The Five Colleges of Ohio

Creative and Critical Thinking:

Assessing the Foundations of a Liberal Arts

Education

2007-08 Report to The Teagle Foundation

July 15, 2008

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The Five Colleges of Ohio

Creative and Critical Thinking:

Assessing the Foundations of a Liberal Arts

Education

Funded by the Teagle Foundation

The College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Key Findings From Year Two 3 Year Two Activities Report 5 Generic Creative and Critical Thinking Rubric 15 Survey Data Analysis 19 Focus Group Data Analysis 57 Denison University Data Analysis 63 Kenyon College Data Analysis 89 Ohio Wesleyan University Data Analysis 119 The College of Wooster Data Analysis 147 Appendix 173 Faculty Creative Thinking Survey 175 Faculty Critical Thinking Survey 183 Student Creative and Critical Thinking Survey 191 Project Personnel 207

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INTRODUCTION

In the second year of our project to assess critical and creative thinking on our campuses, 60 faculty across the four campuses developed and administered creative thinking and/or critical thinking rubrics in their classes. Based on the data collected from the application of these rubrics, we successfully created a generic critical and creative thinking rubric that we will test in 2008-08 in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies to be undertaken by 18 faculty members representing the fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences on our project campuses. We collected additional data through (1) the administration of critical and creative thinking surveys to faculty, seniors, and first-year students on our campuses, and (2) focus groups with faculty and seniors on our campuses. The surveys will be administered in 2008-09 on all four campuses to first-year students, sophomores, and seniors to begin the process of collected longitudinal data on student perceptions of their critical and creative thinking experiences. The surveys were made available to other colleges and universities via access on our web site. We presented initial findings from Years 1 and 2 of the project at the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. in January 2008 and at the annual meeting of the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago, IL, in April 2008. Nancy Grace and Sarah Murnen presented at the AAC&U meeting, while Sarah Murnen, Barbara Andereck, and Simon Gray presented at the HLC meeting. Nancy Grace also presented a report on the project to the Fives Colleges of Ohio representatives in January 2008, while Iain Crawford, project initiator, presented the project at a June Mellon Foundation conference in New York City. In April 2008, Nancy Grace also presented key project findings at a Mellon Foundation conference held at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. In the following pages, readers will find detailed reports of our mid-project results, including the generic rubric that will be tested this coming academic year. Report Prepared by: Nancy Grace, Professor of English, The College of Wooster

Sarah Murnen, Professor of Psychology, Kenyon College

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KEY FINDINGS in YEAR TWO

1. It is possible to construct a valid generic critical and creative thinking rubric that can be used reliably to measure change in critical and creative thinking skills in both longitudinal and cross-sectional testing across the curriculum. 2. Faculty and students value both critical and creative thinking. 3. There seem to be more opportunities for critical than creative thinking in classes. 4. Class projects are evaluated by students as a means to engage in both critical and creative thinking. 5. The event perceived by both first-year students and seniors to involve the most critical thinking was “writing papers for classes.” The event that was perceived to involve the most creative thinking was “engaging in a hobby.” 6. Senior students reported more work that involved integration than first-year students. 7. Seniors majoring in the fine arts reported a lower number of activities requiring integration than did seniors majoring in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. Seniors majoring in the natural sciences and social sciences reported a lower number of activities requiring the use of a story, metaphor, or visual element than did those majoring in the fine arts. There was no statistical significant difference between the fine arts majors and the humanities majors. 8. Our campus environments were rated favorably with respect to the potential for creative thinking, although faculty rated “idea time” and “risk taking” as somewhat limited in their experience. First-year students were the most optimistic in their ratings of the environment, while seniors were more optimistic than faculty in their ratings of some characteristics such as “challenge” and “supportive environment.” 9. Women students reported more experience with both creative and critical thinking and more positive attitudes about creativity compared to men students. 10. Faculty most often consider their own research to be the site of their most creative experiences. 11. In the responses to open-ended questions it was found that classes are highly associated with critical thinking while creative thinking was seen in a variety of activities, but not especially in class. Students might be experiencing the most creativity in their living spaces and in other aspects of student life that perhaps could be integrated more with their academic experiences.

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12. Student issues were frequently noted by students and faculty as barriers to critical thinking, while pedagogy was frequency noted by students as an impediment to creative thinking. 13. Diversity is believed to facilitate both critical and creative thinking. 14. When asked what signifies growth in students’ critical and creative thinking, critical thinking improvement was distinguished by assessment of arguments and understanding others’ perspectives, while creative thinking was distinguished by novelty, risk, and curiosity. Synthesis and complexity of thought characterized both critical and creative thinking. 15. Differences in responses between the four schools point out some of the distinctive characteristics of the schools such as the emphasis on senior independent study at Wooster and the opportunities for special interest housing at OWU, which are perceived to facilitate critical and creative thinking.

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YEAR TWO ACTIVITIES REPORT

Background Key Questions of the Grant: 1. What tools might we develop to assess two fundamental and related outcomes of

a liberal arts education: creative thinking and critical thinking? 2 What are faculty and student perceptions of creative thinking and critical thinking?

How do student perceptions of these processes change during their college education?

Research Design The research design addresses the two key questions of the grant. The grant activities and the data that were collected to assess each activity are listed by year below. 1. Assessment of creative and critical thinking in the curriculum Faculty develop rubrics using primary trait analysis to measure creative and critical thinking. Year 1: Core group of faculty learns about use of rubrics, develops pilot rubrics. Year 2: Volunteer faculty members on all campuses learn to develop rubrics that they apply to their classes. These faculty reported back on their experience, and on student learning as a result of this work. Faculty who created rubrics in either year 1 or 2 asked to help rate terms that might be used for a generic rubric. Year 3: Selected faculty apply the generic rubric and measure change in student

creative critical thinking across time. 2. Assessment of perceptions of creative and critical thinking on campus. A survey was developed to measure perceptions. The focus group method is also employed to gather information.

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Year 1: Pilot survey conducted and tested in students and faculty. Year 2: Collected survey data from first-year students, seniors, and faculty on each

campus. Held focus group of seniors and faculty members on each campus.

Year 3: Start longitudinal study of first-year students to see how perceptions

change across time.

Year 2 Data Reports

Several types of data were collected in year two of the grant. These data are summarized and included in this report. Report 1: Faculty Response to Developing Rubrics Faculty members on all campuses learned to develop rubrics that they applied in their classes. These faculty were given an on-line survey to respond to concerning their experience. The data are summarized in a report. Report 2: Faculty Measure Change in Student Performance Across Time Although the faculty who developed rubrics in year two were not specifically asked to track changes in student performance across time, a couple of the faculty did do that. Their rubric data on student performance are summarized in a brief report. Report 3: Faculty Help Create a Generic Rubric All of the faculty who created and used rubrics in year 1 and 2 were sent a link to a survey concerning traits that were relevant to their courses that might be included in the generic rubric that will be used in year 3. This report is also included. Report 4: Survey Data A total of 782 individuals (260 first-year students, 375 seniors, and 147 faculty) filled out the survey. A lengthy report of responses is included. In addition to the summary report, each individual school was sent a report with institution-specific data. Report 5: Focus Group Data A summary of responses to the focus groups was developed. In addition, each school was sent specific information about the focus group comments from seniors and faculty at their school.

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Report 6: Characteristics of a Creative Campus Climate at Other Institutions We had the opportunity to administer a brief version of some of the survey questions to faculty and administrators at a presentation we gave at both the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) conference in January 2008 and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) conference in April 2008. The results are presented in a brief report.

Data Report 1: Faculty Response to Developing Rubrics In the summer of 2007, workshops on the development of rubrics were held on all four campuses with the intention of recruiting volunteers who would learn to develop rubrics and use them in their classes. Nancy Grace and Sarah Murnen conducted the workshops, and year 1 participants were encouraged to attend and to serve as support persons for faculty on their campus. Fifteen to twenty faculty from each campus were recruited to attend the on-campus workshop. A total of 60 faculty across the four campuses developed and administered rubrics in their classes. Faculty were told that their rubric should deal with some aspect of critical or creative thinking (and ideally, both). It was of interest to determine faculty responses to the workshops and their experience developing and using rubrics. All participating faculty were sent a link to an on-line survey to report on their experience. Fifty-seven participating faculty filled out the survey. Some results are summarized below: What was the focus of the rubric you developed and administered?

• 78% of the faculty indicated that the rubrics they developed and administered assessed some aspect of creative thinking

• 89% of the faculty indicated that their rubrics assessed some aspect of critical

thinking How difficult was it to develop a rubric? 19.4% indicated that it was “not at all difficult” 52.8% “somewhat difficult” 11.1% “difficult” How many students performed well, according to your rubric responses?

Creative Thinking: Critical Thinking:

3.7% All or almost all 6.5%

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40.7% Most 71.0% 40.7% About half 22.6% 11.1% Less than half 0%

3.7% Almost none 0% Faculty were asked the extent to which they agreed with a number of statements using a scale where 1 = strongly disagree… 3 = neutral… 5 = strongly agree. The responses of the 57 faculty who filled out the survey are reported below.

Item Average Response ____ I will continue to use rubrics 4.38 Have discussed the use of rubrics with colleagues 4.29 The use of rubrics… Helped me make course expectations clearer to students 4.26 Made me more purposeful about emphasizing or enhancing assignments related to …critical thinking 4.00 …creative thinking 3.47 Helped me more clearly define my goals for the course 3.80 Helped me keep track of changes in student performance 3.65 Led to results that influenced my subsequent teaching 3.46 ________________________________________________________________________ Some sample comments from faculty about the effect of using rubrics:

“… after students received rubric results, they were influenced in their interaction with the course.”

“When I saw what was not understood, I realized I needed to slow down.”

“They were particularly helpful in my interactions with students while they were revising their papers.”

“The results more concretely showed me where the students were having problems and thus caused me to talk directly to these issues during class time.”

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Report 2: Faculty Measure Change in Student Performance Across Time Year two faculty who attended a workshop on the development of rubrics, developed their own rubric, and administered the rubric in their classes were asked to provide us with the rubric and the “data” they collected on student performance. A couple of faculty tracked changes in student performance across time. They gave out a similar assignment at the beginning of the course and at the end and tracked changes. These data are shown below: In a biology class a professor tracked student performance on a critical analysis of a research article. The performance on the first analysis was compared to the last analysis, and students improved significantly (p < .05) on the following traits:

• Novel claim made • Rigorous analysis provided • Convincing support provided

In a women’s studies course for an assignment on the “analysis of a gendered object” student performance on the first (preparatory) paper was compared to their performance on the final paper, and students performed significantly better on the second paper on the following traits:

• Quality of analysis and evaluation • Resourcefulness in locating supporting material • Evidence of divergent thinking

Note: These data indicated to us that faculty can chart change in student performance across time with respect to creative and critical thinking. This is the model we will be using in the third yearn of the grant. Faculty will administer a “generic rubric” in their classes and measure change across time. Report 3: Summary of Faculty Responses - Most Important Generic Rubric Traits Twenty-six faculty who had experience in developing and using rubrics responded to a survey concerning traits that might be incorporated into a generic rubric. A number of traits were listed (and defined) and faculty rated the importance of including each trait on the rubric, using a scale where 1 = not at all important and 5 = very important. Only the traits with a mean importance of 4 or greater are shown below. Relevant comments from faculty are included as well. Mean Importance (stdev) Trait _______

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4.48 (.51) Idea Generation One would have to take into consideration that this aspect of the assignment may not be written / evident IN the assignment. After considering many a student may settle on one idea but getting there is a valuable exercise. Quality rather than quantity of ideas is probably more relevant in science

4.24 (.72) Identifying Question

A related trait is developing an interesting claim/argument (i.e. a useful, innovative, unique answer to the question). Sees an opportunity or makes a connection not previously noted

4.12 (.78) Framing a Question Not all assignments require framing questions. Some assignments require learning and synthesizing, but not to produce new work or answer questions, but rather to increase understanding/ownership What is creative to me is being able to see connections and articulate them in a way that invites more exploration

4.36 (.91) Domain and Disciplinary Knowledge Without this there is no critical thinking. Crucial in the sciences. While this is important - not sure it is creative. However, it may be critical for being able to explore things creatively. In addition, for art particularly - vocabulary may be less important that experience with different media - a vocabulary so to speak This would depend on the level at which the rubric is used: if on grad students or senior majors, then sure!

4.21 (.88) Identified Relevant Information Useful for more advanced students, but not as relevant for those new to the discipline

4.92 (.28) Ability to synthesize and make connections I see this as the heart of creativity. This is where the critical and creative thinking take place. Bingo! This is important and may be some aspect of creativity we can readily measure.

4.33 (.70) Engagement with the Material

This is the heart of critical thinking. Not relevant for my assignments because my students are not able to read primary literature in physics and because even if they could they would not have enough

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background to judge the author's perspective or assumptions. This item should not be mandatory for instructors to use. Useful for more advanced students, but not as relevant for those new to the discipline

4.50 (.72) Abstraction The rubric may have to have two elements to it - student behavior in the course of the project and the assessment of results of student research.

4.04 (.69) Connect Research/Writing to Larger Themes Here is another element of the critical and creative thinking that we liberal arts colleges claim students gain out of a liberal arts education. Our curricula are successes when students come out able to do this. Again, not so relevant for papers designed to have students gain and express knowledge. Harder for them to do. Useful for more advanced students, but not as relevant for those new to the discipline Not a great indicator as some fields this is not creative but in other it is. I would look for unexpected connections

4.25 (.79) Elements of Argumentation This covers a lot of ground, from writing ability to the explanation of causes, consequences, and implications (which is a lot in itself). Here again are traits, if they are present in student work, of nascent critical and creative thought. Isn't ability to construct an argument that is compelling/convincing what we are trying to assess? Don't we have to assess those traits that make an argument compelling? I'd like to see this split: 1) developing a compelling claim. 2) making the argument well. Some sub-items are relevant. OK if we can choose which we want to include. Not necessarily creative For advanced students

4.00 (.98) Divergent Thinking Here is a trait that would reflect creative and critical thinking to my sense of it. Good for creativity. Perhaps bad for critical thinking or at least gaining background in a scientific field.

4.29 (.69) Coherence, Elegance I also think we should value the ability to present complex ideas and not to oversimplify. These help identify the A papers. Could just be neat and well organized - not necessarily creative

4.50 (.78) Clarity and Completeness

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This can be used as an overall item - taking the entire piece into consideration. Providing an overall perspective. This is related to communication of ideas. It's my feeling that if you cannot communicate your creative or critical thoughts, then it is as good as not being able to think creatively or (especially!) critically, since it's locked away inside you. Report 6: Characteristics of a Creative Campus Climate: Ohio-5 Schools Compared to Others A brief anonymous survey was administered at the AAC&U conference in January 2008 and at the HLC conference in April 2008 to determine the extent to which faculty and administrators present rated their campuses as having various features that promote creative thinking. Responses of conference attendants are shown below using a rating scale where 1 = not at all present on the campus to 7 = extensively. Attribute AACU (N = 32) HLC (N = 80) Freedom 5.26 (1.09) 4.89 (1.32) Idea Support 4.75 (.98) 4.39 (1.2) Trust/Openness 4.55 (1.17) 4.12 (1.24) Risk Taking 4.26 (1.39) 3.71 (1.01) Active models 4.33 (1.12) 4.00 (1.21) Is your campus creative? 4.46 (1.04) 4.44 (1.19) Do you teach creativity? 5.23 (1.33) 4.86 (1.21) Responses to “How do you know (your campus is creative)? 23 AACU and 26 HLC respondents wrote comments. The most frequent responses in order:

• Visibility of various types of student creative projects • Existence of active encouragement for new ideas • Development of new programs occurs

Responses to “How do you know (that you are teaching students to think more creatively)? 21 AACU and 26 HLC respondents wrote comments. The most frequent responses in order:

• Existence of “active learning” pedagogies such as senior projects, open-ended assignments, etc.

