Critical Thinking in Education

Integrating Critical ThinkingInto Learning Activities Across the Curriculum

Eric Rusten & Susan Schuman – USAID/PAEM & MoE

Critical Thinking Activities

Critical Thinking in Language Learning Critical Thinking in Math – Topology Critical Thinking in Science – How do

planes, birds and insects fly?

Perspectives of Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking Survey:

Defining Critical Thinking

Asking pertinent questions

Evaluates statements & arguments

Admits a lack of knowledge & understanding

Curiosity

Seeks new solutions

Actively shares new knowledge

Willing to examine beliefs, assumptions & opinions

Some Attributes of a Critical Thinker:

Distinguishes between facts and opinion

Sees critical thinking as a life-long process of self-assessment

Seeks evidence to support assumptions and beliefs

Open to changing ones mind

ReflectiveSeeks proof

Seeks clarity and exactness

Accepts others beliefs and opinions

Waits till all facts before making judgmentsActively enjoys

learning

Problem solver

Careful and active observer Humility

Critical Thinking Model

Defining Critical Thinking & Describing Critical Thinkers

“Critical thinking is the disciplined mental activity of evaluating arguments [information] or propositions and making judgments that can guide the development of beliefs and taking action.” Ennis (1992)

Critical thinking is both a frame of mind and a set of mental capabilities.

“Critical thinkers: distinguish between fact and opinion; ask questions; make detailed observations; uncover assumptions and define their terms; and make assertions based on sound logic and solid evidence. Ellis, D. Becoming a Master Student, 1997

Perspectives on Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is based on concepts and principles, not on hard and fast, or step-by-step, procedures.

Critical thinking does not assure that one will reach either the truth or correct conclusions.

Circuital thinking is a continuous process and often doesn’t lead to a final conclusion.

Critical thinking is hard intellectual work Critical thinking is an intellectual skill that

can (must) be learned and improved

Data >> Wisdom Chain

Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom

Perspectives on LearningAll reasoning/thinking/learning: starts and progresses with questions and a

need to understand; occurs within points of view and frames of

reference; proceeds from some goals and objectives,

has an informational base; uses data/information that must be

interpreted and this interpretation involves concepts, values, assumptions, past knowledge, inferences, biases, etc.

Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Problem Solving, Scientific Thinking,….

Critical Thinking Creative Thinking Scientific Thinking & Process Problem Solving Decision Making

Map of Thinking Domains

Scientific Thinking•Understanding/theory•Hypothesis•Experiment(s)•Observations•Conclusion(s)

Creative Thinking•Original Product•Create Possibilities•Create Metaphors•Testing•Refining

Critical Thinking•Critical judgment•Assessing information•Inference-using evidence•Deduction-if…then•New or refined perspective

Decision Making•Well-founded decision•Consider options•Predict consequences•Select best option

Problem Solving•Best solution•Consider options•Evaluate consequences•Choose best solution

Creative Thinking

● ● ●

● ● ●

● ● ●

Problem Solving

What is the problem? (Parse into sub-problems) What do you know? What resources do you have and what can I do with

them? What constraints do you face? What are some possible solutions? (brain storming) Evaluating possible solutions. Selecting best bets. Testing best-bet solutions. Assessing results. Refining solutions. Proposing final solution.

Suspend a 500 franc coin over water in a glass using a 1000 Franc note.

Why is Critical Thinking Important?

To learn is to think. To think poorly is to learn poorly. To think well is to learn well. All content, to be learned, must be

intellectually constructed. Memorizing IS NOT learning.

Why Critical Thinking is Important

Underlies reading, writing, speaking, and listening . . . the basic elements of communication, learning and education

Plays an important role in social change Helps us uncover bias and prejudice Is a path to freedom form half-truths, prejudice and

deceptions Creates the willingness to change one point of view as

we continue to examine and re-examine ideas that may seem obvious.

Takes time and the willingness to say three essential words: I don't know.

Enables us to distinguish between fact and opinion, ask good questions, make detailed observations, uncover assumptions and define their terms, and make assertions based on sound logic and solid evidence

Why Critical Thinking is Important

“The future now belongs to societies that organize themselves for learning... nations that want high incomes and full employment must develop policies thatemphasize the acquisition of knowledge and [thinking] skills by everyone, not just a select few.”

Ray Marshall & Marc Tucker, Thinking For A Living: Education And The Wealth of Nations, Basic Books. New York. 1992.

