What is Critical Thinking, and How to Teach It?

Peter Jeschofnig, Ph.D.Institute for Excellence in Distance Science Education

Expected Outcomes

• Critical Thinking Research Results• What is and what is NOT Critical Thinking• Scientific Method and Critical Thinking

Processes• Teaching Strategies & Examples• Resources & References

Notable Quotes

• Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few engage in it. (Henry Ford)

• At a certain age some people’s minds close up. They live on their intellectual fat (William Lyon Phelps)

• He who asks a question may be a fool for five minutes, but he who never asks a question remains a fool forever. (Tom Connelly)

Evidence from Critical Thinking Research

Research Findings by Richard Paul, 1996:

• 140 interviews of college faculty • 89% indicate critical thinking is a primary

objective of their instruction• 19% could give a clear explanation of critical

thinking• 77% had difficulty describing how to balance

content coverage with fostering critical thinking• 8-9% could articulate how to assess critical

thinking

More Evidence from Critical Thinking Research

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses (2009) Richard Arum & Josipsa Rocksa followed 2,300+ college students.

45 percent of students "did not demonstrate any significant improvement in learning" during the first two years of college.

36 percent of students "did not demonstrate any significant improvement in learning" over four years of college.

Those students who do show improvements tend to show only modest improvements.

Non-Scientific Beliefs Among Undergraduate Students

Astronomy Education Review; 2012, http://www.uwo.ca/sci/pdf/NonScientificBeliefsAmongUndergradStudents.pdf

A 22 year survey of 11,000 undergraduates’ knowledge and attitudes related to science and technology found:

• Nonscientific ways of thinking are resistant to formal instruction

• Change surprisingly little over the course of a college career that typically includes three science courses.

Multiple Choice Exams: Obstacle for Higher Level Thinkinghttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3433302/

Wanted: More US College Grads with Critical Thinking Skills

College Students Lack Critical Thinking Skills, But Who’s to Blame?

College Students Lack Critical Thinking Skills, Study Finds

The Death of Critical Thinking: Scary NYU Study

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCBB0AQqTF8

Famous Names in Pseudo-Science

• Dr. Mehmed Oz – Dr. Oz Show• Dr. Andrew Wakefield – anti-vaccine • Oprah Winfrey• Jenny McCarthy - anti-vaccine • Chuck Norris – teach biblical alternatives in

school• Various political commentators (incl. Rush

Limbaugh)

Critical Thinking Cartoon

Cartoon by www.CartonStock.com

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical Thinking is the ability to:• Develop a healthy skepticism toward any

information presented as fact• Apply reasoning and logic to new or unfamiliar

ideas, opinions, and situations.

• See things in an open-minded way and examine an idea or concept from as many angles as possible.

• Look past one’s own views of the world and better understand the opinions of others.

What Critical Thinking is NOT?• Blindly accepting at face value all statements

and arguments made by others

• Blindly trusting political commercials

• Blindly believing TV commercials

• Blindly accepting newspaper stories as fact

• Blindly accepting articles in professional journals

• Blindly accepting all information in textbooks• Blindly holding on to old beliefs

Critical Thinkers

• Distinguish between fact and opinion

• Ask questions; make detailed observations; uncover assumptions and define their terms; and

• Make assertions based on sound logic and solid evidence.

Ellis, D. Becoming an Master Student, 1997)

Benefits of Critical ThinkingWhy is critical thinking important to students?

In Personal and Public Life:• Avoid falling for scams and making foolish

decisions from ignorance• Make better decision from verified information• Free one from unexamined assumptions,

dogmas, and prejudices• Be a better informed citizen and voter

Benefits of Critical ThinkingWhy is critical thinking important to students?