• Knowledge comes through assessment Responses to “If you could change one thing about your campus to encourage more creative thinking, what would it be?” 21 AACU and 38 HLC respondents wrote comments. The most frequent responses in order:

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• Increased conversations about the topic (and other forms of learning) • Increased interdisciplinary opportunities • Modeling from the administration • Funding or other incentives (and ways to free up time) • Create “safe zones” or other types of support • Make creativity a learning goal

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CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING GENERIC RUBRIC

The product exhibits evidence of the following traits. 1. Elements of Argumentation Explanation—stating the results of one's reasoning; justifying that reasoning in terms of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological and contextual considerations upon which the results were based. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___]

1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ Analysis—identifying the intended and actual relationships among statements, questions, concepts, descriptions or other forms of representation. Can include defining, cause and effect, as well as comparing and contrasting. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___]

1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ Evaluation — assessing the credibility and logical strength of statements or other representations that are accounts or descriptions of a person's perception, experience, situation, judgment, belief, or opinion. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___]

1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ Interpretation — comprehending and expressing the meaning or significance of something, such as experiences, situations, data, events, judgments, conventions, beliefs, rules, procedures or criteria. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___]

1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ Logic – following the accepted and understood rules for the discipline. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___]

1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___

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2. Domain and Disciplinary Knowledge — drawing upon relevant literature, methods, insights to construct the product. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___] 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 3. Synthesis and Connections — combining unlike or distinctly different elements in order to tell a coherent story, provide a logical argument or insightful vision, or create a useful object. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___] 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 4. Abstract Thinking — formulating general concepts by identifying common properties of specific instances; posing overarching “theories” and seeing the “big picture” – identifying fundamentals, first principles, general structures. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific trait:___] 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 5. Complexity of Thought — using many elements at one or more level, such as questioning assumptions, revealing multiple paths of causation, considering multiple variables, recognizing missing elements, and being tolerant of ambiguity. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___] 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 6. Ideas Generated — producing alternatives to solving problems, variations on a theme. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___] a. Fluency— the ability to extend an idea (number of) 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ b. Flexibility—the ability to cross conceptual boundaries 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 7. Completeness/Coherence — being logically or aesthetically consistent with all separate parts fitting together to form a harmonious or credible whole. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___] 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 8. Elegance — presenting the product in a refined, understated way. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___] 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___

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9. Divergent Thinking — going against the grain of the usual or expected in a useful way, not perversely or solipsisticly. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___] 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 10. Novelty or Uniqueness (of Idea, Claim, Question, Form) — newness in terms of new processes, techniques, materials, concepts used; effects on future creative products. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___] a. Germinal — likely to suggest additional future creative products, etc. 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ b. Original — unusual or infrequently seen in a universe of products made by people with similar experience and training. 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ c. Transformational – an existing idea has been transformed via application in a new way or in a new context 1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 11. Engagement — degree of attraction to, curiosity about, devotion to, or ownership of the task at hand. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___]

1___ 2___ 3___ 4___ 5___ 6___

12. Risk Taking — the willingness to undertake a venture that may result in a loss or damage to oneself. [Disciplinary/Assignment specific traits:___]

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Rating Scale Descriptions 6 = Demonstrates trait to an exceptionally high degree 5 = Demonstrates trait to a high degree 4 = Demonstrates trait to an intermediate degree 3 = Demonstrates trait to a sub-par degree 2 = Trait is barely evident 1 = Trait is not evident Definitions Creative Thinking 1. We call the products creative if they represent a transformation or a reconceptualization, have aesthetic coherence and appeal, represent a new configuration or connection of ideas, or serve some functional or explanatory purpose 2. Creative intelligence is involved when skills are used to create, invent, discover, imagine, suppose, or hypothesize. (Sternberg and Grigorenko).� 3. Creativity is a novel and useful idea or product “the confluence of intrinsic motivation, domain-relevant knowledge and abilities, and creativity-relevant skills”; the latter includes coping with complexities, knowledge of problem-solving heuristics, concentration, ability to set aside problems, and high energy (Sternberg 1999). 4. “a confluence of six distinct but interrelated resources: intellectual abilities, knowledge, styles of thinking, personality, motivation, and environment” (Sternberg 1999). Critical Thinking 1. Purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based. (Facione 1990). 2. The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, trustful of reason, open-minded, flexible, fair-minded in evaluation, honest in facing personal biases, prudent in making judgments, willing to reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in complex matters, diligent in seeking relevant information, reasonable in the selection of criteria, focused in inquiry, and persistent in seeking results which are as precise as the subject and the circumstances of inquiry permit. (Facione 1990).

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SURVEY DATA ANALYSIS

The major focus of the Ohio-5 grant supported by the Teagle Foundation is to assess creative and critical thinking in liberal arts students. Faculty have been instructed to use primary trait analysis to construct rubrics to measure changes in student creative and critical thinking across time, as indicated by course assignments. For additional background concerning student and faculty perceptions and experiences with critical and creative thinking, surveys were developed and administered. This report focuses on the survey data that were collected from first-year students, senior students, and faculty in 2008.

Method Participants: On-line surveys were administered to students and faculty at the College of Wooster (COW), Denison University (DU), Kenyon College (KC), and Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). Surveys were administered to first-year students, seniors, and faculty members. The total sample size in each group by college is shown below: COW DU KC OWU Total

Freshmen 106 0 98 56 260 Seniors 125 86 57 107 375 Faculty 58 35 26 28 147 Total 289 121 181 191 782

In the group of freshmen, 71.6% of the participants were women and 78.5% were Caucasian. In the group of seniors these values were 71.5% women and 88.7% Caucasian; and among faculty, 46.9% female and 85% Caucasian. An attempt was made to balance faculty by discipline by recruiting faculty randomly within each division of the college, and it was hoped that there would be balance of students by discipline of major. (Since some students were double majors, the major they listed first was used to categorize by discipline unless one major was fine arts in which case student major was classified as fine arts due to possible low representation.) These values are indicated below: Fine Arts Humanities Nat Sciences Soc Sciences Freshmen 15.1% 40.1% 23.8% 20.4% Seniors 10.9% 28.5% 24.7% 35.9% Faculty 8.2% 32.2% 26.7% 32.9%

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In terms of status of the faculty, 10.3% were visiting faculty not in a tenure-track position, 26.2% were tenure-track faculty who were not yet tenured, and 63.4% were tenured faculty. Faculty members were selected for participation by a survey coordinator at each school. Faculty were selected randomly within each division of the college and sent an email with a link to either the critical thinking or creative thinking questionnaire. All first-year students at three of the schools (not DU); and seniors at all four schools were sent an email to request their participation. One-half of students (selected randomly) received an email that gave access to the survey with critical thinking questions listed first, and the other half of the students were sent access to a survey with creative questions listed first. All groups were sent reminder emails to complete the surveys. Freshmen and faculty (with the exception of those at DU) were sent email links starting in January, 2008; and seniors and faculty from DU were sent email links starting in March, 2008. Survey: Surveys were developed in consultation with small groups of faculty from each of the four schools who were meeting to develop rubrics to assess critical and creative thinking. The survey was pilot tested in 2007. The student survey had ten sets of questions, and the two faculty surveys each contained four of the sets of questions. The ten sets of questions were as follows:

1 Words Associated with Critical Thinking Students and faculty received a list of 47 words and were asked to indicate whether or not they associated each word with critical thinking. The words were generated to be representative of creative thinking and/or critical thinking.

2 Words Associated with Creative Thinking Students and faculty received the same 47 words described above, but were asked to indicate whether or not they associated each word with creative thinking.

3 Critical Thinking Involved in Various Student Events Students made ratings of the amount of critical thinking involved in 12 different events such as “writing papers for class.” Ratings were made on a five-point likert scale with responses of 1 indicating the event did not involve critical thinking, and responses of 5 indicating that the event involved a “great deal” of critical thinking.

4 Creative Thinking Involved in Various Student Events Ratings of the amount of creative thinking involved in the same 12 events examined in section 3 were made using the same five-point scale.

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5 Critical and Creative Thinking Activities of Students

The frequency with which students engaged in 11 different activities related to critical and/or creative thinking such as “brainstorming in class” was examined. Students responded on a scale where 1 indicated that the student never engaged in the activity, and 6 meant they engaged in the activity frequently.

6 Campus Climate Conditions that Promote Creative Thinking Ratings of the campus climate related to creative thinking such as amount of “challenge” in the environment were made by both students and faculty. There were 14 different characteristics listed, and respondents used a rating scale where 1 indicated that the characteristic was not present at all, and 7 indicated that it was present to a “great extent.”

7 Critical Thinking Attitudes Agreement with various attitudes related to critical thinking was examined among both students and faculty. (There were several items that were not applicable to faculty, so did not appear on their questionnaire.) Agreement with each item was assessed with 1 indicating strong disagreement and 7 indicating strong agreement.

8 Creative Thinking Attitudes Agreement with various attitudes related to creative thinking was also examined in both students and faculty. (Several items were not relevant to faculty so were not included on their questionnaire.) Ratings were made on the same 7-point scale used for critical thinking attitudes.

9 Free-Response Questions – Critical Thinking Students and faculty were asked a series of open-ended questions about critical thinking including where it occurred, whether there were barriers to it, whether they thought diversity affected it, whether they thought technology affected it, and to explain an experience that involved a great deal of critical thinking. Faculty were asked the same questions except for the last one. Faculty were also asked to indicate what factors indicated growth in students’ ability to think critically.

10 Free-Response Questions – Creative Thinking Students and faculty were asked open-ended questions about creative thinking including where it occurred, whether there were barriers to it, whether they thought diversity affected it, whether they thought technology affected it, and to explain their most creative experience. Faculty were also asked to indicate what factors indicated growth in students’ ability to think creatively.

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Student groups received all ten sections of the survey with the order of the questions counterbalanced such that half of the students received questions related to critical thinking first, and half of the students received questions about creative thinking first. In an effort to keep the faculty survey short, one half of the faculty received sections 1, 7, and 9; and one half received sections 2, 8 and 10. Both groups of faculty responded to section 6 questions. Additional demographic questions were asked of all participants such as gender, race/ethnicity, student major, faculty discipline, and tenure status of faculty. Appendices A-D contain copies of the four versions of the survey (two student versions with the same questions in different orders, one faculty critical thinking survey, and one faculty creative thinking survey). Procedure: All freshmen participants were recruited with the message that two of them would be chosen at random to receive $200. The faculty were recruited with two chances to win $100, and the seniors were recruited such that there were two chances on each campus to win $100. Participants were told that the email address they provided to enter them in to the random sample to win the prize money would not be associated with their responses such that the confidentiality of the data would be maintained. Analyses:

Comparing Freshmen Students to Senior Students. Data were compiled across all four schools for the main analyses that were conducted. For questions that were asked of students only, responses of freshmen were compared to those of seniors by each section of the questionnaire. Independent groups t-tests were conducted to compare the value of the means between the two groups. A significance level of p < .005 was set to guard against Type I error. Tables 1, 2 and 6 display data where freshmen were compared to seniors. Comparing All Three Groups. Both students and faculty responded to questions about the creative climate, critical thinking attitudes, and creative thinking attitudes. For these data the responses of freshmen, seniors, and faculty members were compared through one-way analyses of variance. The alpha level was again set at p < .005 to reduce the probability of Type I error. These data are displayed in tables 3, 4, and 5 and summarized below. Additional Analyses of Faculty and Senior Data. The data for seniors were examined for possible differences in responses related to discipline of major and gender. (The data from freshmen were not likely as valid as those from seniors given their limited experience so these data were not examined further.) Similarly, within the faculty data set the possible effects of discipline, gender, and tenure

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status of faculty on the responses were examined. These data are shown in tables 7-11 and summarized below. Qualitative Data: Data yielded from sections 1, 2, 9, and 10 of the survey are qualitative rather than quantitative. The frequencies of various responses were examined and displayed in graphic form in Figures 1-15. Differences in the frequencies of responses by school were examined through chi-square tests of association using an alpha value of p <.005, and these data are shown in the final figures. School-Specific Analyses. In addition to the main data report, each school was sent a report, which compared the quantitative responses of their seniors and faculty with those of seniors and faculty from the other three schools. Statistically significant differences were highlighted.

Results Quantitative Data: The quantitative data are displayed in tables with the average response of each group noted. Highlights of the findings are summarized below. Table 1: Students Rate Critical and Creative Thinking of Various Events. Table 1 shows the extent to which freshmen and seniors perceive various events to be associated with critical and creative thinking. The event perceived by both groups to involve the most critical thinking was “writing papers for classes.” The event that was perceived to involve the most creative thinking was “engaging in a hobby.” One academic event that had fairly high ratings for both critical and creative thinking was “completing projects for class.” There were a few statistically significant differences in the responses of freshmen and seniors. Seniors perceived there to be more critical thinking involved in class interactions, participating in campus cultural events, and “surfing the internet” than freshmen. Seniors reported less creative thinking associated with “communicating with peers over the internet” than freshmen. Table 2: Frequency of Critical and Creative Activities of Students. In Table 2 the data concerning the frequency with which students engaged in various activities related to critical and creative thinking are displayed. Some of the more frequent activities included integrating material in various assignments and engaging in abstract thinking. There were a couple of significant differences between seniors and freshmen. Seniors reported a higher frequency of working on papers and projects that required integration, and putting ideas or concepts from different courses together.

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Table 3: Student and Faculty Rate Creative Environment Characteristics. Generally, freshmen, seniors, and faculty rated their campus climate as conducive to creative thinking. In Table 3 various characteristics of a creative environment are listed along with the extent to which students and faculty perceived these to be part of their climate. Some of the characteristics that had the highest ratings included “challenge” and “freedom.” Among the faculty, two characteristics were rated as somewhat neutral indicating that they were not perceived to be present to a great extent in the environment, and these were “idea time” and “risk taking.” There were many statistically significant differences between the students and faculty in perceptions, mainly due to the fact that freshmen were the most optimistic in their ratings of the environment. In addition, seniors were more optimistic than faculty in their ratings of some characteristics such as “challenge” and “supportive environment.”

Tables 4 & 5: Critical and Creative Thinking Attitudes of Students and Faculty. The responses to questions concerning attitudes about critical thinking are displayed in table 4. All three groups of participants expressed positive attitudes about critical thinking and its role in the liberal arts environment. Faculty indicated that they highly valued critical thinking, that they believed they could create conditions where critical thinking thrives, and that critical thinking can be assessed. Similar questions were asked about creative thinking and there was slightly lower agreement with these attitudes although values were still high. Some of the interesting differences between the groups were that faculty showed higher agreement than students that creativity should be taught in college courses, but expressed lower agreement that the college provides time and space to be creative.

Tables 6 & 7: Critical and Creative Thinking Related to Discipline. In Table 6 we see that both freshmen and seniors rated both critical and creative thinking quite important for each discipline. However, critical thinking was seen as slightly less important in the fine arts than in other disciplines, and creative thinking was seen as slightly less important in the natural and physical sciences compared to other disciplines. Among the faculty, fine arts faculty rated creative thinking as more important to their discipline than did social science faculty.

