Assessing for Critical Thinking

1. Assessing for Critical Thinking Narrowing the Gulf Conference March 2009

2. St. Petersburg College Presenters • Dr. Carol Weideman, Mathematics Professor, and Assessment Coordinator for the QEP • Maggie Tymms, Assessment Coordinator for Academic Programs • Dr. James Coraggio, Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness Narrowing the Gulf Conference

3. St. Petersburg College • SPC, established in 1927, is the oldest 2-year college in Florida • First Community College in Florida to offer 4 year degrees (2002) • 9 Campuses throughout the county • 2007-08 FTE: 16,086 (LD), 1,415 (UD) • Opening Fall 2008 credited enrollment: 27,076 • Annual 2007-08 headcount: 62,200 Narrowing the Gulf Conference

4. SACS • SPC was recently reaffirmed in 2008 as part of the SACS affirmation process. Keys to the process included… • Compliance with all SACS requirements and standards • Assessment of all academic programs and support processes • Credentialing of all faculty and key staff • Continuous improvement of student learning through a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Narrowing the Gulf Conference

5. The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) • Second major requirement by SACS (after reaffirmation). Requirements include… • Focus: Significant issue related to student learning • Faculty-driven • Broad-based involvement • Institution demonstrates ability to carry out plan • Includes methods of assessment • Report results to SACS after five years Narrowing the Gulf Conference

6. Broad-based involvement • Selected ‘improve student learning through the enhancement of CT skills’ • First step after deciding on a topic was the development of a standardized definition of CT • Involved the entire college including a web blog review process to gather information Narrowing the Gulf Conference

7. St. Petersburg College SPC’s definition of Critical Thinking: “Critical thinking is the active and systematic process of communication, problem-solving, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and reflection, both individually and in community, to foster understanding, support sound decision-making, and guide action.” Narrowing the Gulf Conference

8. Measureable Learning Outcomes In order to link specific and measureable student learning outcomes, SPC’s definition of critical thinking was operationalized in order to provide a more concrete and less abstract linkage or bridge between the original SPC definition of critical thinking and the student learning outcomes. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

9. Measureable Learning Outcomes Narrowing the Gulf Conference

10. Learning Outcomes Narrowing the Gulf Conference

11. Learning Outcomes Narrowing the Gulf Conference

12. Linkage between Student Learning Outcomes and Assessments • SPC’s QEP contained a number of direct measures and indirect measures for use in assessing student learning in the area of critical thinking. • These assessments have been linked to the specific Core Operational Elements (KSAs) and student learning outcomes. • Provides the relationship between the Core Operational Elements (KSAs), the student learning outcomes, and the specific assessment measures. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

13. Linkage between Student Learning Outcomes and Assessments Narrowing the Gulf Conference

14. Linkage between Student Learning Outcomes and Assessments • SPC will determine improvement in students’ critical thinking skills using the multiple measures. • These include standardized instruments, authentic assessments, and indirect methods. • Before we can measure Critical Thinking… we need to understand what it looks like. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

15. Class Without CT • Didactic instruction where students are presented with factual information from a text book • Assessment is primarily multiple choice items where students are expected to regurgitate factual information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITmxpe5wjJo Narrowing the Gulf Conference

16. Class With CT • Interactive learning environment where students not only learn facts but the relationship between the facts and the application of that information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKnZc-MJbTE • Authentic assessment where students are able to model the applications of the discipline through simulations, projects, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrK2mg9h7kE Narrowing the Gulf Conference

17. Linkage between Student Learning Outcomes and Assessments • How do you measure Critical Thinking in your classroom? Narrowing the Gulf Conference

18. Authentic Assessments Authentic assessments serve dual purposes of encouraging students to think critically and providing assessment data for measuring improved student learning. These assessment techniques fall into three general categories: criterion-referenced rubrics, student reports (reflection or self-assessments), and student portfolios. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

19. Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking SPC developed a multi-measure model to assess critical thinking skills, which includes a critical thinking rubric. Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC) A global rubric template developed to provide a snapshot view of how student learning is being affected by the critical thinking initiative. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

20. Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking • Designed to be flexible enough to address a number of student project modalities including written and oral communications. • Will evaluate the student’s use of critical thinking skills in the development of the paper as opposed to specifically evaluating the quality of student’s writing skills. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

21. Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking ARC was designed by the QEP staff and the Faculty Champions to… • Enhance the QEP • Align with the College’s definition of critical thinking • Be flexible for use in multi-disciplines Narrowing the Gulf Conference

22. Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking Narrowing the Gulf Conference

23. Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking Narrowing the Gulf Conference

24. Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking Narrowing the Gulf Conference

