Embedding Critical Thinking Skills in Education teaching

The Greatest Need...

The Highest

Desire...

OUTCOMES

• Meaning & Significance of CT• Intentional Teaching of CT • Embedding & Assessing CT • Creating CT Teaching/

Assessment Plan

CRITICAL THINKING?

• CT is the evaluation & judgment of a solution to a problem or issue.(Vincent Ruggerio)

• CT is reflective thinking that is focused on driving what to do andbelieve. (Robert Ennis)

CRITICAL THINKING

• Making sense of the world by carefully examining our thinking &the thinking of others in order toclarify & improve our understanding.(John Chaffee)

Evaluation, Judgment, Reflection, Making Sense, Understanding

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Student to be ACTIVELY & INTENTIONALLY engaged in CT

CT Equation

SIGNIFICANCE OF CT• To learn is to think• To think poorly is to learn poorly• THEREFORE, to think well is to learn

well

• All content, to be learned, must be intellectually constructed

• CAUTION: Memorizing IS NOT learning

Source: Eric Rusten & Susan Schuman – USAID/PAEM & MoE

SIGNIFICANCE OF CT

SORRY! FALSE

• Students come expecting to learn TRUTH from AUTHORITY• Fail to see that KNOWLEDGE is

UNCERTAIN• Limited tolerance for differing

solutions...• CT to students: "Finding THE answer"

WHY EMBED CT?

STRATEGY FOR TEACHING (EMBEDDING) CT

TEACHING & LEARNING METHODOLOGY

TEACHING & LEARNING METHODOLOGY

CT SKILLS TO CONSIDER EMBEDDING

• Mind Mapping• Asking Qs • Defining the central issue/ problem• Classifying information into groups• Placing info. in sequential order • Distinguishing fact from opinion

ASSESSMENT OF CT

• What form of assessment? Good Q!• Better Q is: How valid is the

assessment?• Qs with a single correct answer do

not promote CT• Move from simple to challenging CT

tasks

ASSESSMENT OF CT

• MCQs generally not good for engaging in CT

• Supplement MCQs with short essay Qs to test CT

ASSESSMENT OF CT• Reasoning by Analogy– Foundation to all general intelligence

(Hunt, 1982)• Reflection– Ask Students to reflect & write the steps,

rules used & the sequence in problem solvingsituations

ASSESSMENT OF CT – Ranking Assignment: present a task

with several options and ask to rank in order of priority with supporting reasons

– Lecture Summary on Wiki • Most important concepts, in student own

words, using their examples

EXPERIENCE SHARING

• Connecting the dots assignment

• Write a paper (50-words) discussing how what students learned in that week's topic is connected to other courses or life?

SCAFFOLDING

• Provision of appropriate support for learning CT is crucial– This support to be gradually withdrawn

SCAFFOLDING

• Atmosphere of Trust– Allowing students to take risks and make

mistakes

• Validate students’ contributions –Make encouraging nods & show patience

Good Luck with Your Teaching of CT