Table 8: Differences in Faculty Responses by Discipline, Gender, and Tenure Status of Faculty Member.

The quantitative data from faculty members were examined to see if responses varied by discipline of faculty, gender, and tenure status. Only one significant difference emerged as shown in Table 8. Faculty in the fine arts were more likely to rate “debate” as characteristic of the school environment than faculty in either the humanities or the natural sciences.

Tables 9 & 10: Differences in Senior Student Responses by Discipline of Major.

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The quantitative responses of senior students were examined in relation to the discipline of the students’ major. Many significant differences emerged. In Table 9 it is revealed that students in the natural and physical sciences rated critical thinking as more important to their major than fine arts students did. Students in the fine arts rated creativity as more important to their major compared to others, especially natural and social science majors. Students reported different experiences and attitudes by discipline as shown in Table 10. Humanities majors were most likely to report working on assignments that required integration of material. Social science students were the least likely to use a story, metaphor, or visual in a class assignment. Perhaps not surprisingly, fine arts students were the most likely to see critical thinking as important in the fine arts. Social science students seemed to see creative thinking as less important to the other disciplines than other students did.

Table 11: Differences in Senior Student Responses by Discipline of Major. There were even more significant differences between seniors based on gender as shown in Table 11. These differences reveal that women students were more positive in their attitudes and perceptions about both critical and creative thinking than men students. For example, women perceived a higher level of both critical and creative thinking to be involved in attending cultural events; and more critical thinking in class interactions and in writing papers for classes. Women rated the environment higher in several creative characteristics including “challenge” and “risk taking.” Women reported higher agreement that they valued creativity, that the college valued their efforts to be creative, and that the higher education system is conducive to facilitating creative thinking. Women rated critical thinking as more important in fine arts and humanities compared to men; and they rated creative thinking as more important in the humanities.

Figures 1-4: Words Associated with Critical and Creative Thinking. Students and faculty indicated whether or not 47 different words were associated with critical and creative thinking. The proportion of individuals who selected each word as representative is shown in figures 1-4. Among the students the words most highly associated with critical thinking were “analytical,” “interpreting,” “evaluating,” and “insightful.” (“Insightful” was also rated as characteristic of creative thinking by a fairly high proportion of individuals.) The words students associated most frequently with creative thinking included “imaginative,” “artistic,” “visionary,” and “innovative.” Faculty responses were similar. The words with most highly associated with critical thinking for faculty included “analytical,” “evaluating,” “discerning,” and “inquisitive;” and the words frequently associated with creative thinking were “inventive,” “imaginative,” “innovative,” and “original.” (For the faculty “inquisitive” and “insightful” were associated with both critical and creative thinking with a high degree of frequency.)

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Free-Response Questions: To code responses to the open-ended questions the researcher examined all of the possible responses and developed categories for responses that occurred with a fair degree of frequency (at least .05). All responses were then categorized. It was possible for one person’s response to a question to fall into multiple categories, so the categorization is not mutually exclusive. Thus, for responses to any particular question the proportions do not sum to 1.

Figure 5: Where Critical Thinking Happens

Figure 5 shows that a high proportion of both students (.79 of students) and faculty (.81 of faculty) responded that critical thinking occurred frequently in class. (In contrast, as shown in Figure 6, only .22 of students and .29 of faculty spontaneously associated the class setting with creative thinking.) Some representative quotes from students and faculty that illustrate these data are included below.

It certainly thrives in classrooms, though more often in professors’ offices, where the students feel comfortable expressing themselves and bouncing their ideas off of someone they respect and who can help them learn. Naturally critical thinking often occurs at meals as well as students can test their ideas in a more casual manner.

-Student, response classified as “class,” “faculty,” and “stu life” for student life

It exists the most inside the classroom. I think a lot of students, including myself, envision a liberal arts college as a place where it also dominates out-of-class settings, but I don't think this vision matches reality in most cases. I do have a small circle of friends who exhibit critical thinking in our every day discussions, but you won't find it happening at most meals, parties, special events, etc. For extra-curricular activities, it all depends. I am in several activist groups and we are always thinking critically about how best to organize campaigns, distribute our message, and motivate people and get them involved with us. That probably isn't true for groups that are more focused on their own experiences and just having fun. -Student, response classified as “class,” “stu life” Seminar classes are a great place to find the kinds of discussion and openness necessary for critical thought. Here at the House of Thought we obviously foster that same atmosphere; and we extend that beyond the House in our weekly Socrates' Cafe forums. Some professors provide great opportunities for critical thought in their office hours and in other non-class interactions with students, though many do not. -Student, response classified as “class,” “stu life” for student life, “faculty,” and “living” since the House of Thought refers to a special interest living space

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I think that our college creates a strong foundation for critical thinking during the initial First Year Seminar process. It sets the stage for "habits of the mind" that can be further developed in future coursework. -Faculty, response coded as “class” Classrooms and faculty offices. My perception is that it occurs and is valued only in the presence of faculty. -Faculty, response coded as “class” and “faculty”

Figure 6: Where Creative Thinking Happens Figure 6 displays the categories related to where creative thinking happens on campus. Both students and faculty associated “the arts” most highly with creative thinking. Students were more likely than faculty to associate their living spaces and student life with creative thinking. Faculty were slightly more likely to associate classes with creative thinking. A few quotations that illustrate the data are included below.

Independent projects, like choreographing a dance piece. Also, writing assignments and many homework projects. Living spaces as well, such as the homestead, and I think of my professors’ offices as creative, brainstorming spaces. -Student, response classified as “ind research” for the independent project, “class” for the class assignments, “living,” for reference to living space, and “faculty” for reference to the faculty

In the classroom, especially when teacher utilized activities to engage students and to encourage them to consider the material and actively participate but also outside the classroom in the variety of co-curriculars offered and student jobs. -Student, coded as “class” and “student life” As an art student, obviously I see creativity flourishing in the studios on campus. But I also feel the Small Living Units generate creativity around their specific issues they champion as a house; for instance, the modern foreign language house is a house based on diversity of language and learning about cultural differences that come from a diverse population. I see that process of sharing information as creative. I think most collaborative projects of any kind involve creativity, whether in clubs or class, or just people having to get along with one another; wherever these people meet is a creative place. -Student, response coded as “arts,” “living,” “class,” and “student life”

Creativity flourishes in any place where tolerance and acceptance exist and anxiety of judgment does not.

-Faculty, response coded as “most places”

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Creativity seems to thrive more in certain departments and buildings than in others. Art, Theater, Dance, English departments seem to value and encourage creativity in students. The primary classroom buildings do not seem to be particularly well suited to foster creativity, at least in a visible form. The walls in the college center are frequently used in creative ways by staff and students, and sidewalks sometimes become sites of creative expression, which I fully appreciate. -Faculty, response coded as “arts,” and “student life” Figure 7: Barriers to Critical Thinking.

Figure 7 shows the categorization of responses to the question about whether there are barriers to critical thinking. The most frequent response for both students and faculty was that “student issues” are barriers. About one third of both groups gave this response. This could mean student attitudes such as fear of disagreement, or student apathy, etc. The response “culture” that was endorsed by .28 of the faculty meant that some aspect of the general culture prevented critical thinking such as the administrative structure. Some representative quotes are shown below.

I think that students come in with barriers to really thinking about problems built in. They believe, from high school, that academics is about remembering facts and dates. Memorizing important things and saying them straight away. In some subjects that is pretty highly emphasized. I really think that is to a lot of students' detriments. Some good students feel that they have to get straight A's because of grade inflation to even appear competitive. If there was less grade inflation and a better way of showing students' progress, then I would hope that students would calm down and really focus down on classes where they felt that they could really achieve. Right now there is a glass ceiling for the level of achievement in a classroom setting -- the work that is the equivalent of an A for most people. -Student, response coded as “student issues” and “grade pressure”

Only those few professors who still teach as if they have all the knowledge and you must regurgitate it to them on exams. And they're around, in all the disciplines to a certain extent. Even if a philosophy assignment asks you to critically evaluate, let's say a Marx essay, it still presumes that only a certain set of analyses are valid.

-Student, response coded as “pedagogy”

I feel like the main barrier to critical thinking is the individual. I think it's up to the student if they want to think critically or not, as they can only be pushed so much to do so, after that, they must choose to apply themselves. I do, however, think that most of the kids here do think critically. It's also up to the student as to how much they take advantage of a diversity of classes, lectures, events and even off-campus study that could help expand their minds. -Student, response coded as “none”

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As they emerge from high school, many of our younger students perpetuate the notion that every problem has only one "right answer" and that the best learners are those who can perform well on multiple-choice exams. Some of my students are noticeably uncomfortable with open-ended questions and assignments.

-Faculty, response coded as “student issue” and “grade pressure”

Yes, anywhere that status quo maintenance is made the priority. Unfortunately, sometimes words like "tradition," "history," and "culture of the college" can be euphemisms for exactly that. -Faculty, response coded as “culture” Figure 8: Barriers to Creative Thinking.

The same response categories were used to code barriers to creative thinking. For creative thinking .40 of students listed the barrier of class pedagogy, which could mean that the structure of a class or expectations of a faculty member could impede creativity. Among the faculty the issue listed with the highest frequency was “time” which was mentioned by .18 of the faculty. Some representative quotes are listed below.

I have felt that other students can be barriers to creativity. Although many peers can and do inspire creativity, I feel that many students are unmotivated to be creative and so professors have to be more specific with assignments…. -Student, response coded as “student issues”

Yes- time. Creativity takes time. Given how much time classes can take up as a whole, it can be very difficult to spend more time trying to be creative. Another barrier is that the fact that some classes just don't harbor a creative environment. It's very typical- lecture, lab, memorize information, regurgitate information, take exam. However, not all classes follow this procedure.

-Student, response coded as “time” and “pedagogy”

sometimes, busywork and memorization can interfere with deeper thinking, and sometimes boring and un-engaging material or work can interfere as well.

-Student, response coded as “pedagogy”

Too many of the profs teach to the test--want their own preferred opinions to be "regurgitated." On the student life side, fraternities and drinking rule most of the students.

-Faculty, response coded as “pedagogy,” and “student life”

I see time and energy as the biggest barriers followed by quiet reflective spaces to promote some forms of creativity -Faculty, response coded as “time” and “culture”

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Figure 9: Diversity and Critical and Creative Thinking. Figure 9 shows responses from students and faculty to questions concerning whether diversity facilitates critical and creative thinking. About half of faculty and slightly more than half of students responded that diversity facilitated critical and creative thinking. Some individuals gave more conditional responses that it “sometimes” did. A small proportion said “no.” Some representative responses are included below.

I think diversity is essential to development of critical thinking. People live in bubbles and they need to learn what the real social issues and problems are. Diversity helps to open up the way to have those conversations. -Student, response coded as “yes” diversity encourages critical thinking

Yes. Different viewpoints and perspectives always enhance creativity by challenging our thoughts and perceptions. -Student, response coded as “yes” diversity encourages creative thinking Diversity of opinion, background, religious understanding, race and other can provide opportunities to promote critical thinking. But the mere existence of diversity does not go far enough. We need to structure meaningful activities that take advantage of our diverse nature to allow students to use critical thinking skills. -Faculty, response coded as “sometimes” diversity encourages critical thinking

Figures 10 & 11: Technology and Critical and Creative Thinking.

Student and faculty were asked whether they thought technology had an impact on critical and creative thinking. Students were more likely to give an unqualified response that it facilitated both critical (.54 of students) and creative thinking (.54 of students). Faculty were more likely to report negative outcomes of a reliance on technology such that .43 of the faculty indicated that it both facilitated and inhibited critical thinking. More than one-third of faculty (.35 of faculty) listed a response that indicated that they thought technology could short-circuit cognitive processes necessary for critical thinking. One of the positive effects of technology listed was that .58 of students wrote about the information resources available that they thought helped facilitate their critical thinking. Some representative quotes are listed below.

I think technology can inhibit critical thinking in some ways and facilitate in others. If technology is used as the only resource for an assignment, students are relying too much on outside information/technology as opposed to critically thinking on their own; coming up with their own ideas. Students should use technology to support their ideas or help stem new ideas, in ways that will help them analyze and think critically, but they should not use technology 100% of the time. -Student, response coded as “both,” “information,” and “short cut thinking”

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Technology links me to ideas and resources that expand my creativity. -Student, response coded as “facilitates,” and “information” It depends on how it is employed. In principle, it can and does open up avenues of creativity that would not exist otherwise. In practice and in some contexts it can become something that we are too dependent upon in such a way as to diminish our own cognitive role. -Faculty, coded as “both” and “short cuts thinking”

Figure 12: Students’ Experiences that Involved the Most Critical Thinking

Figure 12 shows the data concerning students’ academic experiences that involved the most critical thinking. More than half of the students wrote about a class assignment. A small proportion mentioned speakers, independent research, and books as important. Some student experiences are described below.

Right off the bat the First Year Seminar sets the stage for what a student can expect from this school throughout all four years. Nearly every class I have taken relies heavily on the students’ ability to think critically. The culmination of critical thinking is fostered by the independent study program in both the junior and senior years. This allows the students to fully explore a topic of their choice and analyze it to its full extent.

-Student, response coded as “class” and “independent study/senior project”

In my time at OWU there have been countless events that have forced me to think critically of the world I live in. But the place I am most pushed out of my personal comfort zone is in classroom discussions. I have no other choice but to critically look at my world and my own values. -Student, response coded as “class”

Yes, there have been many of these. My Senior Seminar in Education, History and Systems, Development of Children with Special Needs, Population Environment and Sustainability, Philosophy of Education.... actually, nearly every class I have taken has enhanced my ability to think critically. One event that forced me to think critically was the FORUM and campus events in November. Nearly every speaker I have attended has forced me to think critically about the issue at hand, specifically the talk about incarceration last semester, the speaker about eating disorders, and several speakers I have hard on GLBT rights. -Student, response coded as “class” and “speakers”

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Figure 13: Students’ Most Creative Experiences. Fewer students (.20 of students) indicated that a project that came from class represented their most creative experience. The activity the largest proportion of students (.41 of students) wrote about was independent study or a senior research project, as shown in Figure 13. Some quotations from students are listed below.

All the Sociology classes I’ve taken have enabled me to think critically, along with the books in each of those classes. modern dance performances I’ve been in and seen allow for interpretation of the movement and analyzing its meaning. various art pieces in the galleries we have create an environment of critical thinking, in that is what you see really what you see? and what does it mean? -Student, response coded as “class” Writing my senior exercise: original research and theory in generative linguistics. I was challenged to conduct a study in which I had very little background and ultimately to present conclusions/findings/a theory that was innovative and new. during my senior year I noticed a major leap (both in this exercise and with another major research paper) from writing simple critical essays in my freshman and sophomore years, to creating theories that no one has ever done before in my senior year.

-Student, response coded as “independent study/senior project”

I had a professor in the Education department who never told us how to express our thoughts. He always said, just read this, and do something that you know will allow you to express yourself. Many different types of projects came back. I wrote a song, recorded it with a full band's worth of instrumental tracks. Some people wrote short stories, or created a comic book, or videos, or PowerPoint presentations, or many other ideas. I felt that this prof. knew exactly what he was doing, and exactly how to get us to realize what he was doing, and how he was doing it. -Student, response coded as “class project” Figure 14: Faculty, Most Creative Experience.

