An Inquiry Group Investigation: Are We Teaching Critical Thinking Skills?
General Education ConferenceMay 2, 2008
Gina Cicco, Ed.D.Hostos Community College
Agenda•
The Inquiry Group▫
Goals
▫
Progress
•
Critical Thinking Skills▫
Bloom’s Taxonomy
▫
Anderson’s Revision
•
Checklist ▫
Faculty and Student Assessment
•
Conclusion▫
The Future of the Inquiry Group
▫
Questions and Comments
The Inquiry Group
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How did it begin?
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What is it?
•
What do we do?
•
When do we meet?
•
How has it evolved?
The Inquiry Group and General Education
•
Thematic Foci within General Education▫
Academic Inquiry and Literacy Skills
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Item 15…
“Utilize higher-level critical and analytical skills in reading and in personal and professional settings.”
•
Principles…▫
Three: “Teach the Arts of Inquiry and Innovation”
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Five: “Connect Knowledge with Choices and Action”
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Seven: “Assess Students’
Ability to Apply Learning to
Complex Problems”
The Inquiry Group Goals•
Departmental Participation
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Vehicle for Addressing “Big Questions”
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Reflection
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Assessment of Critical Thinking in Teaching and Learning
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Improve Faculty and Student Practices
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Increase Student Involvement in General Education Discourse
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Utilize Quantitative and Qualitative Data for Syllabi and Program Revision
Defining Critical Thinking Skills
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What is critical thinking?
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Can it be taught?
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How can it be assessed or quantified?
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Bloom’s Taxonomy▫
Learning Domains
▫
Cognitive, Affective, Psychomotor
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy Benjamin Bloom, 1956•
Knowledge: Drawing out factual answers, testing recall and recognition
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Comprehension: Translating, interpreting, and extrapolating•
Application: To situations that are new, unfamiliar, or have a new slant for students
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Analysis: Breaking down into parts, forms•
Synthesis: Combining elements into a pattern not clearly there before
•
Evaluation: According to some set of criteria, and state why
From Maynard (2004)
Anderson’s Update
Anderson’s Update (Lorin Anderson, 1990s)•
Nouns changed to verbs
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Remembering: can the student recall or remember the information?
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Understanding: can the student explain ideas or concepts?
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Applying: can the student use the information in a new way?
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Analysing: can the student distinguish between the different parts?
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Evaluating: can the student justify a stand or decision?
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Creating: can the student create a new product or point of view?
(From Overbaugh & Schultz, 2008)
Checklists
•
Likert scale of 0 to 5▫
0= Never
▫
1= Rarely▫
2= Sometimes
▫
3= Often▫
4= Very Often
▫
5= Always
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Artifacts to be supplied
Assessment #1, For Faculty
Assessment #2, For Faculty
Our Progress•
Regular Meetings
•
Departmental Participation
•
Mission Statement
•
Consultant Advice
•
Informal Inquiry of Critical Thinking Skills▫
Higher-Order Thinking Skills
▫
Bloom’s Taxonomy Model
•
Self-Assessment▫
Checklist
•
Syllabus Revision
•
Student Participation▫
Assessment
▫
Brown-Bag Lunches
The Future of the Inquiry Group•
Greater Dialogue Among Faculty and Students▫
Advisement
▫
College-Wide Assessment/Rubric
•
In-Depth Course Assessment•
In-Depth Student Assessment of Higher-Order Thinking Skills
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Continued Emphasis on Teaching and Learning•
Ongoing, Periodic Assessment and Revision
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Improving Online Courses▫
Discussion Boards
▫
Web-Enhanced Courses
Conclusion
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Summary of Progress and Expected Outcomes•
College-Wide Participation▫
Inter-departmental dialogue
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Questions•
Comments
•
Thank you!