“ The Dephi Report ” Report

1. “The Dephi Report” Report (subtitled: What I read this summer)

2. What is The Delphi Report? • An overview of the skill and dispositional dimensions of critical thinking • Fifteen recommendations pertaining to critical thinking instruction and assessment • Download the Executive Summary: http://www.insightassessment.com/dex.html

3. Who created The Delphi Report? • 46 experts (mostly college professors) from a variety of disciplines such as philosophy, education and the social sciences contributed ideas • Peter Facione, currently Provost at Loyola University, compiled the report

4. Why “Delphi” (you)? • On the notecard, write a few phrases that come to mind when you hear “Delphi” or “Delphi Method” • Share ideas

5. How was The Delphi Report created (step 1)? • The “Delphi Method” is a method of structuring group communication to achieve consensus • Central investigator organizes an expert panel and presents the initial question • “How should college level critical thinking be defined so that college professors know which skills and dispositions to cultivate?”

6. How was The Delphi Report created (step 2)? • Central investigator receives all responses to the question • Central investigator summarizes responses and transmits them to the expert panel • Experts express agreement or disagreement with the summary

7. How was The Delphi Report created (step 3)? • When consensus is near, central investigator proposes this and asks if the experts agree • If not, points of disagreement are registered • All comments throughout the process are anonymous

8. Why Critical Thinking? • Teaching thinking is central to the idea of a liberal education • Philosopher John Dewey was one of the first educators to stress the centrality of reflective thinking • Reflective thinking, critical thinking, higher-order thinking - no consensus definition until the Delphi Report

9. Why is The Delphi Report important? • First consensus definition of critical thinking • According to a California study, 89% of faculty said critical thinking was a primary objective but… • Only 19% could give a clear definition and… • Only 9% were teaching for critical thinking on a typical class day

10. What does The Delphi Report say? • Critical thinking involves six major cognitive skills • Critical thinking requires certain affective dispositions such as inquisitiveness, self-confidence and open-mindedness • Critical thinking can be assessed

11. Later today... • Discuss critical thinking assessment methods • But first… • Lunch