Faculty members’ most creative experiences were categorized and the data are displayed in Figure 14. More than half of faculty (.61 of faculty) wrote about their own research as representing their most creative experience. Almost a third wrote about the experiences of teaching as being creative, about collaborating with students, and about course development. Some quotes from faculty are listed below.

Developing new courses. The challenge of finding engaging ways to make our departmental learning outcomes come alive. -Faculty, response coded as “developing courses”

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My current research project - it has really stretched me intellectually, and has required that I read very widely and more deeply in a specific area of specialization in order to make sense of this one particular empirical site. My doctoral dissertation did this too. -Faculty, response coded as “research” Being on a research leave and having time to read and talk with other people about things other than grading and committee work.

-Faculty, response coded as “research”

Figure 15: Faculty and the Assessment of Critical and Creative Thinking

Faculty were asked open-ended questions about factors that signified student growth in either critical or creative thinking. (One half of the faculty were asked about critical thinking and one half about creative thinking.) These data are shown in Figure 15. Indicators for critical thinking include “assessment” (and evaluation) of arguments which was mentioned by .26 of the faculty. Seeing other perspectives also particularly signified critical thinking as it was mentioned by .14 of the faculty for critical thinking but none of the faculty for creative thinking. “Novelty” (e.g., making a novel claim) was a distinguishing characteristic of creative thinking as .34 of the faculty mentioned this as an indicator of creativity. “Risk taking” also signified creative thinking with .18 of the faculty mentioning this characteristic as an important sign. (Some faculty even indicated that they thought a “crisis” needed to take place for creative thinking to occur.) “Challenge” (as in challenging the argument of others) was important to both critical and creative thinking assessment as was “depth.” Some representative quotes are listed below.

For critical thinking:

Being analytical and aware of one's strengths and weakness as a writer, thinker and researcher. Challenging conventional ideas and questioning the status quo as a social construction prepares students to be critical of the world around us. -Response coded as “assessment,” and “challenge”

The shift from receiving information (results of research suggest...) to questioning the information (how was this research conducted, do we really know this?) -Response coded as “challenge”

They look at source material more critically and are able to synthesize the concepts and ideas. They challenge other's ideas and ask good questions that don't always have a yes or no answer, or even a right answer. They show complexity in their writing. They are willing to listen and process ideas that differ from their own.

-Response coded as “synthesis,” “challenge,” “depth,” and “other perspectives”

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For creative thinking: Indicators: the ability to synthesize ideas inside of one artistic performance or poem or story; writing that is not one-dimensional but multi-dimensional; writing that takes risks, either risks in the use of form, risks in the use of subject. -Response coded as “synthesis,” and “risk” Students begin to take ownership of their learning, especially in the IS setting, and this often enhances their ability to move the pieces around in new ways, and to come up with insightful ideas. Students are willing to take risks, are willing to talk in class, are willing to take on somewhat wacky assignments I might give them and play with them. I think ownership is important in releasing creativity - but ownership is often preceded by a period in which students have to work hard, to gain mastery to a level that makes their creative efforts fruitful, and not just silly. -Response coded as “ownership,” “synthesis,” “curiosity (and playfulness),” “depth,” and “risk” their enjoyment of their work and a sense of mastery -- although the sense of mastery does not by itself indicate creativity. Student work that is honest, surprising and interesting -Response coded as “ownership” “depth,” and “curiosity” Figure 16: Differences in Senior Responses between Schools.

There were some differences between the seniors across the four schools in terms of how they responded to the open-ended questions. These data are shown in Figure 15. Seniors at OWU were more likely to mention laboratories as places where critical and creative thinking happened, although it was still a small proportion of students who gave that response (.15 of OWU students for critical thinking and .09 for creative thinking). Students from OWU were also more likely to mention the living space as being creative, perhaps due to the programmed housing available to student groups. COW students were particularly likely to mention the independent project as their best experience with critical thinking than other students (.33 of Wooster students), and especially as their most creative experience with .65 of Wooster students mentioned the senior “I.S.” OWU students were the students most likely to list pedagogy as a barrier to critical thinking than other students. (Each school received representative comments from students at their school to help interpret these data.)

Figure 17: Differences in Faculty Responses between Schools.

There were also some significant differences between the faculty groups at the four schools as shown in Figure 16. Faculty at Kenyon College were the most likely to indicate that “culture” was a barrier to critical thinking compared to other groups; and

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faculty at Ohio Wesleyan University were most likely to mention student issues. No Kenyon faculty indicated that technology facilitated critical thinking in an unqualified manner, which was not true of other faculty groups. Finally, Denison University faculty were more likely to mention “culture” as a barrier to creativity than other groups. (Each school received representative comments from faculty at their school to help interpret these data.)

Summary

Much information is contained in this report and each school received school-specific responses that they might find particularly useful. Some general trends in the data are summarized below.

• There seem to be more opportunities for critical than creative thinking in classes. • Class projects are evaluated by students as a means to engage in both critical and

creative thinking. • Senior students reported more work that involved integration than first-year

students. • Our campus environments were rated favorably with respect to the potential for

creative thinking, although faculty rated “idea time” and “risk taking” as somewhat limited in their experience.

• Students and faculty have positive attitudes about critical and creative thinking. • Creative thinking is closely associated with the fine arts and critical thinking with

the natural sciences. • Women students reported more experience with both creative and critical thinking

and more positive attitudes about creativity compared to men students. • In the responses to open-ended questions it was found that classes are highly

associated with critical thinking while creative thinking was seen in a variety of activities, but not especially in class. (Students might be experiencing the most creativity in their living spaces and in other aspects of student life that perhaps could be integrated more with their academic experiences.)

• Student issues were frequently noted by students and faculty as barriers to critical thinking, while pedagogy was frequency noted by students as an impediment to creative thinking.

• Diversity is believed to facilitate both critical and creative thinking. • When asked what signifies growth in students’ critical and creative thinking,

critical thinking improvement was distinguished by assessment of arguments and understanding others’ perspectives, while creative thinking was distinguished by novelty, risk, and curiosity. Synthesis and complexity of thought characterized both critical and creative thinking.

• Differences in responses between the four schools point out some of the distinctive characteristics of the schools such as the emphasis on senior independent study at Wooster and the opportunities for special interest housing at OWU which are perceived to facilitate critical and creative thinking.

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Table 1: Students Rate Critical and Creative Thinking of Various Events Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= not at all to 5 = great deal How much does each event involve… Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Event: 1st Yr. Seniors 1st Yr. Seniors Interacting with students and faculty in class 3.65 3.89 3.03 3.05 Cultural events on campus 2.76 3.12 3.19 3.23 Extra-curricular or co-curricular activity 2.97 3.10 3.47 3.57 Listening to speakers on campus 3.81 3.85 2.77 2.75 Interacting …students outside of class 2.87 3.12 3.57 3.51 Engaging in a hobby 2.92 3.12 4.18 4.15 Reading material for class 4.29 4.20 2.84 2.63 Interacting with faculty outside of class 3.50 3.72 3.03 3.15 Completing projects for class 4.28 4.34 3.77 3.80 Communicating with peers over the internet 2.26 2.39 2.99 2.69 Writing papers for classes 4.53 4.54 3.74 3.73 “Surfing” the internet 2.04 2.37 2.59 2.55 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table 2: Frequency of Critical and Creative Activities of Students Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= never to 6 = always or almost always How often have you… 1st Yr Seniors Taken an assignment in a slightly different direction 3.22 3.34 Found yourself wanting to read more … 4.22 4.26 Used brainstorming during a class 3.68 3.71 Used brainstorming in a class assignment 4.11 4.11 Used brainstorming outside of class (e.g., club activity, etc) 3.99 4.16 Worked on a paper or project that required you to integrate… 4.61 5.08 “Let go” and had fun intellectually 4.06 3.98 Engaged in abstract thinking 4.33 4.44 Put together ideas or concepts from different courses … 4.29 4.60 Used a story, metaphor, or visual in a class assignment 3.93 4.08 Incorporated diverse viewpoints in a class assignment 3.87 4.11 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table 3: Student and Faculty Rate Creative Environment Characteristics Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= not at all present to 7 = extensively Frequency of characteristic: Freshmen Seniors Faculty Challenge 5.50a 5.31b 5.06ab Freedom 5.50ab 4.94b 5.08a Idea Support 5.31ab 4.90b 4.77a Trust/Openness 5.28a 4.89a 4.52a Dynamism/Liveliness 5.11ab 4.91b 4.71a Playfulness/Humor 5.28a 5.06a 4.50a Debate 5.23a 5.31b 4.79ab Risk Taking 4.79a 4.34a 3.78 a Idea Time 4.80a 4.45a 3.74a Conflict 4.28 4.55 4.13 Supportive Environment 5.40a 4.99a 4.70a Working in groups 5.00 5.04 4.86 Active models … 4.58a 5.15a 4.98 Assignments … 5.23 5.10 4.88 _______________________________________________________________________ note: differences in means between three groups were examined; means with similar superscripts are significantly different, p < .005

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Table 4: Critical Thinking Attitudes of Students and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Summarized question: Freshmen Seniors Faculty I consider myself a person who thinks critically 5.66a 6.07a 6.70ab Too little teaching at this college is focused … 2.67a 3.05b 4.08ab Faculty can create conditions critical thinking 5.59a 5.85b 6.36ab Faculty on campus model critical thinking 5.71 5.80 5.58 Courses offered encourage critical thinking 5.83a 5.67b 5.23ab Extracurricular activities… critical thinking 4.65 4.18b 4.11a I value critical thinking. 6.03a 6.36a 6.89a It is possible to assess critical thinking 5.67a 5.61b 6.21ab The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 5.93 6.07 5.91 This college values my efforts critical thinker 5.98 5.90 5.53 A liberal arts education is conducive… 6.09 6.18 6.50 Higher education system is conducive 5.20a 4.91b 4.18ab _______________________________________________________________________ note: differences in means between three groups were examined; means with similar superscripts are significantly different, p < .005

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Table 5: Creative Thinking Attitudes of Students and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Summarized question Freshmen Seniors Faculty I consider myself a creative person 5.56 5.50 5.86 Creativity can be learned 4.14 4.62 5.09 Creativity should be taught in college courses 4.60a 4.79a 5.36a Too little teaching at this college is focused on 3.65a 3.98b 4.22ab Faculty can create conditions … 5.51 5.79 6.14 Faculty on campus model creative … 5.01 5.03 5.40 Courses offered on our campus encourage ... 4.83a 4.55a 4.52 Opportunities no right or wrong answers 5.39a 4.92a 5.07 Extracurricular activities encourage creativity 5.21a 4.90a 4.91 I value creativity 6.33 6.26 6.43 It is possible to assess creativity 4.79 4.95 5.22 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 5.78 5.85 5.67 This college values my efforts to be creative 5.46a 5.14a 5.16 This college provides time for me to be creative 4.97ab 4.59a 4.07b This college gives me space to be creative 5.26ab 4.77a 4.28b There is a creative vibe on this campus 5.08a 4.58a 3.95a A liberal arts education is conducive … 5.76 5.66 5.84 Higher education system is conducive … 4.19 4.01 3.50 _______________________________________________________________________ note: differences in means between three groups were examined; means with similar superscripts are significantly different, p < .005

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Table 6: Students Rate Importance Critical, Creative Thinking for each Discipline Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Item 1st Yr. Seniors 1st Yr. Seniors Important in fine and performing arts 5.31 5.40 6.63 6.64 Important in humanities 6.09 6.08 6.18 6.12 Important in natural and physical sciences 6.25 6.40 5.11 5.32 Important in social sciences 6.27 6.39 5.63 5.78 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005 Table 7: Faculty by Discipline, Value of Critical & Creative Thinking Average response of faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly

Importance of... Faculty Group by Discipline: Critical Thinking Creative Thinking Fine Arts Faculty 6.40 6.86 a Humanities Faculty 6.76 6.00 Natural and Physical Sciences Faculty 6.65 6.05 Social Sciences Faculty 6.50 5.17 a _______________________________________________________________________ note: differences in means between four faculty groups were examined; means with similar superscripts are significantly different, p < .005

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Table 8: Differences between Faculty by Discipline Faculty Group: Frequency of characteristic: Fine Arts Human Nat Sci Soc Sci Debate 5.67ab 4.38a 4.42b 5.06 _______________________________________________________________________ note: differences in means between four faculty groups were examined; means with similar superscripts are significantly different, p < .005 Table 9: Seniors by Major, Importance Critical & Creative Thinking in Major

Average response of faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly

Importance to Major of:

Student Group by Discipline: Critical Thinking Creative Thinking Fine Arts Majors 6.03a 6.18ab Humanities Majors 6.41 5.52cd Natural and Physical Sciences Majors 6.63a 4.59ac Social Sciences Majors 6.37 4.60bd _______________________________________________________________________ note: differences in means between four student groups were examined; means with similar superscripts are significantly different, p < .005

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Table 10: Significant Differences between Seniors by Discipline Students by Major: Question Set: FA HU NS SS Frequency Creative Activities (Table 2 data) Worked on paper, project that required ... integrate… 4.56abc 5.21a 5.05b 5.15c Put together ideas, concepts from different courses … 4.18a 4.88a 4.59 4.53 Used a story, metaphor, visual in assignment 4.59ab 4.38 3.73a 3.95b Creative Attitudes (Table 5 data) I consider myself a creative person 6.45abc 5.69ad 5.40b 5.05cd Importance of Critical Thinking (Table 6 data)

In fine and performing arts 6.25abc 5.50a 5.26b 5.12c In humanities 6.48ab 6.38cd 5.80ac 5.95bd In natural and physical sciences 6.83a 6.39 6.67 b 6.07ab In social sciences (no sig. difference) 6.70 6.44 6.24 6.37 Importance of Creative Thinking (Table 6 data) In fine and performing arts 6.95a 6.63 6.66 6.48a In humanities 6.45a 6.29b 6.16 5.83ab In natural and physical sciences 5.75a 5.25 5.65b 4.84ab In social sciences (no sig. difference) 5.85 5.67 5.84 5.55 _______________________________________________________________________ note: differences in means between four groups of seniors were examined; means with similar superscripts are significantly different, p < .005

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Table 11: Significant Differences between Seniors by Gender Students by Gender: Question Set: Female Male How much critical thinking involved (Table 1 data) Interacting with students and faculty in class 4.03 3.63 Attending or participating in cultural events on campus 3.19 2.80 Writing papers for classes 4.63 4.40 How much creative thinking involved (Table 1 data) Cultural events on campus 3.19 2.80 Engaging in a hobby 3.16 3.03 Presence of characteristic in environment (Table 3 data) Challenge 5.45 4.95 Dynamism 5.03 4.55 Risk Taking 4.49 4.04 Supportive Environment 5.14 4.59 Working in Groups 5.17 4.68 Critical Thinking Attitudes (Table 4 data) Extracurricular activities… encourage critical thinking 4.33 3.80 Creative Thinking Attitudes (Table 5 data) I value creativity 6.34 5.97 It is possible to assess creativity 5.07 4.35 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 5.97 5.45 This college values my efforts to be creative 5.29 4.62 There is a creative vibe on this campus 4.71 3.99 A liberal arts education is conducive … 5.70 5.31 The higher education system in the US is conducive … 4.15 3.62 Importance Critical Thinking (Table 6 data) In fine and performing arts 5.54 4.98 In humanities 6.19 5.82

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Importance of Creative Thinking (Table 6 data) In humanities 6.24 5.80 _____________________________________________________________

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Figure 1: Seniors - Words Associated with Critical Thinking

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Figure 3: Faculty - Words Associated with Critical Thinking

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Figure 5: Where Critical Thinking Happens

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Figure 7: Barriers to Critical Thinking

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Figure 9: Diversity Promotes Critical/Creative Thinking?

