What is smart thinking?

There are many words associated with what is, loosely, termed
'thinking'. We are often told to 'think about the issues', to
'analyse in more depth', to 'use reasoning', or to 'be rational'.
Sometimes (perhaps with reference to computers, or to the legendary
Star Trek character Mr Spock) we are told to 'be logical'. Often
students are told that they must think 'critically' if they are to
succeed. When people write essays or reports, they are usually advised to
make sure that they have a good 'argument' or that they 'explain in
detail'. But do students(and lecturers) really know what these words and phrases mean?
Can we actually identify the key skills and underlying techniques that
allow us to think better?
The answer is yes. Smart thinking means knowing how to:

• work out and express your main ideas
• plan your communication of ideas so that they can be clearly understood
• check to see if you have covered all the important parts of your topic.