AFA Conference Fall 2011 Chandler-Gilbert Community College Critical Thinking Project 2010-2012

1. AFA Conference Fall 2011Chandler-Gilbert Community College Critical Thinking Project 2010-2012

2. The Critical Thinking Project: An Overview The Summer Assessment Project 2010 The Critical Thinking Project Spring 2011 The Critical Thinking Faculty Learning Community Fall 2011-Spring 2012

3. The Summer Assessment Project 2010 The Summer Assessment Project 2010 included: (1) a literature review, (2) creating a rubric, and (3) conducting a pilot to test the rubric with subsequent data collection. The data revealed the rubric was working as a reliable instrument, however, students critical thinking in their written essay projects needed improvement. Also, project members agreed the rubric should be shortened for instructors and students ease of use. A number of further projects and applications were identified.

4. The Critical Thinking Project Spring 2011 Expands to five committees: • Rubric Development (condensed rubric to one page for cross-curricular assessment use by instructors and students) • Writing Center Student Workshops (3 workshops delivered, with a 4th in Fall 2011) • Faculty Development Workshop (CGCC cross-curricular effort to present rubric opportunity and encourage dialogue between all faculty members) • Rubric Bank (Planning for rubric indicators to be made available through the CGCC website and customizable for faculty use) • Rubric Pilot Project (planning and logistics of a campus-wide pilot)

5. The Critical Thinking Faculty Learning Community Fall 2011-Spring 2012 • The purpose of the CGCC Critical Thinking Learning Community is to create a forum for sharing best practices and expertise in the teaching and assessment of Critical Thinking.  We welcome all departments and disciplines to join us in this campus-wide effort! • The Critical Thinking Learning Community requests that participants commit to a two-semester project during the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 semesters,. Participants will evaluate and present their class assignment integration with the Critical Thinking rubric and share student outcomes related to its use.  • The CT Faculty Learning Community has 25+ members

6. Project Highlights The Rubric Bank Chris Reider’s Summer Project http://criticalthinkingrubric.com/

7. Project Highlights con’t • Student Workshops • Critical Thinking 101 * • Visual Analysis • Rhetorical Analysis • Synthesizing Sources

8. Example Workshop: Critical Thinking 101 • Emerging Critical Thinking Skills are identified as the ability to examine all sides of a subject. • The Handout outlines the type of Writing Center Workshop Activity used to give students a strategy to begin the critical thinking process.

9. Project Highlights Con’t • Faculty Learning Community • Dialogue and communication between faculty members intended to identify and close “gaps” between faculty expectations and student achievement level • Project Information and materials are available: www.cgccproject2011.weebly.com

10. CGCC’s Goal: Sharing Best Practices • Asking faculty to dialogue, communicate, and share with colleagues: • How have you taught critical thinking in your classrooms? • How could you use the rubrics we have developed to teach critical thinking in your classrooms? • How could you customize the rubrics for use in your classes? • How do students interpret and utilize a rubric specifically designed to assess their thinking?

11. CGCC wants to take students from “Point A”

12. To “Point Z”

13. Thank you for attending the CGCC Critical Thinking Presentation and supporting the Fall 2011 AFA Conference For more information about the Critical Thinking Project, please contact: Deborah Matayabas CGCC English Adjunct Faculty and Writing Fellow for the CGCC Critical Thinking Project deborah.matayabas@cgcmail.maricopa.edu The Critical Thinking Project is supported by CGCC’s SLOAC and WAC programs.