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Figure 10: Technology Effects Critical/Creative Thinking

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Figure 12: Student Experiences That Most Involve Critical Thinking

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Figure 15: Faculty, Assessment of Critical and Creative Thinking

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Figure 16: Students, Differences between Schools

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FOCUS GROUP DATA ANALYSIS

The main purpose of the Ohio-5 grant supported by the Teagle Foundation is to assess creative and critical thinking in liberal arts students. Faculty have been instructed to use primary trait analysis to construct rubrics to measure changes in student creative and critical thinking across time, as indicated by course assignments. For additional background concerning student and faculty perceptions and experiences with critical and creative thinking, focus groups were held on all four participating campuses.

Method One focus group was for students to discuss critical thinking, one for students to discuss creative thinking, one for faculty to discuss critical thinking, and one for faculty to discuss creative thinking. All groups consisted of eight to twelve participants led by two leaders. For the students the leaders were one female student and one male student from Kenyon College who were psychology majors trained in focus group methods. For faculty the two focus group leaders were from two of the other schools so that no participants were questioned by faculty from their own institution. Each faculty team was represented by a man and a woman from two different schools. The faculty were social science professors who had had some experience with interviewing techniques and with the work of the Teagle Grant. Students were recruited by sending out email to all senior students and selecting students who responded in such a way that there was a balance by gender and student major by discipline. Faculty who received an email invitation were chosen by a coordinator at each school who recruited faculty at random with the constraints of balance by gender and division of discipline. The recruitment email indicated the general purpose of the focus group; i.e., to discuss either critical or creative thinking; indicated that participants’ responses would be tape recorded but kept confidential; and indicated that participants would be paid $50 in return for participation. Students were asked four questions and faculty were asked five. The first question asked participants to define either critical or creative thinking so that the group would arrive at a common definition for the questions that followed. (The responses to the first question are not summarized here.) The focus groups generally took an hour to complete and responses were tape recorded, transcribed, and summarized.

Summary For purposes of this report, data across the four colleges in response to all of the questions were collated to provide lists of factors that are believed to promote critical and/or creative thinking. The responses are not presented in any particular order. Each individual school received more detailed information from the focus groups held on their campus.

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Student Ideas on the Encouragement of Critical Thinking:

• Discussion-based small classes where students have to take a lot of responsibility • Speakers on campus - should be opportunities for discussion afterwards (good to

have dinner with speakers) • Any class that engages issue of ethics • Literary magazine where students evaluate the work of their peers • Athletics – mental preparation for the events • Student-led activities • Being a member of the college readership program. • Encouragement to pursue independent research (independent study given much

emphasis) • Study abroad • Professors’ open doors • Mission trips • Themed housing (especially with an academic focus) • Places where students can meet and talk • Cross-disciplinary, interdisciplinary work • Internships • Challenge from faculty members in class • Student responsibility for events • Events that are made public challenge people more; e.g., presentation of the

senior project in public • Having students comment on each other’s work • Anything that encourages class participation and encourages students to do the

reading – preparing short papers for class, having the professor call on students randomly, etc.

• Non-majors courses in departments • Need to ensure all departments have credibility and high standards • Need well-prepared students • Opportunities to “really argue” about ideas • Organizations that aren’t strictly academic but bring critical thinking to issues

students care about (e.g., debate program) • Not too much reading so there is time for analysis and reflection • Sometimes three-hour seminars are not productive – depends on the professor

Faculty Ideas on the Encouragement of Critical Thinking:

General Comments. • Independent study • Speakers and discussion • First-year seminars get students started on the right track • Allow for a culture of team-teaching (if the administration won’t pay for it faculty

can invite guest speakers to class)

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• Service work • Help students make connections • Methods courses, labs, and studio classes • Encourage faculty to share their notes with others • Student-faculty lunches • Clubs associated with academic departments • Sending students to conferences • Research off campus • Field trips • Some way to encourage students to think about what they want to get out of

college • Mission trips • Cooperation between departments, connecting events between departments and

across the college • Model behavior for students • Spaces for students to meet and talk • Encourage ways for diverse perspectives to be heard • Promote interdisciplinarity

In the classroom • Open-ended assignment where professor doesn’t know how it will come out • Get students involved in brainstorming • Response papers • Have students read each other’s work • Debates • Help students develop a consciousness (ownership) about what they are doing;

oral presentations and reports can help with that • Pair a course with that of someone else in another discipline or at another

institution • Provide assignments where there are no right or wrong answers and use group

work • Assignments where students are held individually accountable to the professor

and/or their peers; group exercises that require collaboration • Faculty should challenge students and encourage students to challenge one

another (sometimes difficult to get students to question authority) • Classes that are completely student-run? • Have students ask small questions not just big questions • Have double majors try to bring elements of their other major into the work of

another course Student Ideas on the Encouragement of Creative Thinking:

• Professors allow students to give input (open-minded professors) • Extracurricular activities can be creative • Discussion-based classes

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• Bringing in outside artists, bands, speakers, poets to “stir the pot” • Open-ended assignments in classes • Support interdisciplinary majors • Jobs on campus can be creative (being a teaching assistant for a class, especially) • Opportunities to connect work in different courses • Classes with real-world applications • Approachable professors • Need more time • Student-themed housing • Classes where professors challenge students “to the edge” • Comfortable spaces where students can come in and “do their own thing” (need to

be available – don’t lock buildings at night) • Lunch tables with faculty • Make it easy for students to form groups like student literary society • Diversification and diversity requirements encourage students to learn something

new • Classes that require internships, service learning (first-year seminars with these

components were praised) • Study abroad • Senior research project (projects in general) • Party scene can be creative – themed parties • Opportunities for students to manipulate their living space • Make it easy for students to access traditionally creative courses (e.g., studio art) • Less required courses would mean more freedom for students • Any way for students to propose their own classes?

Faculty Ideas on the Encouragement of Creative Thinking:

General Comments • Spaces for faculty to get together and discuss pedagogy • Fifty minute time periods are not long enough • Student-controlled spaces, events, organizations • Lecturing is not the evil people make it out to be • Mixed media lab for students to learn new technologies • Encourage students to do interdisciplinary work and connect the work • Themed housing for students, learning communities • Sophomore year experiences for students, in addition to first-year • Need to find time to live “the life of the mind” • Service learning that involves many members of the community • Go visit people in their offices and rely less on email • Senior seminars • Independent research project, summer science programs, senior projects • Teaching abroad with students from your institution • Encourage diversity, appreciation for internationalism • Taking students to conferences, on field trips, etc.

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• Provide faculty with opportunities to do things differently – team-teach, time to do projects

• Internships and volunteer opportunities • Make interdisciplinary work easier; e.g., break down departmental autonomy • Find ways for students to see more good movies and read more fiction • Campus speakers • Comfortable spaces in buildings with classrooms • More conversations about creativity • Non-majors courses • Research leaves for faculty • Allow faculty to remain “learners” as much as possible

In the classroom • Guest speakers • Use of Moodle and other forms of technology (that encourage engagement) • A final project with several options to the traditional paper (assignments

encouraging active engagement) • Forty-minute presentations that require “creativity” • Provide opportunities for students to interact with the “real world” • Setting up projects, assignments where outcome is unclear • Assignments where people have to put things together; assignments that require

“vulnerability” – students have to show something about themselves • Let students grade themselves with justification for their grade • Students write “dialogues” instead of standard papers • Students want easy (and quick) answers over email – have them visit the office

instead

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DENISON UNIVERSITY DATA ANALYSIS

Survey Data Each school was sent a data report that contains a description of the surveys administered to first year students, seniors, and faculty at the College of Wooster (COW), Denison University (DU), Kenyon College (KC), and Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). That report should be consulted for detailed information about research methods and results across all four schools. The purpose of this report is to provide some school-specific information that might of use to the particular school. Data from seniors and faculty were examined. The average of seniors at the target school was compared to the average of seniors at the other three schools and the results are shown in the tables provided. Similar analyses were conducted to compare faculty responses from the target schools to responses from faculty at the other three schools. The tables are numbered to correspond to the tables in the full report such that Table 1 of the full report becomes Table “DU1” for Denison University’s data that relate to Table 1. For free-response questions, representative responses from seniors and faculty from the target school are provided. An effort was made to include more detailed responses and to limit the number of responses for a question to one page of text.

Focus Group Data

Focus groups were held at each of the four schools. There were two student groups – one that discussed critical thinking, and one that discussed creative thinking – and two faculty groups on these issues. (Note: At Denison there were only two focus groups held – one for students on creative thinking, and one for faculty on creative thinking.) The discussions were set up so that there were eight to twelve persons per group. Student focus groups were led by two students (one female and one male) from Kenyon College. Faculty focus groups were led by two faculty members (one female and one male) from two of the other colleges (not the college where the discussion took place). Each focus group participant was paid $50 in return for participation. The focus group leaders asked four questions of students and five of faculty. The discussions took one hour and were tape-recorded. The discussions were transcribed and the results are summarized in this report. (For each group the first question was for them to define either “critical thinking” or “creative thinking” in their own terms so that the group arrived at some common understanding of the issues being discussed. Their definitions are not summarized here.)

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Table DU1: DU Seniors Rate Critical and Creative Thinking of Various Events Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= not at all to 5 = great deal How much does each event involve… Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Event: DU other 3 DU other 3 Interacting with students and faculty in class 3.88 3.91 3.24 2.99 Cultural events on campus 3.12 3.07 3.43 3.12 Extra-curricular or co-curricular activity 3.15 3.06 3.63 3.52 Listening to speakers on campus 3.99 3.84 3.16 2.64 Interacting …students outside of class 3.19 3.10 3.59 3.45 Engaging in a hobby 3.20 3.07 4.27 4.06 Reading material for class 4.44 4.15 2.79 2.58 Interacting with faculty outside of class 3.63 3.79 3.25 3.09 Completing projects for class 4.48 4.29 3.83 3.77 Communicating with peers over the internet 2.41 2.38 2.59 2.70 Writing papers for classes 4.69 4.52 3.81 3.68 “Surfing” the internet 2.44 2.37 2.61 2.51 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table DU2: Frequency of Critical and Creative Activities of DU Students Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= never to 6 = always or almost always How often have you… DU Other 3 Taken an assignment in a slightly different direction 3.40 3.32 Found yourself wanting to read more … 4.29 4.26 Used brainstorming during a class 4.05 3.59 Used brainstorming in a class assignment 4.40 4.05 Used brainstorming outside of class (e.g., club activity, etc) 4.24 4.12 Worked on a paper or project that required you to integrate… 5.14 5.06 “Let go” and had fun intellectually 3.93 4.00 Engaged in abstract thinking 4.45 4.47 Put together ideas or concepts from different courses … 4.67 4.57 Used a story, metaphor, or visual in a class assignment 4.13 4.03 Incorporated diverse viewpoints in a class assignment 4.20 4.10 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table DU3: DU Seniors and Faculty Rate Creative Environment Characteristics Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= not at all present to 7 = extensively Seniors: Faculty: Frequency of characteristic: DU Other 3 DU Other 3 Challenge 5.22 5.36 4.72 5.15 Freedom 4.62 4.98 4.59 5.31 Idea Support 4.89 4.88 4.24 4.96 Trust/Openness 4.36 5.04 3.86 4.76 Dynamism/Liveliness 4.71 5.02 4.41 4.92 Playfulness/Humor 4.78 5.24 3.90 4.75 Debate 5.14 5.37 4.24 5.00 Risk Taking 4.34 4.35 3.14 4.00 Idea Time 4.29 4.53 3.34 3.87 Conflict 5.24 4.35 4.21 4.01 Supportive Environment 4.57 5.10 3.93 4.97 Working in groups 5.22 5.00 4.45 4.81 Active models … 5.09 4.97 4.14 4.61 Assignments … 5.07 5.06 4.41 4.96 note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table DU4: Critical Thinking Attitudes of DU Seniors and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Seniors: Faculty: Summarized Characteristic: DU Other 3 DU Other 3 I consider myself a person who thinks critically 5.97 6.16 6.71 6.67 Too little teaching at this college is focused … 2.86 3.09 3.86 4.32 Faculty can create conditions critical thinking 5.88 5.83 6.29 6.36 Faculty on campus model critical thinking 5.88 5.80 5.57 5.46 Courses offered encourage critical thinking 5.92 5.63 5.57 5.06 Extracurricular activities… critical thinking 4.15 4.17 3.64 4.22 I value critical thinking. 6.39 6.37 6.79 6.92 It is possible to assess critical thinking 5.81 5.66 6.14 6.24 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 6.05 5.98 5.79 5.75 This college values my efforts critical thinker 5.96 5.89 5.71 5.34 A liberal arts education is conducive… 6.31 6.19 6.57 6.44 Higher education system is conducive 5.18 4.89 4.43 4.14 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table DU5: Creative Thinking Attitudes of DU Seniors and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Seniors: Faculty: Summarized Characteristic: DU Other 3 DU Other 3 I consider myself a creative person 5.49 5.50 6.11 5.70 Creativity can be learned 4.62 4.62 4.72 5.37 Creativity should be taught in college courses 4.75 4.83 5.50 5.38 Too little teaching at this college is focused on … 4.05 3.92 4.67 4.17 Faculty can create conditions … 5.94 5.75 6.00 6.22 Faculty on campus model creative … 4.92 5.09 4.33 5.97 Courses offered on our campus encourage ... 4.60 4.57 3.83 4.87 Opportunities no right or wrong answers 4.83 4.96 4.33 5.59 Extracurricular activities encourage creativity 5.05 4.88 4.50 5.25 I value creativity 6.38 6.24 6.50 6.51 It is possible to assess creativity 5.25 4.83 5.17 5.19 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 6.00 5.69 5.22 5.66 This college values my efforts to be creative 5.17 5.11 4.83 5.33 This college provides time for me to be creative 4.57 4.59 4.39 3.91 This college gives me space to be creative 4.60 4.84 4.33 4.16 There is a creative vibe on this campus 4.14 4.78 3.50 4.17 A liberal arts education is conducive … 5.63 5.68 5.61 5.98 Higher education system is conducive … 4.06 3.97 3.50 3.44 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table DU6: DU Seniors Rate Importance Critical, Creative Thinking for each Discipline Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Item DU Other 3 DU Other 3 Important in fine and performing arts 5.28 5.45 6.57 6.67 Important in humanities 6.15 6.12 5.97 6.13 Important in natural and physical sciences 6.27 6.45 4.63 5.51 Important in social sciences 6.41 6.41 5.44 5.85 note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

DU Students: Where Critical Thinking Thrives on Campus

If we spent less time drunk and high, critical thinking would thrive everywhere. there are really smart students here but we destroy it on the weekends. So... I think critical thinking only has a chance in classrooms Mainly in the academic setting, but because it is emphasized so much I feel that it carries over into daily life including interaction with peers. Some dorms like Kilpatrick and some faculty. But I think for the most part critical thinking is valued more than creativity. In intellectually challenging courses, in student groups or programs designed specifically to encourage dialogue and critical thinking. Mostly in the classroom is where this thrives. Also when students are writing papers, and when they work together and discuss what is being talked about in and outside of class. When students challenge each other's ideas and present new opinions, it forces them to be critical of another perspective.

