Sherlock Holmes introduces critical thinking

Abstract

Sherlock has been admired in medical and criminal investigative education for his detection abilities. What makes him such an iconic figure is his “science of deduction and analysis”. Are there critical thinking traits in Sherlock Holmes’ method which can be used for instruc‑ tion? Can Holmes be considered an exemplar of critical thinking? The argument here is that Holmes’ methods overlap with educational outcomes of critical thinking courses. A teaching activity designed to allow an exploration of the detective’s abilities in an introductory class is described here.