Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 5, Number 1, Spring / Summer 2020 | Page 100

Global Security and Intelligence Studies
thinking perspective, this is alarming;
critical thinking is not just about putting
information together, finding a
pattern, then choosing an answer, it is
about reducing bias, considering all options
available, and presenting options
to a decision-maker. Additionally, critical
thinking is about paying attention to
what and how conclusions are derived
and being able to replicate those conclusions
through sound methodologies.
Besides the IC, employers and
academia are also concerned about the
critical thinking skill level that they
see in potential hires, employees, and
students. Although critical thinking
skills are what employers desire and
find most essential, the average employer
thinks recent graduates are only
“somewhat proficient” in critical thinking
skills. This means that, while employers
think critical thinking skills are
99.2 percent essential, only 55.8 percent
of graduates are proficient (Campbell
2019). Critical thinking specialist Randy
Kasten believes that critical thinking
“is one skill separating innovators
from followers” (Crockett 2012). This
is supported by other studies that have
found critical thinking is not just about
thinking clearly or rationally, but also
about thinking independently. According
to Lee Crockett, author of Literacy
is Not Enough, “Critical thinking about
something means formulating your
own opinions and drawing conclusions.
This happens regardless of outside influence.
It’s about the discipline of analysis
and seeing connections between
ideas” (Crockett 2012). Student and IAs
are both under a steady barrage of information
and it important they learn
how to evaluate what they see and hear
every day. They must be able to identify
false ideas and look beyond superficial
appearances. These skills are paramount
in the age of Big Data and fake
news. Yet, this skillset, identified as critical
and lacking with employees, can be
a challenge to foster in millennials and
Gen Zs and may not be developed in
secondary and college-level education.
The Generation Gap
There is growing evidence that
millennials and Gen Zs may have
a gap in critical thinking skills;
some researchers see one of the causes of
this gap as the information age. The reality
for most of these workers has been
digital media, online transparency, and
the internet (the iPhone was launched
in 2007 and Facebook was founded in
2004), which encourage the skimming
and scanning of info bites. Along with
the proliferation of data, how and what
is taught has influenced this skill gap.
According to Jan Goldman, Professor
of Intelligence Studies at The Citadel,
who also has over thirty years working
in the IC as an advisor, writer, editor,
and IA, “We [educational institutions]
are no longer teaching critical thinking.
It has gone out the window!” (Goldman
2019). Additionally, the habits that
differentiate millennials’ and Gen Z’s
working style are inextricably tied to
a desire for quick, accessible answers,
rather than a drive to think through
problems, which is paramount for critical
thinking (Botnick 2017). The choice
or inability to evaluate and synthesize
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