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I think it thrives both in the classrooms and in students' homes. At least the students I interact with are very proactive in trying to promote critical thinking in themselves and those they're around. Honors seminars, presentations by visiting speakers/writers, adviser/advisee conversations, classroom interaction, community organizations Critical thinking thrives in the classroom and in any discussion I have had with faculty. Especially since the events of November, I believe our campus has been challenged to think more critically in interactions with other students (outside of the classroom) than ever before. In classrooms, in extra-curricular groups that try to get things done around campus classroom environments mostly. esp. classes which are more interactive, as opposed to lecture based Olin Science Hall and Ebaugh Laboratories Senior Seminars, Small lectures, In most of my classes, especially because I am double majoring physics and philosophy. Also when I write a paper for philosophy class, I need to critically think of my argument and possible objection against it. discussion forums and classrooms mostly. the bullsheet, a campus forum published daily, is a hotbed of critical thinking and arguments (most of the time). classrooms also often have spin-off discussions from the lectures that involve all students in a critical discussion. DU Faculty: Where Critical Thinking Thrives on Campus Classrooms Classroom, performances, lectures, faculty, student, library Classroom Laboratories, seminars, lunch tables mostly in the classroom but that is where I spend most of my time with students Classroom, performance space, faculty offices, common spaces. wherever faculty make it a priority I don't think I understand the question.

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classroom, performance/rehearsal spaces, galleries, auditorium/lecture halls, faculty offices, department offices, library reading rooms, library group study area I think the science departments in general do a better job of promoting critical thinking In the classroom, in student-faculty interaction outside of class, in research projects, in service learning opportunities. classrooms Classroom, labs, computer labs, library outdoor spaces, classrooms, cafeteria some classrooms DU Students: Where Creative Thinking Thrives on Campus Most creativity flourishes outside of the classroom - classroom discussion is usually too structured for free creativity fulfillment. Clubs and performances best facilitate creativity. There is much creativity in the performing arts and art quad on campus. It is a shame that more people don't take complete advantage of what is there, and that Denison does not have better facilities in this area. I think it happens when the students become inspired, or the professors stop holding to established methodological paradigms. In one of my classes, our first paper was an autoethnography assignment that required creativity and new vantage points. I loved it. It was not standard My creativity mostly comes from brainstorming my paper or writing a paper. In fact, creativity is inseparable from critical thinking. Philosophy paper, for instance, requires both critical thinking and creativity and I found then often connected to each other deeply. Student Union, chalking the quad, fliers to attract new club members or an audience to an event. The classroom, library, and seminar/lounge areas in academic buildings are also places where creativity flourishes. Independent projects, like choreographing a dance piece. Also, writing assignments and many homework projects. Living spaces as well, such as the homestead, and I think of my professors’ offices as creative, brainstorming spaces. In dorms after classes are done when students can sit back and just talk about anything

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Sidewalks, wall space for posters (in dorm, class buildings, administrative buildings) classroom, religious life office, fine arts quad, extracurriculars, freshmen orientation programs, study abroad We attempt creativity. We have the homestead and tried community standard living in Shaw hall. Student coffee house, student union, residential quad, art buildings, dorms, bullsheet There are two, very different communities on campus. The majority of student do not value creativity, while the minority thrive within the incredibly creative environment that Denison makes possible, through its generosity in giving funds to creative, well thought-out projects, or providing students with quality organizations, speakers and events. Creativity is encouraged in certain classroom settings- it depends on the instructor. I do not think it is necessarily the physical setting, but the people with whom you are interacting, that influences the levels of creativity. DU Faculty: Where Creative Thinking Thrives on Campus I don't think it does... um...yes -- all of those. Typically in spaces where people take risks. Public spaces like the halls of women's studies and art departments Creativity flourishes in any place where tolerance and accept exists and anxiety of judgment does not. It varies; I believe it is more the people than the space. Philosophy Dept student run "Coffees" Philosophy Dept senior symposium project In ways of thinking and expressing oneself in the classroom, in ways of viewing and testing hypotheses about the world around oneself, in extracurricular activities (including performances and outside guests brought to campus) Creativity at Denison flourishes among some of Denison's faculty. Some faculty are actively engaged in their disciplines. They are able to nourish their students' creativity when they are allowed to work in unstructured environments. I have seen it happen in a classroom (poetry class), laboratories (physics colleagues) but most often I have seen it in faculty offices and hallways.

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It depends upon the people, not the spaces -- so long as the people feel free and energized in their spaces. I would not say it flourishes anywhere on this campus, but some student organizations and some courses provide environments that encourage creativity. In the art building, cinema annex, theater building, in some parts of the English department, in writing workshop classrooms, off-campus in work-group collaborations Creativity can flourish anywhere. It is all about crossing literal and metaphoric boundaries. publicly in the fine arts Performance, study, & living spaces; quads DU Students: Barriers to Critical Thinking Drinking, drugs. We make ourselves stupid and there's a culture on campus that it's not cool to do well in school. But it is, and we should do well. Sometimes there is a baseline of knowledge that students just don't have. This makes it difficult to move beyond just absorbing and understanding information to be a critical thinker and synthesize and analyze that information. I feel like this happens a lot in psychology. These classes are too concerned with learning the basics. Barriers to critical thinking are also the vast amount of drinking that happens on this campus. People are hungover and they can't think critically. They live life in a blur. The lack of group study spaces the printing system. Time is an issue. Like creativity, good critical thinking takes lots of time the university does not give us because our classes are so difficult and we have so much work. Again, I feel that many students are not here to critically assess their own ideas and interpret new worldviews. I think that on this campus, the Greek system in particular discourages critical social thinking and encourages homogeneity. Busy-work assignments (but those are rare). Not really. It is always encouraged. It has happened (not often, perhaps once or twice) that I had a professor for whom there were only black and white answers, and he/she was not interested in hearing students' viewpoints which were not aligned with his/her own.

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harassment, drinking alcohol In interactions with most of my classmates outside of class, there is little critical thinking done. Most conversations remain at a relatively superficial level, and most students tend not to discuss relevant world issues or even more philosophical questions outside of class. There are barriers outside of the classroom. When students are in the class, they tend to participate in critical thinking. But once they get out of the class, I rarely talk to them with critical thinking. The reason, I think, is because there are limited places that students can go outside classroom, dining hall, classroom, or their rooms. Then there is no place for students to have conversation that requires critical thinking, exchanging their own perspectives over what they learn in class or religion or politics, etc. DU Faculty: Barriers to Critical Thinking Need to memorize in early classes of some disciplines make those majors and other students think that's all there is to the discipline. Also, not critically thinking is easier--sometimes students look for the easy way to a degree. Not that I know of No Grades - the right answer is more valued than a critical analysis of the problem people in general don't always want to examine their own assumptions and while faculty may be open to that in their disciplines they aren't always open to it in their lives in departments and/or institutions Perhaps, such as barriers of resistance any person might put up--in any context. student expectations are a barrier - they want black and white balancing content with critical thinking is always a challenge in the classroom Critical thinking is challenging and students would often prefer not to do it, so I would say this is a barrier everywhere. preconceived notions of what a class should be; students' lack of motivation; busy schedules (student AND faculty) that draw energy and time from contemplative activities; ours is, at all levels, a very social campus and I think that sometimes this creates an atmosphere in which people are overly concerned about maintaining harmony. The rush for students to participate in so many outside activities limits the amount of time spent critically thinking about coursework

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Not that I am aware of. uncritical thinking, which is everywhere Fear or negative student evaluations. Yes. There is a very conservative culture on campus that resists critical thinking and protects keeping things the way they are. institutional policies; inertia; appointment and tenure reviews DU Students: Barriers to Creative Thinking Yeah. I think it's a fear of not getting good grades. How much does this teacher want me in my paper? In Comm, it's a little easier because they just love getting student's voice in papers, but I think in general there's an assumed right or wrong. In philosophy, I had to work extremely hard to get my thought up to a high enough level where I could be creative, but I loved that the faculty pushed me there. Even though it was gotten better, there are still stereotypes on this campus. There are a few well-dressed, pretentious students who are not tolerable of others. Limited resources and places where students can talk comfortably. The sciences are well funded here on campus, however, the humanities is not given the same attention or resources. in the classroom there are many problems with students not speaking up to whether or not they disagree with a professor's statements. there seems to be a compliance problem: we all take exactly what our professors say for value rather than thinking about the problems ourselves and arguing or discussing these issues. The arts majors (cinema, dance, fine arts, etc) are NOT integrated, they do NOT communicate with each other about inter-disciplinary projects or events. I don't think there is creative development inside of classrooms that don't focus on it like the fine arts. Academic wise there's not much creative freedom unless you get a professor who believes in that. I think that the library is a barrier to creativity in many ways because everything about the location and system is very orderly and methodical. In science labs, especially introductory classes, there are few opportunities for creativity because there are right and wrong answers.

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There are no barriers that can't be broken. Some professors are less encouraging of new and creative ways of looking at a problem, but most are willing to give a new perspective a chance. Rigid academic standards in the majority of majors/courses. The reward/evaluation system that encourages students to work toward a grade instead of toward creative exploration of a topic that is unconventional. DU Faculty: Barriers to Creative Thinking Yes, rigid thinking and disciplinary thinking that argue only one way of doing something. The P&T process also works against creativity and rewards "safe" behaviors and rigid disciplinary work rather than interdisc or creative work Largely profs locked in to lecture/rote based learning. The strong sense of conformity and risk adverse behavior My discipline, English, on my campus is primarily about literary criticism, which involves deconstructing texts. Even the word "deconstruction" implies breaking something apart rather than making something. People that are set in their ways. Hectic academic schedules. Real time for this is during the summer months I have not experienced barriers to creativity myself, except in the form of time. It is not easy to do every aspect of this profession as well as I might wish in the time available. Although the reduction in teaching load since my arrival at Denison has eased the time crunch a bit. The goal of obtaining a credential is the biggest barrier to creativity at Denison. This promotes a "just tell me what to memorize" protocol among students which is reinforced by faculty desires to avoid student discomfort. Homogenization. We are driven to not be perceived as different, and rewarded if we are not too different. This institution tends to be a follower, rather than a leader, with big ideas. It also values uncritical fealty. The overall climate is inconducive to creativity. cultural homogeneity among students (and to an extent faculty) on campus is a barrier to creativity; creativity requires some amount of heterogeneity, contrast, dissonance, etc., diversity.

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Inside the classroom, simple aesthetic limitations create barriers, in that the desks and chairs are rigid, not easily rearranged; comfort is an issue. No, there are no barriers. Not valued and colleges think that it is either not the disciplines content. some disciplines like the sciences are viewed as cold hard facts classrooms can be limiting; departmental & administrative spaces are certainly limiting DU Students: Diversity and Critical Thinking As we've discovered over the course of the diversity war this year, we don't really DO diversity very well at Denison. That is, there's not a whole lot of it, and when there is, it tends to be lessened. We like to think critically about diversity, but it itself doesn't seem to affect our critical thinking about other things. I don't think the diversity on the campus contributes students' development of critical thinking very much. Nobody really clarifies the importance of diversity. What is it so great about having diversity? Unless further clarifying this notion, I don't think it would usefully contribute to students' development of critical thinking. I don't think so because there is such a clique atmosphere on this campus that we don't get to know anyone really outside of our own group to develop any critical thinking from ideas they have. I think it's starting to break out into the social side of things, and that is my biggest hope for Denison. I think diversity is essential to development of critical thinking. People live in bubbles and they need to learn what the real social issues and problems are. Diversity helps to open up the way to have those conversations. It should contribute to critical thinking- plurality and diversity promotes healthy discourse in and outside the classroom. But at this school, elements of diversity have proven to negatively influence some events. I believe that diversity definitely contributes to students' development of critical thinking because interacting with diverse individuals allows people to hear new and different perspectives on issues that they would never encounter by only have conversations with individuals like themselves.

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Yes, it contributes. I have had many conversations during my time here concerning religious differences, national origin differences, racial differences, and class differences that have led me to analyze my perspective on these differences and have sometimes resulted in a change in my thinking. Most definitely. I believe that what makes us who we are contributes to the critical thinking on campus because we all come from different standpoints and backgrounds and view the world from that lens; here at Denison, we engage in critical thinking and have interactions with people whom may or may not be different from us and it only adds to the Market Place of Ideas. if anything, I'd say our lack of diversity is contributing to our critical thinking. Though it's a slow process, the past year has caused the campus as a whole to reflect on our own problems in regards to diversity, and spurred a number of large discussions on how to fix this. DU Faculty: Diversity and Critical Thinking Understanding and living with difference requires a high degree of critical thinking! I think it does in terms of student interaction in the classroom with a diverse body of students and their ideas as well as with course content. Yes, it does. It provides students with the opportunity to see other perspective. No - academic critical thinking rarely is modeled outside the classroom and even more rarely in terms of diversity. yes, because if students are willing to share their experiences with each other they can begin to understand how that shapes their assumptions and perspectives on issues Yes. People act from their social positions, to some degree. When interests conflict, people have to work this out through dialogue, debate, etc. only when there is actual and effective communication taking place I certainly think it does. Without a diverse set of points of view and experiences in a community, it would be all too easy for people not to critically self-evaluate their own views and opinions about the world. A diversity of experiences and opinions makes us stronger as it is the interplay of ideas that leads to better ideas. Diversity contributes greatly to good critical thinking. The contributions of those from a wide variety of experiences and cultures leads to an ever expanding field of viewpoints represented in classroom discussions, campus publications, extracurricular groups, residence hall conversations. One of the hallmarks of critical thinking is testing one's ideas against those of others; diversity allows for firsthand contact, sometimes

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confrontation, with difference that critical thinkers will use to test their preconceived notions. Diversity of opinion, background, religious understanding, race and other can provide opportunities to promote critical thinking. But the mere existence of diversity does not go far enough. We need to structure meaningful activities that take advantage of our diverse nature to allow students to use critical thinking skills. To some degree. However because "minority groups" are small a clique effect occurs that prevents communication between :dominant" groups and "minority" groups. probably Yes, offers differing perspectives. It does. By allowing everybody to be surrounded by people who are different and think differently. DU Students: Diversity and Creative Thinking Oh, diversity. I have heard this word far too much this year. The only way diversity does anything creative on this campus is when Outlook finds new places to chalk every year. Interacting with students from many backgrounds encourages people to think and conceptualize the world in new ways. I think diversity only contributes to creative thinking if it is acknowledged, discussed and challenges students on a personal basis. Having a certain quota or statistic doesn't get you there. students from diverse backgrounds are forced to be especially creative here to voice their opinions and make themselves heard in a way that they won't be stereotyped against we need to work on fostering a culture of celebration and respect for peoples' diverse backgrounds instead of mere tolerance I believe that just recently, because of the events of last semester, awareness over such issues has contributed to the growth of creative thinking on campus. However, I can see such feelings beginning to fade. In classroom settings, diversity is a strength, but outside of the classroom, groups seem to form precisely along the identity categories listed above. During the four years I studied at Denison, I have noticed that women tend to engage in more creative projects or assignments than men. I do not know if it is the culture and atmosphere of Denison, but there have always been significantly more females in my "creative" classes than males. Also, in general, females tend to present their research or

