Developing Higher O rder Thinking

1. Developing Higher Order Thinking Robert Fisher Robert Fisher

2. Developing thinking and learning This seminar will focus on: • developing higher order thinking skills • dialogic teaching and learning • the development of qualifications in Scotland to support the Curriculum for Excellence programme. Robert Fisher

3. What is the purpose of education? Education … ‘has for its purpose not the imparting of particular knowledge but the strengthening of mental faculties’ (Kant) … to cultivate the mind and develop character Robert Fisher

4. Why teach for thinking? ‘If thinking is how we make sense of experience then helping our children to become better thinkers will help them to get more out of learning and more out of life.’ Fisher, R. (2008) Teaching Thinking Continuum

5. Thinking to Learn (Highland Council) Robert Fisher

6. What are thinking skills? We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit’ (Aristotle) A thinking skill is: • a mental process learnt through practice • how we apply intelligence to a problem • our capacity to make judgements What is good thinking?

7. Thinking Skills • Knowledge • Understanding - Information • Application processing • Analysis - Critical thinking • Synthesis - Creative thinking • Evaluation Bloom (1956) Fisher/Logan (Highland LEA) • Remembering • Understanding • Applying • Analysing and evaluating • Creating (SQA) Robert Fisher

8. Dimensions of thinking These dimensions of thinking at literal, strategic, and conceptual levels : • information processing • critical thinking • creative thinking • comparative (evaluative)thinking through self-reflection, dialogue and writing, characterise research. Robert Fisher

9. What is higher order thinking? • Intellectually challenging, requires effort • Complex and multi-variable • Open, uncertain, not routine or algorithmic • Seeks meaning, conceptual understanding • Evaluative, involving criteria for judgement • Metacognitive, involves self-regulation Robert Fisher

10. Activities that promote higher order skills • Collaborative learning • Experiential learning • Problem-based learning • Outcome-focused learning • Interdisciplinary and multi-context learning • Systems thinking • High level discussion • Interactive questioning • Action based research • Peer reflection and challenge • Higher Order Skills Excellence Group (2011) Robert Fisher

11. Models of dialogue • Speaking and listening – engaging in talk • Discussion groups – sharing views, ideas • Community of Enquiry – seeking understanding via questioning, explaining, hypothesising, reasoning, and evaluation of concepts and claims to truth and knowledge - within a self-regulating democratic setting. Robert Fisher

12. Teachers and students as researchers Thinking teachers and students enhance teaching and learning by research through: • questioning, problem posing • studying multiple sources of information • applying higher order thinking • extending thinking through dialogue • reviewing processes and outcomes How do we build research into the curriculum? Robert Fisher