I understand the importance of various steps of the critical thinking framework (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesize, and evaluation)	2.63	1.641	4.18	0.743	−10.090	121
4. I feel competent in applying various steps of the critical thinking framework (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) to solve my personal and professional problems.	2.14	1.438	4.76	0.507	−13.617	121
Use of ChatGPT
5. I understand the process of using ChatGPT as an assistant in building knowledge and comprehending a topic or an issue.	2.89	1.337	4.87	0.619	−9.873	121
6. I feel competent in using ChatGPT as an assistant in building knowledge and comprehending a topic or an issue.	1.99	1.076	4.63	0.557	−10.019	121
7. I understand the process of using ChatGPT as a coach wherein I can get feedback and advice on solving a problem.	2.37	1.301	4.81	0.938	−12.677	121
8. I feel confident in using ChatGPT as a coach wherein I can get feedback and advice on solving a problem.	2.08	1.473	4.73	0.669	−11.059	121

After using ChatGPT and critical thinking frameworks, the students realized the importance of critical thinking skills and felt competent in applying critical thinking frameworks to solve problems in their professional and personal lives. By thinking critically and using ChatGPT as an assistant and a coach, in 1 week, the students made considerable progress in their respective issues. With the help of ChatGPT, the students set daily goals and developed a personalized mechanism to track their progress daily. About 80% of the students were able to do the predecided activities with better time management skills. The social media addiction group was able to reduce their screen time by 60% to 70%, bringing it from an average of 4-5 hours to 1.5-2.5 hours. Similarly, students facing problems with public speaking shared that they gave a speech of 3-5 minutes in formal settings like classrooms or campus club activities or informal settings like campus café or playgrounds. About 80% of students said that they will continue to follow the critical thinking framework and ChatGPT to improve their performance in their respective areas.

The experience also made the students competent in using ChatGPT as an idea generator and as a feedback tool. The students comprehended the process of conversing meaningfully with ChatGPT for a specific purpose. Some students shared in the classroom discussion that they started using ChatGPT to generate ideas and build a knowledge base for other projects and subjects. The students appreciated ChatGPT’s capacity to analyze the information from different perspectives and summarize the information in a useful manner. One specific use of ChatGPT that the students mentioned to continue to use was to get feedback on their work.