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projects in more innovative or creative ways than males, who tend to choose traditional pragmatic styles. I think that there could always be more diversity at Denison, but I think that the diversity that does exist encourages people to think out of the box. The challenge is to create in environment where people are willing to step outside of their comfort zones, something which doesn't always happen. any diversity fosters creativity, in that it challenges students to think outside of their own perspective The forum/events in November may have added to people’s ability to be creative, prior to that I don't think that diversity played any role because things are so segregated by class, race, etc. Yes, though I wished it happened more. I think creativity is stimulated just through interacting with people with different interests and backgrounds, as long as they are willing to talk about their experiences. DU Faculty: Diversity and Creative Thinking no b/c there is little interaction b/t communities I'm ambivalent about it -- I see the separate lunch table phenomenon, where minorities stick to minority studies, which inhibits creativity in that enclave, while white kids lose out on a greater degree of exposure. But, I think class and DIVal diversity are the most significant forms by encouraging at least a bit of deliberative exchange. Diversity does not exist, therefore this question doesn't have an answer No opinion. This is unclear. It's hard to decide what exactly flows from "diversity." Diversity plays a big role in development of creative thinking, but not as much as it could. I think that Denison is in a period of great progress addressing the self-imposed segregation that students feel on campus, and are beginning to freely express. When we reach a point where there is more interaction between various "groups" of people, then the exploration and influence of diversity on creativity will be greater. In the fields in which I work (mathematics, computer science and physics) I do not see that these types of diversity make any difference in the creative process. Any difference has the potential to increase creativity

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Diversity is a fragile and contested issue on this campus that is never engaged with without trepidation. This stifles creativity. However, there are a few encouraging signs that this may be changing. Yes, to the extent that it exists - diversity of student and professors' experiences allow for engagement in more and multiple ways with scholarly concepts. Yes, creativity thrives on individual difference, and when that difference is brought into the classroom, all students encounter varying approaches, viewpoints, histories. Sometimes. Definitely, if students work in collaborative groups. Otherwise, it has no effect. no evidence Yes; difference always facilitates creativity. DU Students: Experience that Involved Most Critical Thinking Most of my social science courses (Psychology, sociology/anthropology, women's studies, international studies) and speakers that reinforced topics learned in those classes. yes, many courses in the honors department especially Honors courses, where the subjects are narrow and the class size small. I took one course on the Islamic Revolution in Iran, another on the history of the Taliban in Afghanistan, one on the depiction of Muslims in Theater, and another on the life and work of Abraham Lincoln. These classes, and the occasional campus-wide events that coincide with the academic theme, have proven to be the most intellectually stimulating for me. speakers, classes, campus events Yes, there have been many of these. My Senior Seminar in Education, History and Systems, Development of Children with Special Needs, Population Environment and Sustainability, Philosophy of Education.... actually, nearly every class I have taken has enhanced my ability to think critically. One event that has forced me to think critically was the FORUM and campus events in November. Nearly every speaker I have attended has forced me to think critically about the issue at hand, specifically the talk about incarceration last semester, the speaker about eating disorders, and several speakers I have hard on GLBT rights. I feel that most of the speakers that Denison brings onto campus have fostered my ability to think critically.

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All of my upper-level biology courses have enhanced my ability to think critically not only about issues within multiple scientific disciplines but also about ethics involved in the sciences. I have also had the opportunity to attend many concerts (and participate in some) while here, and they have been performances of a wide variety of music (including some non-western traditions). Enjoying music is a favorite pastime of mine, and these performances have helped me to learn more about the types of music and to appreciate these types of music. All my physics and most of my chemistry courses facilitate critical thinking. The political science class labeled "The development of Ancient Political thought" was an excellent course to take and it significantly enhanced my critical thinking. several courses in my major which allowed a great deal of student discussion have helped my ability to think critically. the all-campus convocation and rallies in November that focused on the campus' intolerance has also helped a great deal. Yes, too many to list... Introduction to Philosophy, dance performances, theatre productions, art exhibitions, speakers, Alexander Technique DU Students: Most Creative Experience My sociology/anthropology/women's studies first-year seminar was probably my most creative academic experience. It was the first class I took in college and it opened up my way of thinking in so many ways. I learned that learning was not so cut and dry like it was in high school; there is not always a right or wrong answer to everything. I learned how to critically analyze material and come up with creative solutions to problems. Writing a piece for a Minimalism in Music and Culture class was definitely my most creative academic experience. Being a classically trained musician, it was really interesting to learn about the cultural influences that formed the minimalist artistic style. It was a challenge to incorporate that into my understanding of music and make something new while also learning how to use music technology and software with which I was not familiar. Also, the students in my class, we all really creative people and it was inspiring to learn with them. Being part of the Hope Initiatives Southern Africa club and planning a fundraising event at Brews Bar. The experienced [helped] me take everything I've learned, in terms of professionally with contacts as well as "out of the box" thinking for advertisement, etc., to get have [sic] a successful event. Every time I've made a film for my Cinema Major I've had to be creative in some way. My experiences with my professors and with guest artists have been the most creative and inspiring.

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Performing physics research. My third summer doing so, my advisor let me define and pursue my own unique topic that greatly interested me. He was there to help me and encourage me, but I was in charge of my own project. Best experience I've had in college My freshman year at Denison I took an honors intro to psychology class which challenged me to think about addiction in a new way. We got to do our own research projects and I chose to research Alcoholics Anonymous. I got to attend an AA meeting, which really opened my eyes and was a very memorable experience. Solving math problems. They can be solved in so many ways and there just isn't always one way to get to the right answer. My most creative academic experience has been creating lesson plans for students. This tapped my creativity because it allowed me to do anything I wanted, with no guidelines at all. I have had experiences like this is many classes, and it has mostly been with projects/assignments that were very open-ended. Quite a few of the papers I've written for classes have been my most creative academic work. I always try to incorporate various ideas from different sources into my papers, ideas that I get from other classes and from other experiences that can help enhance, strengthen, and indeed form my argument. DU Faculty: Most Creative Experience Some recent research project: working in a new offshoot direction where I put together some disparate relationships that change how we see individual-group dynamics. It had creative data, creative development and application of theory, and a new question. Honors Senior Research. I had to expand my outlook to meet the needs of my advisees. Sabbatical at the University of Oxford--"transformative" in more than a few ways. It is difficult to rank the most creative academic experience. My research requires much creativity to answer the questions of interest. My teaching requires creativity to find the best ways of reaching my students and inspiring them. Finally, when campus-wide challenges arise, I have found that creativity and ability for clear expression is critical. The use of creativity is extensive and each type of experience is its own unique challenge. Producing publishable research. I had to understand something in a novel way and I to clearly communicate that new understanding. Thinking about things outside my area of expertise, as well as interaction with visitors directly in my area of expertise

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My current research project - it has really stretched me intellectually, and has required that I read very widely and more deeply in a specific area of specialization in order to make sense of this one particular empirical site. My doctoral dissertation did this too. I give my students the tools to work creatively. It's hard for me to say that these experiences, while rewarding and engaging, have been themselves creative for me. One of the college president's trusted me to go off and do my thing. It gave me confidence to intellectually follow my gut and rather than the dictates of the profession. how I approach my classes and engage my students. writing in many forms; demanding questions tapped my creativity

Focus Group Data Denison Students – Focus Group on Creative Thinking Are there features of your campus environment – for example, classes, events, activities, spaces around campus – that encourage creative thinking? Professors can inspire creative thinking by allowing students to give input. Extracurricular activities can be creative – have to try to get people involved and advertise your events. Open-ended assignments in classes Classrooms are creative because exchange of ideas occurs. Spaces in Burton-Morgan because you can come in and “do your own thing.” Lounges. Chalking on the sidewalks. Programming contest being sponsored this year. Swimming pool Use of t-shirts. Frustrating that some buildings get locked early. What has been your most creative experience at college and what made it creative? Senior research. The Wall project – students encouraged to write stereotypes and racist statements and then the wall got knocked down later. Job as a tutor for “America Reads” program. Women’s studies class. Work outside of the major.

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Connecting work in courses in different disciplines. Classes with real-world applications. Discussed the first-year seminar. Most people agreed that the second semester class could be very creative. One class with a service-learning component was discussed with enthusiasm. What is one thing that could be done to encourage more creative thinking on campus? Open-minded teachers who are not too opinionated. The professor really makes a difference. Encourage more open-ended assignments. Encourage service-learning component to courses. Discussion-based classes. Glad that the j requirement will be reinstated – everyone will have to take either a women’s studies, black studies, or queer studies course. Keep classes small. Much discussion of how to extend the creative thinking that happens in the classroom outside of the classroom. Women discussed problems with sexism at parties. Hard to surround yourself with people “you respect and love.” Need to encourage people to constantly question outside of the classroom. Discussed the perception that it is easier for some students to get admitted if they have money and that can have negative effects on the environment. Discussed tendency to keep some things under the table. Discussed budget cuts to some student organizations. Discussion of fraternities and sororities. The people who spoke were members of these groups and thought they offered opportunities for creativity. Dension Faculty – Focus Group on Creative Thinking Are there features of your campus environment for example classes, events, activities, spaces around campus that particularly encourage creative thinking? Mixed media lab where there are amazing electronic resources for students Liberal arts environment encourages students to take courses in different disciplines, gets them out of their comfort zone Recent construction has eased the divide between the arts “down the hill” and other disciplines on campus; collaboration between departments is beneficial Library is creative space that brings people together – any communal space Housing option called Homestead emphasizing environmental sustainability Student improv group McGregor initiative where interdisciplinary topics were developed and brought writers, artists, scientists together to create these open forums, lectures, exhibitions, courses

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Some experimentation with learning communities that link courses. Theatre and history. Students are enrolled in two courses taught by different faculty and in the true sense of the word they are working across disciplines. The faculty coordinate syllabi to find some commonalities and it encourages community, creativity Service learning gets students into the community Honors program and courses tend to be interdisciplinary or have an unusual focus in the courses Opportunities to be with other faculty to discuss ideas around a big table What has been the most creative experience in your professional life? That could be something from your teaching or your research Costume designing collaborating with other people Having non-majors in a course requires you to think about the material differently Ask big questions in classes that have no right answers Involvement in interdisciplinary programs Taught a theatre course with representation from people outside the traditional canon Developed own CD and reading materials for a music appreciation class with an eye toward music students would want to listen to; rearranged the traditional progression of the class to show links between traditional music and modern music Is there an assignment or activity in your courses or in other people’s courses that you are aware of that requires a lot of creative thinking from students? Molecular biology “molexercises” start with a disease and talk about its characteristics the patient might show and try to get them to work backwards to the molecular cause First Year Seminar “uncritical decisions essay” students had to reflect on a decision they made that did not involve critical thinking Setting up projects where you aren’t sure of the outcome German course where students learned about the Holocaust while doing a service learning project involving Somalia Senior seminar on the “lost generation” tied it to Generation X and had people bring in cultural representations and talk about them What is one thing that could be done on campus to encourage more creative thinking? More meetings of Denison faculty across disciplines (used to happen more often) Community has gotten over-booked and over-worked Too many events on campus Interact with other people How to find time to live “the life of the mind” Student and parent focus on “getting a job” not helpful Find ways to reward going to teaching workshops; too much emphasis on scholarship; realize that teaching is valuable

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Too much evaluation and assessment does not allow focus on developing teaching Increase consciousness about the fact that a residential liberal arts college can allow for much opportunity to interact; celebrate what is strong about the community Go visit people in their offices and rely less on email Students want easy (and quick) answers over email – have them visit the office

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KENYON COLLEGE DATA ANALYSIS

Survey Data Each school was sent a data report that contains a description of the surveys administered to first year students, seniors, and faculty at the College of Wooster (COW), Denison University (DU), Kenyon College (KC), and Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). That report should be consulted for detailed information about research methods and results across all four schools. The purpose of this report is to provide some school-specific information that might of use to the particular school. Data from seniors and faculty were examined. The average of seniors at the target school was compared to the average of seniors at the other three schools and the results are shown in the tables provided. Similar analyses were conducted to compare faculty responses from the target schools to responses from faculty at the other three schools. The tables are numbered to correspond to the tables in the full report such that Table 1 of the full report becomes Table “KC1” for Kenyon College’s data that relate to Table 1. For free-response questions, representative responses from seniors and faculty from the target school are provided. An effort was made to include more detailed responses and to limit the number of responses for a question to one page of text.

Focus Group Data

Focus groups were held at each of the four schools. There were two student groups – one that discussed critical thinking, and one that discussed creative thinking – and two faculty groups on these issues. The discussions were set up so that there were eight to twelve persons per group. Student focus groups were led by two students (one female and one male) from Kenyon College. Faculty focus groups were led by two faculty members (one female and one male) from two of the other colleges (not the college where the discussion took place). Each focus group participant was paid $50 in return for participation. The focus group leaders asked four questions of students and five of faculty. The discussions took one hour and were tape-recorded. The discussions were transcribed and the results are summarized in this report. (For each group the first question was for them to define either “critical thinking” or “creative thinking” in their own terms so that the group arrived at some common understanding of the issues being discussed. Their definitions are not summarized here.)

