Critical Thinking in Every Classroom

Critical Thinking in Every Classroom Progress and Plans

Background: The QEP ___________________________________________________ Enhance critical thinking skills in all courses and programs 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Why? ___________________________________________________ In 2005, LFCC benchmark scores were lower than those of VCCS counterparts for questions on the CCSSE related to critical thinking. In addition, in 2006, LFCC students scored below VCCS peers for critical thinking on the CCTST. 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Stop and Think • What is critical thinking? • Do you recall any of the activities included in the LFCC definition of critical thinking? 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Thinking means… Explaining, analyzing, and synthesizing what we see, hear, and read Using creativity to discover multiple solutions and diverse approaches to issues Seeing connections and patterns Evaluating claims and evidence to draw reasonable conclusions Finding relevant information to address tasks and problems Justifying conclusions and solutions Reflecting on how we think and learn. Applying concepts to real-world problems

CCSSE Benchmarks 2005 2008 Active/Collaborative Learning: 45.2 48.8 Student Effort: 44.9 49.6 Academic Challenge: 46.3 49.9 Student/Faculty Interaction: 48.9 47.9 Support for Learning: 46.2 50.6 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Active and Collaborative Learning About how often during the current school year have you… Made a class presentation? 2005: 76% said “never” or “sometimes” 2008: 65% said “never” or “sometimes” Contributed to class discussions? 2005: 59% said “often” or “very often” 2008: 62% said “often” or “very often”

Student Effort • In 2005, 44% of students said that they worked harder than they thought they could “often or very often” to meet an instructor’s standards or expectations. • In 2008, 48% of students said that they worked harder than they thought they could “often or very often” to meet an instructor’s standards or expectations. 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Academic Challenge In 2005, 54% of students said they wrote four or fewer papers for all of their courses during the current school year. In 2008, only 36% of students reported four or fewer papers. 32% reported that they had written 11 or more papers for their courses during the current school year. 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory Synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences in new ways Making judgments about the value of soundness of information, arguments, or methods Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations Using information you have read or heard to perform a new skill A Closer Look at the CCSSE ___________________________________________________ 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Student Responses ___________________________________________________ Students responding “Some” or “Very little” Question 2005 2008 • Analyzing 40% 35% • Synthesizing 47% 31% • Judging 53% 43% • Applying 53% 50% • Using info 47% 48% 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Stop And Think • Why do you think our CCSSE scores in these areas have improved? • What is ONE activity you have done or will do in your course this semester that might contribute to improved CCSSE scores? 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Why did our scores go up? ___________________________________________________ Since 2007, all syllabi at the College include one of the six critical thinking SLOs… • 2.1 Discriminate among degrees of credibility, accuracy, and reliability of inferences drawn from given data • 2.2 Recognize parallels, assumptions, or presuppositions in any given source of information 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

CT SLOs, continued • 2.3 Evaluate the strengths and relevance of arguments on a particular question or issue • 2.4 Weigh evidence and decide if generalizations or conclusions based on the given data are warranted

CT SLOs, Continued • 2.5 Determine whether certain conclusions or consequences are supported by the information provided. • 2.6 Use problem solving skills

Stop and Think What is the CT learning outcome for the course(s) you are teaching this term? 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Way to go, LFCC! But… Question 5a: During this school year, how much has your coursework at this college emphasized memorizing facts, ideas, or methods from your courses or readings so that you can repeat them in pretty much the same form? 2005: 60% answered “quite a bit” or “very much.” 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu 17

Hmm… In 2008, 65% answered “quite a bit” or “very much.” This question has an inverse relationship to critical thinking… 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu 18

Stop and Think ___________________________________________________ What’s going on with this question? Why did our score go the WRONG way? 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

A definition Teaching means… Causing to learn. So… am I talking, or am I causing to learn? How can I know? How can I keep my students engaged enough to learn the knowledge they need to learn?

Some Tools Quick thinks (http://amps-tools.mit.edu/tomprofblog/archives/2007/09/818_quickthinks.html#more) Paul and Elder’s Universal Intellectual Standards (1996): http://www.criticalthinking.org/page.cfm?PageID=527&CategoryID=68

Universal Intellectual Standards • Clarity: Give an example, paraphrase, select the best response. • Accuracy: correct the error, verify the information • Precision: Complete the statement, select the best word • Relevance: Choose the fact that best supports a conclusion

Universal Standards 5. Depth: Which of the following questions have we not answered? What else do we need to know? 6. Breadth: How would ____ use this information? How does point of view change this information and its relevance? 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Universal Standards • 7. Logic: • What follows logically from this statement? • What does not follow logically from this fact? • If this is true, what cannot be true? • If this is false, what else is also false? • Put these steps into a logical order. 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

WHY? Students who approach the learning of factual information with these standards have already begun to see knowledge as a basis for critical thought. Unfortunately, these standards are not always valued, even by educational institutions!

Applying Standards In March of 2005, Dr. Les Perelman, then undergraduate director of writing at MIT, examined scores awarded to the essay section of the SAT exam. His conclusion? To get a high score, write a lot. Don’t worry about the accuracy of your information.

Think again Sept. 2008 The Kaiser Family Foundation led a study about “health messages” inserted into the television show Grey’s Anatomy. In regards to one particular fact about AIDS treatment during pregnancy, they found the following:

Grey’s Anatomy Viewers…thinking? 15% were unaware of the fact before the show aired 61% “knew” the fact a week after the show 45% still “knew” the fact six weeks later

Conclusion? Victoria Rideout, author of the study, says, “For better or worse, viewers do absorb the health information they see on TV, so it’s important for these shows to get it right.” What does the Grey’s Anatomy finding tell us about the way some of our students approach knowledge?

So what? ___________________________________________________ “When we think, whatever else we’re doing, we’re constructing a future.” (IBM Website) Miriam Moore Professor of English/ESL Middletown 126G 540-868-7173 mmoore2@lfcc.edu 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Lord Fairfax Community College Your Future. Our Focus. 800-906-LFCC / www.lfcc.edu

Critical Thinking in Every Classroom