Questions & Critical Thinking

What do you mean by_______________? How did you come to that conclusion? What was said in the text? What is the source of your information? What is the source of information in the document? What assumption led you to that conclusion? Suppose you are wrong. What are the implications? Why did you make that inference? Is another one

more consistent with the data? Why is this issue significant? How do I know that what you are saying is true? What is an alternate explanation for this

phenomenon?

Enabling Learners to Become Quality Critical Thinkers CATS (Classroom Assessment

Techniques): use of ongoing classroom assessment and reflection to monitor and facilitate students' critical thinking. Ask students to write a "Minute Paper"

responding to specific questions such as: What was the most important thing you learned

in today's class? What one question related to this lesson remains

uppermost in your mind? How is what you learned today relevant to other

classes or life outside of school?

Enabling Learners to Become Quality Critical Thinkers

Cooperative Learning: putting students in structured group learning situations (2 or more learners) is an excellent way to foster critical thinking. In cooperative learning environments,

learners engage in active, critical thinking with continuous support and feedback from peers and the learning facilitator

Enabling Learners to Become Quality Critical Thinkers Use Questions: Learning to formulate a series of

quality questions is key to critical thinking and becoming a good critical thinker: Reciprocal Peer Questioning: Following a lesson,

present a list of question stems to guide students in writing responses in small groups. Then, the whole class discusses some of the questions from some or all of the small groups.

Reader's Questions: Require learners to write questions on assigned reading and turn them in at the beginning of class. Select a few of the questions as the impetus for class discussion.

Blue Sky Questions: Extended Learning Questions: Learners’ exam questions: Blooms taxonomy questions:

Enabling Learners to Become Quality Critical Thinkers Writing Assignments: writing for others

demands that learners think clearly to communicate clearly. can be based on questions can be done in small groups or individually can use different structures: compare & contrast,

cause & effect, explanation, argument, persuasion, etc.

Letter to the editors (teams of learners become editors at different news papers and readers)

Lab / experimental reports

Enabling Learners to Become Quality Critical Thinkers Dialogues/Debates: stimulates useful discussions in

the classroom: Written dialogues: Small groups of learners analyze written

dialogues (plays, news paper articles, etc.) and identify different viewpoints in the dialogue, look for biases, presence or exclusion of important evidence, alternative interpretations, misstatement of facts, and errors in reasoning. Each group decides which view is the most reasonable and must defend this position. After coming to a conclusion, each group acts out their dialogue and explains their analysis of it.

Spontaneous Group Dialogue/Debate: Students in one group are assigned roles (often what they don’t believe in) to play in a discussion (such as leader, information giver, opinion seeker, and disagreer). Observer groups must determine what roles are being played by whom, identifying biases and errors in thinking, evaluating reasoning skills, and examining ethical implications of the content.

Enabling Learners to Become Quality Critical Thinkers

Experiments and Collecting Data (critical thinking in science & math) Discovering relationships in math and

science – pie ∏; prime numbers; area and volume calculations; geometry; temperature and color; height, arm span and head size; genetics; flight and air pressure; etc.

Statistics and presenting information

Enabling Learners to Become Quality Critical Thinkers

Ambiguity: Rather than provide all the information as fact, produce as much ambiguity in the classroom as possible. Don't give students clear cut material. Give them conflicting information that

they must think their way through. Present content as a detective story that

they must solve by answering a set of questions.

Enabling Learners to Become Quality Critical Thinkers

IDEALS -- Six Steps to Effective Thinking Identify the problem. — “What’s the real question

we’re facing here?” Define the context. — “What are the facts and

circumstances that frame this problem?” Enumerate choices. — “What are our most plausible

three or four options?” Analyze options. — “What is our best course of action,

all things considered?” List reasons explicitly. — “Let’s be clear: Why we are

making this particular choice?” Self-correct. — “Okay, let’s look at it again. What did

we miss?”

Critical Thinking In The Curriculum

Earth & Life Sciences Physics/Chemistry Math Geography/History

How does rainfall influence agriculture, history, settlements, economics, education, politics

French (grammar & literature) Second languages

Participant Activities:

Teams of two Prepare a 20 min. micro-learning

activity that integrates elements of critical thinking

Suggested Planning Template

Activity title and summary statement Discipline/subject(s); Grade level(s) Goals, objectives & learning outcomes Methods and Materials

Resource needs (including time) Thinking skills emphasized Learning strategies Critical questions

Activity/Lesson Assessing learners (teacher, peer & self) Extending activity beyond the classroom

A thinking activity plan would include: