At UW Bothell, my ability to think and work critically and creatively has been challenged, encouraged, and has grown immensely. To think critically is to identify and evaluate an issue, in order to make an accurate assumption. As a Media and Communications Studies major, I have had to employ critical and creative thinking methods in a vast array of classes, as many of these classes have challenged me to question and explore new ideas as well as inherent prejudice and biases. The media we consume on a daily basis is most likely created by someone we do not know. Questioning and exploring these productions and ultimately synthesizing an informed opinion is a valuable and necessary skill to have in order to understand the messages behind the media we watch, look at, listen to. This in turn allows us as media producers to create well-informed, meaningful content.

 

One example of a project that required critical thinking skills during my time at UW Bothell was my final project for a course I took on data visualization. This final project was the culmination of a research project that spanned the entire quarter. Using data provided from UW Bothell administration, students were asked to explore equity in high-impact learning on campus, to ultimately share with UW Bothell administration and our community partners. After studying the data, I chose to analyze whether or not participation in high-impact classes affected graduation rates of low-income students. I wanted to know whether or not high-impact courses such as study abroad, or internship opportunities, were equitably accessible to low-income students, and if evidence of participation in these courses hinted at elevated graduation rates among this group. In this situation, thinking critically about the ways in which we are allowed access to education could greatly impact how classes were marketed or offered in the future. This project is different from my other work, as it relies heavily on empirical data in order to reach a conclusion. However, I believe it was a valuable exercise in critical thinking, and it allowed me an opportunity to learn new software and write a scientific research paper.

 

My next example shows both critical and creative thinking, through the recreation of famous images. This project entitled “Modern Recreations of Iconic Photojournalism Images,” was completed for my Journalism and Media History class, and depicts two altered images along with comparisons to their originals. For this assignment, students were tasked with amending or recreating iconic documentary photographs to relate to the modern world. The images I chose were Gordon Parks’ untitled photo of a Civil Rights protest and Carolina Cotton Mill by Lewis Hine. I used Photoshop to combine the original images with modern versions to visually demonstrate the parallels between issues of the past and present, and to highlight their prevalence. However, before I created these images, I researched the originals and the historical context behind them in order to determine the ways in which I would alter or recreate them. By choosing to juxtapose almost identical images and circumstances, my aim in this project was to demonstrate and to reflect on the social issues presented in the images, both reimagined and original.

 

The school of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at UW Bothell engages students in myriad ways of critical and creative thinking, through the development of skills such as reflection, analysis, evaluation, and practical application. I believe that the examples I have shown demonstrate the ways in which critical and creative thinking skills are necessary, important, and can be applied within varying disciplines and fields of study.