Critical Thinking
At the end of a given chapter my students are to answer a critical thinking question. These questions are usually composed of 3 or more parts each related to the initial topic. The students are required to give clear and concise answers to each part, explaining how they arrived at their conclusions or opinions. Simple statements without explanation results in a lower grade for the exercise.
This teaches the students to assimilate,review,and analyze the information rather than just collecting and reciting it.
I teach law. While today's students are able to memorize definitions of legal concepts, they have a very difficult time applying those concepts to real-life scenarios. I get one or two word answers to complex hypotheticals. The course claims they want relevancy, but they can't find the relevancy.
The students tend to give less than what they receive. When asking such questions, they tend to do what it is need to get by. They dont realize until after receiving their grade, the potential they had in getting a better grade. How can we make the work more interesting to get the students more interactive.
I agree with your "second nature" comment. Its wierd when people do not know what to do out in a working environment. We do need to train our students the "why" so maybe it will become second nature.
Robb,
and the ability to articulate our positions & decisions are key to this aspect as well.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Analysis and critical thinking are extremely important to many fields. Supporting arguments, courses of action, etc enable one to take on lead positions in the future.
Corrinne,
yes, the instruction & practice of critical thinking skills is a must to develop in this generation, especially due to the vast amounts of information they have available.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find my students frequently don't understand that being able to think through a question or a problem is a life skill they need. Maybe it is because they are used to having so many facts at their fingertips via the Internet, but they know how to find information, but not what to do with it once they have it.
Glenn,
yes, this is a great way to assess their levels of understanding & learning of concepts.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
if we discuss coarse material with students, we can make statements all day long and they will nod their heads. Until we start asking why, we won't truely know if they actually understand the material
In the medical field, it is highly important for students to know more than "just the facts". They MUST be able to analyze and respond quickly and appropriately to whatever situation might arise. Practicing these skills is class is very important so they become second nature.
I am a firm believer in the five why's. It doesn't help to just scratch the surface so keep digging!
Laura,
this is a great method to help our students really learn how to evaluate & think critically about the subject matter & their own ideas.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Being able to problem solve by incorporating subject matter learned is critical. I encourage application of knowledge through the Socratic method on a daily basis.
Nichelle,
yes, good questioning techniques & powerful questions are a great way to stimulate & develop the critical thinking.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Critical thinking is a must. I recently located a website and training at www.criticalthinking.org
I am currently working with this with the generation y in my home.
I ask question to cause critical thinking during my lectures. Facilitating a topic allow critical thinking skill to flow.
Denise ,
it really is key & I know there is a strong emphasis on these skills in the nursing field. We must find ways to incorporate the development of these skills in our classes.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
During the 13 months of vocational nursing training, it is essential for the students to develop critical thinking skills in order to be able to function as a nurse upon graduation.
Andrea,
an excellent question that should be pondered. It is possible to use some forms of scantron testing & still push critical thinking, but we really need to explore a variety of assessments to determine true understanding.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think critical thinking is an important tool for life, and these type of questions provide them to exercise this practice. Too many instructors use multiple choice, scantron, and fill in the blank quizzes and testing without using application type of questions.
This is where I feel we are failing our students at. We are giving them the education, but are we giving them how to apply and use cirtical thinking with the concepts?
