Jason Justice

For Critical Thinking, I chose the Fictional Product Assignment to be represented on my E-Portfolio. The assignment was created in March of 2024 for my Introduction to Business class. The course itself was an online course, with all our work being assigned online and the mode of communication with the professor being strictly through email. It was a 16-week course, and the assignment itself came a week or two after college spring break. 

 

The schematics of the assignment are that I had to create a fictional product involving people’s everyday needs. It employed critical thinking in that it presented a problem, which was to create a product guaranteed to be safe for consumers, but it would naturally involve plenty of questions on what to do during the worst-case scenario or if the product had to be recalled. Recalls can occur due to product defects and the like, so I had to synthesize solutions that allowed for the product to continue being sold on the market. I also had to factor in the possibility of competition on the market and that competitors might try to sell their own versions of the product at lower prices to drive competition away from my business. The assignment is strong in that it provides a great example of my intuition and insight being put to use.  

 

By coming up with my own product and being able to anticipate all scenarios, I have at least a rudimentary understanding of the business world and some of its complexities. Many of the challenges I wrote about are challenges that many businesses face every day. Another aspect that my assignment excels in is my ability to measure needs for my intended audience. The product I created also had to not just meet people’s needs but resonate with them as well. If people are unable to form a connection to the product, then they would be dissatisfied with the product, which would cause negative reviews and further driving away consumers from my hypothetical business. 

 

The assignment is weak in terms of longevity. While it allowed me to demonstrate critical thinking, it also is not like many of my essays, and there are clear prompts that allowed me to control what type of information I recorded. It is also weak in that it is not directly tied towards critical thinking. It had many prompts that can be linked to critical thinking, but the assignment itself is more business-inclined, rather than a direct example of critical thinking. I worked on it quickly, and some of the criteria involved me being able to elaborate in detail the schematics of my product and how to address any potential problems. I was able to achieve a passing grade on it by adhering to the criteria and taking special care to be specific. The product itself dealt with feet homeostasis regulators and how it allows for a person’s foot temperature to be adjusted according to their sleep needs. Studies have shown that feet temperature plays an instrumental role in sleep. 

 

Two goals that can be demonstrated by the artifact are the goals of being able to demonstrate critical thinking through problem solving and an assignment that can adequately demonstrate the ability to critically think. The first goal was met through the completion of assignments pertaining to critical thinking and its importance. The fictional assignment helped me to demonstrate critical thinking as well as many math assignments. The second goal was achieved in much the same way, with an opportunity to think critically and improve my knowledge being presented in those assignments. The business presentation I had to complete also allowed me to demonstrate some critical thinking, but not to the extent this assignment did. 

 

What I learned pertaining to critical thinking was that it is a vital skill that is needed for everyday life. It is highly important that everyone is able to deduce a problem when noticed and respond to it accordingly. Looking back on my education, there are many times where critical thinking came in handy, especially when I was struggling with math. I had to learn and solve problems albeit it took the harder route. I hope to be able to continue expanding my knowledge in this core skill and learn where I need to grow.