In the workplace:• Be a better problem-solver• Better analyze information and draw appropriate

conclusions• Communicate a position logically• Make good decisions (based on data, not

feelings)

Barriers to Critical ThinkingLack of relevant background informationPoor reading skillsBiasesPrejudiceSuperstitionPeer PressureResistance to changeRationalizationStereotypingWishful thinkingUnwarranted assumptions

Generic List of Thinking Skills that Would Be Applicable in Many Situations:

• Recognizing that a problem exists• Developing an orderly approach so that tasks are

prioritized and problems are recognized as differing with regard to how serious and urgent they are

• Understanding how cause is determined • Recognizing and criticizing assumptions• Analyzing means-goals relationships • Giving reasons to support a conclusion• Assessing degrees of likelihood and uncertainty• Incorporating isolated data into a wider framework • Using analogies to solve problems

What Are the Steps of the Modified Scientific Method?

1. Make Observations - Ask a Question2. Propose a Hypothesis3. Design Experiments to Test the Hypothesis4. Collect and Analyze Data5. Accept or Reject the Hypotheses6. Revise the Hypothesis (Rejected) or Draw Conclusions (Accepted)

Problem Solving Procedure

• Define the problem • Remove thinking barriers (biases)• Gather all relevant facts• Generate solutions (brainstorming, creative

thinking)• Select a solution (pro’s and con’s) and have a

back up plan• Implement and evaluate

Becoming a Critical Thinker:IDEALS – 6 Steps to Effective Thinking

1. Identify the problem: What is the real question we are facing here?

2. Define the context: What are the facts and circumstances for this problem?

3. Enumerate choices: What are the most plausible options?

4. Analyze options: What is our best course of action, all things considered?

5. List reasons explicitly: Why are we making this particular choice

6. Self-correct: Let’s look at it again. What did we miss?

RED Model

Teaching Strategies that Promote Critical Thinking

• Open ended assignments• Case studies• Reflections• Discussions• C.T. Question of

the week

Developing Discussion Questions to Promote Critical Thinking

Higher-Level Thinking Questions Include: By Walker, S.E. Active Learning Promotes Critical Thinking

• Open-ended questions that aim at provoking divergent thinking

• Questions that go beyond knowledge-level recall

• Questions that promote evaluation and synthesis of facts and concepts

• Questions that start or end with words or phrases such as “explain,” “compare,” “why”

Questions to Ask

• What do you mean by …?• How did you come to that conclusions?• What is the source of your information?• What assumptions led you to that conclusion?• What are the implications if you are wrong?• Why did you make that inference? Is another one

more consistent with the data?• Why is this issue significant?• What is an alternate explanation for this

phenomenon?

Responding to Students’ Discussions

• Ask questions directly related to the student’s response

• Ask for clarifications, deeper explanations, and justification

• Solicit opposing views; encourage students to make a justified argument for or against a topic

• Posting questions that cannot be answered with a yes or no answer or one-liners

Science Case Studies

• National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/

• Case studies in science education http://www.learner.org/resources/series21.html

• Cases online http://www.cse.emory.edu/cases/othercases.cfm

• Case Studies in the Life Sciences http://www.dcc.ac.uk/projects/life-science-case-studies

• Case Studies in Inclusive Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics http://www.cirtl.net/files/CaseStudiesinInclusiveTeaching.pdf

• Science Case Studies http://www.npl.co.uk/science-technology/science-case-studies/

Evaluating Information Sources (CRAAP)

Integrate Critical Thinking into Your Teaching

Critical Thinking and The Scientific Method

• Designed for my Integrated Science class (SCI 155)

• https://softchalkcloud.com/lesson/serve/GFh2TezCkcwdXB/html

Sample Exam (SUS 311)EXAM 2:

You are a research intern to a Congressman who holds a seat on an environmental committee charged with providing environmental remediation grants to foreign countries. The committee is to soon consider making a large financial grant to Madagascar; it was specifically requested to help that country combat its claimed problems of:• Deforestation,• Biodiversity, and• Soil erosion.

