Session Work Products
Community of Practice: Pedagogy and Assessment that Support Critical Thinking
AAHE Learning to Change Conference 2003
 
Session co-leaders: A. Faye Borthick, Harry L. Dangel, Carol W. Springer
  
   

Discipline
Characterization of critical thinking
Anthropology History Philosophy

Critical thinking means to:

  1. Understand what constitutes a more valid solution/decision/argument,
  2. Use the discipline's methods, vocabulary, and facts,
  3. Understand the frame of reference (paradigm) and assumptions within which one is operating, and
  4. Question all of the above.
English

Critical thinking is:

  1. The discipline of providing evidence and identifying assumptions and realizing they can be questioned,
  2. Assessed by recognizing, creating, and analyzing examples as evidence of how assumptions are essential for meaning-making and can be questioned, and
  3. Enhanced through learning experiences that include presenting illustrious, personal vignettes and identifying the assumptions in one's personal view of the issue, concept, or topic.
Natural science

Critical thinking means to:

  1. Apply/use known scientific facts and principles to solve a problem and
  2. Understand the process (method) by which science tests and applies scientific knowledge (facts and principles) and use this process.
Pharmacy Critical thinking is the ability to correlate facts and derive conclusions to solve problems and facilitate decision making.
Social science Critical thinking is arriving at one or more solutions drawn from a frame of reference with assumptions that are in flux due to a changing environment.

Distractions from student development of critical thinking
Possible remedies
1 Student expectations of traditional pedagogy

Reset student expectations on the first class day
2 Student lack of trust in unfamiliar processes

Develop trust a little at a time
3 Assessments for which high marks do not require critical thinking, e.g., memory-dependent assessment

Employ assessment that requires critical thinking for good performance
4 Student resistance to any pedagogy other than the traditional one

Explain the rationale for and help students gain experience in the new pedagogy
5 Faculty fixation on "covering" the material

Ensure coverage by choice of activities and assignments