"What are some of the ways that "YOU" can find out if individuals, taking these courses, are developing their critical thinking skills?" I purposely asked you that question to make a point. It seems that, in this day & age, we are bombarded with "Media-Info-Overload", leading to an overly-simplistic mind set. Pick and choose, with no concern for either the implications, or, worse-yet, any responsibilities. Children, from 3 to 5 years old, constantly ask, "WHY", over and over, again. Your answer to the question, from their perspective, must hit the "Exact" note of one particular fact, that they "Know" to be true. As instructors, we have a duty to our students to keep asking them "Why", until we are able to find "Their" facts . . . and then show them the relationships to all the other "Why's" that we've been asking them. This is only one of the ways to help them develop the skill-set they need to succeed. Just reciting memorized info won't develop any skills at all, save for the memorization process. Without developing a critical thinking plan for your students (a base), instructors may well be teaching their students, that there are no responsibilities - or consequences in the real-world.
LE,
This is a terrific skill and well worth developing. Very good. Thanks.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Making an effort to specifically practice these skills will help to develop the capability and possibly the habit of using the skill. Exercizes like watching a newscast or reading a news story then asking yourself how the information has been "spun" can be a useful exercise. Often word choice or the framing of the facts can lead a reader toward a preplanned conclusion. Evaluating the information and questioning why specific wording was utilized may help the reader to practice critical thinking skills on a regular basis.
Laura,
Yes, expanding their thinking is a primary goal.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I agree with you sometimes when you try to cover all ends the students think that there is nothing more to it and that it ends there. When you answer their questions with another question that gives them space to think and lets them know that they have to be ready to take more and look for more.
Debby,
Very pithy, I like it. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Be informed! Know what is going on in the world, investigate and then form an opinion. And most of all question, question, question.
There are number of ways to deveop critical thinking skills. One obvious method is to practice problem-solving using both simple and complex problems. A second method is to study proven techniques and systems for critical thinking that have been published by experts. Critical thinking books are a great place to start. A third method is to observe problem-solving and critical thinking in action. Lastly, it is important to develop metacognition about problem-solving and critical thinking. That is to reflect on and be aware of the process both during and after it has occurred. This will help learners refine problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Maria,
Thank you for sharing this terrific approach and insight. Nice work.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I often ask questions to my student about the material that I present as part of the learning objective. Many times the question is received not with an answer but with another questions. I usually wait and try to see if another student have the answer or has an opinion about the student's question. I find that the student's thought process slows down at this point. Once that slow down process begins I know they are thinking and very interesting discussions begin as they are more critical about not only my question but the other questions the student make.
V.,
Very well stated. This is one of those "Life-long Learning" endeavors. Thank you for sharing your insight.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Individuals can evaluate all types of media: magazines, newspapers, books, television shows and commericals; radio shows, songs, and commericals; and internet sources. A person can analyze what is the real message in any genre. Once a person is aware of the message, he or she can look for supports for the central message, who the target audience is and why the author or designer wrote the piece in the first place. These steps can be further analyzed as to the merits of the message and its supports. Does it really make sense? Is the message valid? Are the supports logical and reasonable? Or is the message or support just an emotional appeal?
Typically commericals are easy to analyze because the purpose is obvious, the audience is easily determined and the message is generally obvious. Reading a newspaper or listening to a documentary may be somewhat more difficult; however, once an individual has success in using critical thinking skills in the more obvious genres; then he or she can move onto more difficult media formats in steps, moving from the easiest to a little more challenging followed by even more challenging, and so the process continues. As with all other disciplines, critical thinking takes practice. It is not automatic acquistion of skills such as today I will learn and master critical thinking skills; rather it is an ongoing process.
Andrea,
Yes, reflective inquiry is a very good strategy. Thank you.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
You can develop critical thinking skills by questioning, and this can be applied to all areas of life. After you read a book, you can pause and think about what the author was trying to say and how well they got the message across. When you see an online article, stop and consider the source and the message. Whenever you are faced with any new information, it is good to take a minute to absorb, and ask yourself some questions about it before moving on to the next thing.
Deb,
This is more important in today's 'information environment' than in many past decades. Because almost anyone can publish on the Internet, information is being 'reconfigured and recombined' is almost limitless ways. Confirming sources of information is both necessary and increasingly difficult in many situations. Thank you for noting this this important item. Very good post.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
In Introduction to Computers we discussed the need to analyze the content of a website before making decisions. One of the issues we examined was the potential for bias. For example a seller's website is far less likely to include negative information about a product than a third party that has objectively tested and compared the performance of different products. We also talked about looking for sources that have been cited as opposed to "facts" that have been presented with no support.
A simulation activity had students check the "about us" section of three websites. Based on information about geographic location, amount of experience of each organization, and mission statement of the group, students needed to select the best choice for the purpose.
Larry,
Yes, the level of proficiency at which the student is able to perform the skill on a consistent basis is the outcome of importance. You are absolutely correct to have the students show, do and teach. This is well tested sequence for success in learning. When the student is able to teach a skill with a high level of proficiency, it is one of the best evidences that the student has mastery of that skill. Well done.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
In the health care field it seems that by repeating the skill over and over in class sets the foundation, but you have to experience it over and over to master it. I like to use the "Show One, Do One, Teach One method.
Ned,
Business is not my area of expertise, and certainly not marketing. This sounds like a terrific critical thinking exercise in this area of study. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Maria,
As frustrating is that maybe to the student, it is probably the best pedagogical approach to take. One "critical" component of critical thinking skills would be to not take shortcuts. Providing the answer in this scenario would only reinforce the undesired behavior. Nicely done.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