You’ve been tasked with investigating if these problems genuinely exist and if they do, to determine: • How serious are the problems,• What are their implications for the future of Madagascar,• What if any international/global implications exist beyond Madagascar, and• What actions might be taken to mitigate, and possibly reverse, these problems.

Attached is an environmental report on Madagascar with which to begin your research. Additionally, you must find and review at least two or more other sources of information regarding Madagascar’s current environmental issues. From this information you will prepare a briefing report for the Congressman that is five or more pages long, word processed with 12 point, double-spaced type, and is appropriately referenced to your research sources. The report will conclude with a few paragraphs containing your opinion regarding the merit of considering a grant application from Madagascar.• Deforestation in Madagascar Consequences.pdf

COURSERA: Critical Thinking in Global Challenges

The University of Edinburgh• Week 1: Essential Concepts in Critical

thinking• Week 2: Assessing Evidence: Credibility and

Relevance• Week 3: Assessing Arguments (Part A)• Week 4: Assessing Arguments (Part B)• Week 5: Developing your own arguments

Critical Thinking in Global Challenges-The University of Edinburgh

• Obesity• Climate Change• Infectious Diseases• Population

Bart College Citizen Science

• A potential course for all students• https://vimeo.com/91558485• Citizen Science is an innovative program for all first-

year students at Bard College. Through three weeks of intensive study during January intersession, students develop a core understanding of both the conduct and the content of science. This foundation allows them as citizens to grapple with the ever-increasing number of national and global issues influenced by science.

Perception

We often see and hear what we want to see and hear, based upon our past experiences, interests, motives, etc.

Young Girl or Old Woman

Man Playing Horn or Woman’s Silhouette?

Eskimo’s Back or Native American?

Parrot or Woman?

References• Critical Thinking: A Necessary Skill in the Age of Spin http://

www.edutopia.org/blog/critical-thinking-necessary-skill-g-randy-kasten

• The State of Critical Thinking Today: The Need for a Substantive Concept of Critical Thinking – Paul Hurd

http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic265890.files/Critical_Thinking_File/10_State_of_Critical_Thinking.pdf

• WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING? Jennifer Duncanhttp://ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc/sites/default/files/CriticalThinking.pdf

• Strategies for Helping Students Develop Critical Thinking Skills – Cornell U. CTE

http://www.azwestern.edu/academic_services/instruction/center_teaching_effect/resources/downloads/Helping%20Students%20Develop%20Critical%20Thinking%20Skills%20CTE%20Cornell%20University.pdf

References - Continued

• Critical Thinking on Climate Change: separating skepticism from denial.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh9kDCuPuU8

• Time to Bring Pseudoscience into Science Class! http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/04/its_time_to_teach_pseudoscience_in_science_class.html

• Non-Scientific Beliefs Among Undergraduate Studentshttp://www.uwo.ca/sci/pdf/NonScientificBeliefsAmongUndergradStudents.pdf

References - Continued

• The Critical Thinking Communityhttp://www.criticalthinking.org

• Association for Informal Logic & Critical Thinkinghttp://ailact.wordpress.com/

• Critical Thinking Web http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/• An Introduction to Critical Thinkinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oefmPtsV_w4

What To Do?

What To Do!• Talk about critical thinking skills (in syllabus &

throughout course)• Promote critical thinking via techniques

discussed• Use examples from current global issues• Using Bloom’s Taxonomy based-testing is not

enough

IDEA – 12 Course Objectives

Faculty select 3 – 5 objectives on the Faculty Information Form (FIF) which best describe the purpose and content of a particular course. When responding to the evaluation, students ask themselves: How well am I developing/progressing on these objectives?

3. Learning to apply course material to improve thinking, problem solving, and decisions

Go as far as you can see. When you get there, you can see farther.

Thomas Carlyle

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Peter Jeschofnigpjeschofnig@gmail.com

Peter.Jeschofnig@IEDSE.org