25. Sample Scenario (Deer) Three teenagers were seriously injured in a car accident when swerving to avoid a deer on a two-lane road near a small, rural town in Florida. The residents of the town have seen more and more deer enter the town’s populated areas over recent years. Local law enforcement has been called numerous times this year to remove the animals from backyards and neighborhood streets, and one deer even caused considerable damage as it entered a restaurant in town. The mayor has been charged by the city leaders to keep the town residents safe. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

26. Sample Scenario (Deer) Local crops have even been damaged by the animals. Some long time residents have requested that the hunting season and catch limits be extended in order to reduce the deer population. One city leader even proposed that the city purchase electronic devices to deter the deer from entering populated areas. Health concerns have recently been elevated as three deer carcasses were found at the edge of town and local law enforcement suspect that the animals had been poisoned. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

27. Group Project Task 1: Communication • Define the main idea or problem in your own words. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

28. Small Group Project Task 2: Analysis • Identify the Three Available Solutions • Compare and Contrast Available Solutions to the Problem. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

29. Sample Scenario (Deer) Possible Solutions: Some long time residents have requested that the hunting season and catch limits be extended in order to reduce the deer population. One city leader even proposed that the city purchase electronic devices to deter the deer from entering populated areas. Health concerns have recently been elevated as three deer carcasses were found at the edge of town and local law enforcement suspect that the animals had been poisoned. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

30. 0 of 30 Task 3: Problem-SolvingSelect the best solution from the possible solutions analyzed. • Hunting season and catch limits • Electronic devices to deter the deer • Poison Animals Narrowing the Gulf Conference

31. Group Project Task 4: Evaluation • Critically evaluate the weaknesses to the solution you chose. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

32. Small Group Project Task 5: Synthesis • Explain ways to improve and strengthen the solution you chose, and improve any weaknesses you identified. (You may introduce new information) Narrowing the Gulf Conference

33. Group Project Task 6: Reflection • What did you learn from this process? • What were the strengths and weaknesses in your thinking process? • What personal assumptions influenced your thinking during the process? • What could you do differently to improve your thinking process? Narrowing the Gulf Conference

34. 0 of 30 The Deer Scenario was a Helpful Critical Thinking Exercise. • Strongly Agree • Agree • Disagree • Strongly Disagree Narrowing the Gulf Conference

35. Lessons Learned Provide rubric to students prior to assessment Anonymous papers Anchor papers defining levels of proficiency for reference Use of multiple scorers Interrater reliability statistics during training and grading Narrowing the Gulf Conference

36. Other Critical Thinking Assessments • The CAT - Critical Thinking Assessment Test is designed to assess and promote the improvement of critical thinking and real-world problem solving skills.  The instrument is the product of extensive development, testing, and refinement with a broad range of institutions, faculty, and students across the country.  • The iSkills™ assessment (former ICT Literacy Assessment), externally developed by ETS, Inc., is a comprehensive test of Information and Communication Technology proficiency that uses scenario-based critical thinking tasks to measure both cognitive and technical skills. • The Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP) test, externally developed by Educational Testing Services, Inc. (ETS), Inc., is a measure of college-level reading, mathematics, writing, and critical thinking in the context of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

37. Critical Thinking Assessment Test “The CAT instrument is a unique tool designed to assess and promote the improvement of critical thinking and real-world problem solving… The test was designed to be interesting and engaging for students. Most of the questions require short answer essay responses and a detailed scoring guide helps insure good scoring reliability” (Tennessee Tech University, Critical Thinking Assessment Test Overview). Narrowing the Gulf Conference

38. Critical Thinking Assessment Test Narrowing the Gulf Conference

39. Critical Thinking Assessment Test Narrowing the Gulf Conference

40. Critical Thinking Assessment Test • In collaboration with Tennessee Technological University and with support from the National Science Foundation, St. Petersburg College received a grant to administer the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT) instrument to a representative sample of approximately 100 students enrolled in the College during 2008. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

41. Critical Thinking Assessment Test • SPC administrators attended regional training workshops at Tennessee Technological University in 2008 and 2009. • Eighty-seven CAT assessments were administered during 2008 to SPC students enrolled in five courses. • A CAT Scoring Session was held on July 11th, 2008 to score these assessments. Narrowing the Gulf Conference

42. Critical Thinking Assessment Test Source: Narrowing the Gulf Conference

43. 0 of 30 I Will Be Able To Apply The Information ILearned In This Presentation. • Strongly Agree • Agree • Disagree • Strongly Disagree Narrowing the Gulf Conference

44. 0 of 30 I Enjoyed This Presentation! • Strongly Agree • Agree • Disagree • Strongly Disagree Narrowing the Gulf Conference

45. Assessing for Critical Thinking Narrowing the Gulf Conference March 2009