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Table KC1: KC Seniors Rate Critical and Creative Thinking of Various Events Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= not at all to 5 = great deal How much does each event involve… Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Event: KC other 3 KC other 3 Interacting with students and faculty in class 4.04 3.86 2.98 3.08 Cultural events on campus 2.82 3.17 2.93 3.29 Extra-curricular or co-curricular activity 2.93 3.13 3.39 3.60 Listening to speakers on campus 3.98 3.84 2.71 2.79 Interacting …students outside of class 3.09 3.13 3.32 3.54 Engaging in a hobby 2.96 3.15 3.83 4.21 Reading material for class 4.27 4.21 2.56 2.65 Interacting with faculty outside of class 3.96 3.68 3.02 3.17 Completing projects for class 4.27 4.36 3.71 3.81 Communicating with peers over the internet 2.40 2.39 2.63 2.69 Writing papers for classes 4.62 4.54 3.66 3.73 “Surfing” the internet 2.47 2.36 2.46 2.56 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table KC2: Frequency of Critical and Creative Activities of KC Students Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= never to 6 = always or almost always How often have you… KC Other 3 Taken an assignment in a slightly different direction 3.35 3.34 Found yourself wanting to read more … 4.31 4.25 Used brainstorming during a class 3.53 3.77 Used brainstorming in a class assignment 4.20 4.11 Used brainstorming outside of class (e.g., club activity, etc) 4.07 4.18 Worked on a paper or project that required you to integrate… 5.16 5.05 “Let go” and had fun intellectually 4.05 3.96 Engaged in abstract thinking 4.64 4.41 Put together ideas or concepts from different courses … 4.55 4.61 Used a story, metaphor, or visual in a class assignment 3.87 4.12 Incorporated diverse viewpoints in a class assignment 4.24 4.08 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table KC3: KC Seniors and Faculty Rate Creative Environment Characteristics Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= not at all present to 7 = extensively Seniors: Faculty: Frequency of characteristic: KC Other 3 KC Other 3 Challenge 5.50 5.27 5.30 4.96 Freedom 4.78 4.92 5.48 5.01 Idea Support 4.86 4.89 4.87 4.75 Trust/Openness 5.10 4.79 5.00 4.38 Dynamism/Liveliness 5.26 4.83 5.39 4.60 Playfulness/Humor 5.68 4.94 4.91 4.41 Debate 5.48 5.26 5.00 4.75 Risk Taking 4.42 4.32 4.17 3.65 Idea Time 4.72 4.39 3.91 3.68 Conflict 4.28 4.67 4.04 4.06 Supportive Environment 5.10 4.92 5.35 4.49 Working in groups 5.08 5.05 4.83 4.68 Active models … 5.10 4.97 4.96 4.34 Assignments … 4.86 5.13 5.17 4.70 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table KC4: Critical Thinking Attitudes of KC Seniors and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Seniors: Faculty: Summarized Characteristic: KC Other 3 KC Other 3 I consider myself a person who thinks critically 6.46 6.00 6.58 6.72 Too little teaching at this college is focused … 2.84 3.09 4.50 4.11 Faculty can create conditions critical thinking 5.70 5.89 6.33 6.35 Faculty on campus model critical thinking 5.96 5.78 5.08 5.63 Courses offered encourage critical thinking 5.84 5.65 5.00 5.25 Extracurricular activities… critical thinking 4.04 4.20 4.08 4.08 I value critical thinking. 6.44 6.35 6.92 6.88 It is possible to assess critical thinking 6.18 5.53 6.25 6.21 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 5.66 6.11 5.08 5.99 This college values my efforts critical thinker 5.96 5.89 4.75 5.66 A liberal arts education is conducive… 6.42 6.15 6.17 6.57 Higher education system is conducive 5.22 4.88 4.25 4.20 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table KC5: Creative Thinking Attitudes of KC Seniors and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Seniors: Faculty: Summarized Characteristic: KC Other 3 KC Other 3 I consider myself a creative person 5.54 5.49 6.00 5.73 Creativity can be learned 4.66 4.61 5.75 5.03 Creativity should be taught in college courses 4.98 4.76 5.63 5.33 Too little teaching at this college is focused on … 3.56 4.08 3.88 4.43 Faculty can create conditions … 5.76 5.81 6.38 6.09 Faculty on campus model creative … 5.22 4.99 6.38 5.28 Courses offered on our campus encourage ... 4.76 4.51 5.38 4.35 Opportunities no right or wrong answers 5.07 4.88 6.00 5.03 Extracurricular activities encourage creativity 4.98 4.90 6.00 4.75 I value creativity 6.29 6.27 6.63 6.46 It is possible to assess creativity 4.66 5.03 5.00 5.25 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 5.32 5.92 5.50 5.57 This college values my efforts to be creative 5.12 5.13 6.13 4.90 This college provides time for me to be creative 4.61 4.57 4.63 3.83 This college gives me space to be creative 5.02 4.70 5.00 3.94 There is a creative vibe on this campus 5.12 4.45 5.13 3.63 A liberal arts education is conducive … 5.73 5.65 6.13 5.80 Higher education system is conducive … 3.88 4.03 3.50 3.44 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table KC6: KC Seniors Rate Importance Critical, Creative Thinking for each Discipline Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Item KC Other 3 KC Other 3 Important in fine and performing arts 5.48 5.38 6.71 6.62 Important in humanities 6.38 6.04 6.00 6.12 Important in natural and physical sciences 6.52 6.37 5.41 5.25 Important in social sciences 6.54 6.37 5.76 5.74 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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KC Students: Where Critical Thinking Thrives on Campus In the classroom, in apartments filled with dynamic discussions - my favorite spot to discuss literary theory with friends is on exercise balls at the athletic center. I would say faculty lectures, lectures sponsored by the college, certain classes, and interactions with faculty. I think it's also fostered in settings that don't get enough attention, such as music lessons. I think that in certain apartments and living arrangements students can form informal networks where they will debate each other and really work through problems. In its less rushed and stressed moments I also think that communal study spaces, like those in the science quad are good for fostering student interactions and thinking. It exists the most inside the classroom. I think a lot of students, including myself, envision a liberal arts college as a place where it also dominates out-of-class settings, but I don't think this vision matches reality in most cases. I do have a small circle of friends who exhibit critical thinking in our every day discussions, but you won't find it happening at most meals, parties, special events, etc. For extra-curricular activities, it all depends. I am in several activist groups and we are always thinking critically about how best to organize campaigns, distribute our message, and motivate people and get them involved with us. That probably isn't true for groups that are more focused on their own experiences and just having fun. In the classroom, in conversations amongst classmates and friends outside of the classroom, in meetings/conferences between faculty and students, on sports teams, in interactions between coaches and players. Smaller seminar classes, spontaneous intellectual conversations around dinner (usually spawned from a NYT's article) Student lounges that encourage working together serve to encourage collaborative thought processes, often suggesting new ways to view a problem. I also believe truly quiet areas (various niches in the library, restricted access rooms for majors) are extremely important to reflective work, which can best lead to understanding. Here, wherever people are talking, there is critical thinking going on. The classroom, the dorm, the coffee shop - if you are around the right people, they are thinking critically about every sort of subject.

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KC Faculty: Where Critical Thinking Thrives on Campus classrooms. I encourage students to discuss material with other students over lunch. Take home work together assignments can be done anywhere- study lounges, student rooms, etc. Classrooms, labs, coffee house Some classrooms, performances. I don't think critical thinking is tied to spatial categories. It is probably strongest in classroom settings. It is probably weakest in all student venues. Classroom, performance classroom, email, auditoriums, faculty lunches, computer labs, library, faculty offices, probably other employee offices, probably some student groups and living spaces I think there are some classes where critical thinking exists. I also think that the students feel very comfortable with some profs and therefore engage in conversations with them that encourage critical thinking. informal conversations between students and between students and faculty or between faculty colleagues. Some events such as common hour lectures or guest speakers encourage critical thinking. Don't know about places like living spaces, outdoor spaces, etc. Potentially it should flourish in all the classrooms, laboratories and studios on campus as well as on the playing fields and outdoor educational and recreational spaces. It should flourish any time there are artistic, intellectual or mundane problems to solve. within many academic disciplines, but not always between disciplines - we don't challenge each other’s disciplines in an intellectual way In classrooms, in faculty offices, in student rooms classrooms, libraries, dorm rooms, student lounges, faculty offices, the Middle Ground cafe, the Gambier deli, probably the dining halls Classrooms, art studios.

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KC Students: Where Creative Thinking Thrives on Campus It is hard to say where creativity flourishes in a campus setting. I think nearly any act can be creative, but it's difficult to identify it. Pockets may appear just about anywhere, but I do not think any one place exudes creativity. library research, music performances, classroom discussions, individual discussions with faculty Music building, art buildings, theater buildings, horn gallery, Middle Path, Middle Ground in my dorm/room, in Bolton, in the library, in Storer The Craft Center, the studio art facilities, the music facilities, the dance studios, in group study areas, labs, anywhere where students do work. Amongst friends, through just pondering and figuring day to day things out in a better way mostly in fine arts, extracurricular activities that involve art My favorite parts of it are the spontaneous creations amongst friends - the days we run into others and make sidewalk chalk murals or start bands with strange instruments and perform on Middle Path. Just about everywhere. Senior projects allow students to explore further and creatively anything that has interested them in their major. Performance spaces are widely available. We have a performance art week on Middle Path. In the seminars far more than in the lecture halls. Outside of class in study spaces and gathering spaces. Whereas I think the classroom does foster critical thinking, I think it less so encourages creativity. We are often recapping material and trying to get a full grip on it. Sometimes, there is time for debate and reflection, but I think it is limited. Outside of class, there is a lot of time to be creative on assignments and in extra-curricular activities. I think organizations value that a lot and often times the most creative ideas draw the most people and have the most success even if they don't exhibit critical thinking.

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KC Faculty Where Creative Thinking Thrives on Campus With certain professors in literature, music, and the arts; some in sciences and social sciences; in some innovative programs founded by students; in a few exemplary teaching innovation and teaching excellence programs sponsored by the administrations under President Oden and Nugent; and they need to be given credit for this; in some new faculty mentoring programs, depending on the faculty involved. I wish I could say something about living space for students, and residential life, by faculty are removed from this. I wish Kenyon had what I saw at other universities and colleges--faculty fellows assigned to residential areas. I also think creativity can thrive in religious and spiritual life, although this can be a highly subjective area, but one in which campus chaplains can offer their skills and encouragement. Any place that a person can go! This includes, by the way, science labs and natural areas - places too many people overlook as stimulating creativity. …For me "creativity" is most securely associated with the fine arts, where I think we do . . . fine. We have student run art galleries, theaters, we have art shows, in galleries and all over campus in the Spring, theater troups, music ensembles from jazz to gamelan, a fine modern dance program etc. Wherever students must take the initiative in deciding the objectives of their liberal-arts education and experience. theatres, art studios, seminar rooms (some), dance studios classroom, hallways, galleries, studios, faculty offices, library As a social scientist, I typically think of creativity in terms of innovative ways of approaching existing social problems/questions. This mainly occurs in faculty and student work spaces, though also in the classroom. Creativity can flourish anywhere creative persons can be found. Classroom, performance, study and living spaces. Students are challenged to think creatively in the classroom, but they actually produce creative work in workshops outside of the classroom, and in meetings for group projects. They also independently engage in performances (not for academic credit) in venues such as the Black Box Theatre. In some senior exercises, independent study projects, research projects, student clubs, student exhibits, student performances, etc.

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KC Students: Barriers to Critical Thinking sometimes, busywork and memorization can interfere with deeper thinking, and sometimes boring and un-engaging material or work can interfere as well. Other students who do not actively engage in critical thinking in class make it difficult for the instructors to encourage the class to think critically and deeply. There is too much time spent discussing superficial ideas and details to cater to those students, and not nearly enough time spent thinking critically. Time restraints. If a student is overloaded with work, they will not have enough time to think critically about more important topics and assignments. Not that I know of. Our community and professors really encourage us to think about what we see and what we've been taught. Yes. I think the emphasis on grades and deadlines cause students to think more about their GPA and less about what they're learning. There are enormous pressures on college students these days who face acceptance to rigorous graduate school programs where grades and test scores are so important. Social activities are often devoid of critical thinking. I think that there might be a social barrier if one tries to make what would be considered a politically conservative argument. Someone who thinks too critically too often will be thought of as too serious and boring. For inside the classroom, there aren't really any barriers to thinking critically except that a lot of the time a good number of students will stay quiet every period. I think professors should try to create an environment where small numbers of students don't dominate conversation (which is allows for critical thinking to be realized in talk). It's difficult, but everyone needs to be involved. As for outside the class, a lot of it has to do with cultural ideas of what is fun and what isn't. My friends like to think critically; it comes natural to us. How do we make critical thinking fun? Large lecture classes, especially introductory lecture courses KC Faculty: Barriers to Critical Thinking No barriers on campus that I know of, but sometimes students enter college from high schools where not a lot of critical thinking took place, just rote memorization.

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The "herd" mentality of most people; the inability of some professors to hear contrary views; the generally uniform political, social, religious views around campus. Coddling of students is rampant on this campus! If we work to eliminate more of this, we can better facilitate an atmosphere conducive to critical thinking for our students. Social pressure. The desire to be cool. I don't know much about the situation outside of the classroom. We introduce our own barriers through our assignments. Sometimes, they are dictated in part by the subject one teaches. Critical thinking, when turned back toward the college, its people, academia, or taken-for-granted academic standards, can be perceived as troublemaking, or as "not being part of the community". Faculty can constrain critical thinking of other faculty and of students, depending on their own level of power, when it challenges their own beliefs. Very opinionated and vocal individuals can easily be heard, which makes some less opinionated (and or less vocal) individuals choose not to participate in the exercise of thinking critically and forming their own ideas I think that this is generally a fairly conservative campus that is well served by maintaining the status quo. I think this is true of most groups here: administration, faculty, and students. Large classes make this difficult. Students in required classes often make this difficult (don't really want to be there). I'm concerned that No Child Left Behind's emphasis on standardized tests is also making this more difficult. Barriers are created by individuals through a lack of respect for the ideas of others. Situations that do not allow time for careful thought or limit discourse can also dampen critical thinking. Kenyon tends to be a very kind and caring community, which can inhibit one from being vocally critical even when it might be warranted; on the other hand, sometimes academics are needlessly critical simply because we feel we're not being rigorous unless we're critical Specialization promotes publication, but extreme specialization inhibits critical thinking. There is insufficient time for faculty members to be broadly educated in their fields, and also produce publishable work. Some faculty members and departments have a narrow sense of what counts as valuable work in the discipline. The atmosphere on campus is rather conventional and not sufficiently open for free critical thinking.

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KC Students: Barriers to Creative Thinking I feel that there is very little encouragement of personal hobbies and talents that people do on an individual basis. My most creative activities are my knitting and my pastry making, but little is done to facilitate the development of personal interests like these. Often I don't think there is enough ability for creative expression in coursework, I wish more papers could be written creatively. It's difficult to evaluate creativity in an academic environment, but I think Kenyon does an admirable job. The administration has to be careful about restricting social spaces, or we could lose that. (Friends of mine gathered in a room at the beginning of the year to discuss their experiences living abroad and they were broken up because there were empty beer cans in the room, and the party policy restricts groups of seven from talking in the same room unless they're registered with security. I think the rule has been toned down since, thank goodness.) There are definite barriers inside the classroom. There is always a range of acceptable ideas. Absolutely. Grading is a problem and professors pre-conceived notions of what the result and/or process ought to be. Often papers encourage mediocrity and adding words for the sake of adding words. When a teacher is only interested in the right answer. Sometimes students worry too much about getting good grades, and not enough about pursuing tangential lines of thought that interest them South living. A few professors believe firmly that there are wrong answers, and they make that clear. Creative expression is limited in the writing classes mostly because of faculty prejudice against genre writing. Time is a big one inside the class, as is students who don't read the material or do what is assigned. Sometimes teaching style can limit it if the class is lecture-based and doesn't provide time for discussion and interaction. I wouldn't say there are a lot of restrictions on creativity outside the class, except for time again, considering all the readings and work we are expected to do in addition to taking part in extra-curricular activities. Money can be a barrier if an enterprise requires it but the institution usually provides it. I believe that better advertisement of faculty work would facilitate student interest and in turn breed greater student creativity. Especially when a student is not familiar with a department, there is a tendency to stay in one's comfort zone.

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KC Faculty: Barriers to Creative Thinking Of course: the mandates for faculty to do research and publish often time negate time and space for contemplation and creativity: we must churn out "output" to satisfy departmental and TPC mandates. And we must spend--rightly so--vast amounts of time with students, and preparing for classes---in itself, this could be creative, as it has been for me, but others would argue that few faculty gain recognition for such "creativity." And of course there's a financial component as well. I was luckier than others in having a research/teaching fund through an endowed chair, from which I benefited enormously--and so too many of my students. But good and committed faculty--and we've a strong number of them on campus--need both TIME and money to cultivate creativity. Overcommitment and overscheduling are the biggest problems, in my opinion. …I'd say that, if I can be allowed to substitute "serious thinking" for "creativity," political correctness, with the concomitant excessive fear of seeming insensitive, can be a barrier. Nonetheless, I'm not so sure that barriers themselves aren't spurs to serious thinking… Most people work too hard here, leaving them inadequate amounts of time fully to develop creative ideas and practices in any given circumstance. lack of resources, support for collaboration, support for outside of classroom creative work drug and alcohol abuse, fraternity pressure to conform No. Lack of sleep, and feeling overwhelmed by work can stifle creativity. Closed minds; ideological conformity. For any activities involving coursework, many students seem to be inhibited from creative thinking by the prospect of being evaluated. A few honest students have confessed that they refrain from expressing their ideas in discussion or even in writing because they fear "looking stupid." They are adverse to taking intellectual risks. I have no evidence, but my overall feeling is that this cautiousness dissipates as they become juniors and seniors. I have found anecdotally that challenging and evaluating students' ideas and arguments (paradoxically) encourages them to take intellectual risks and to think creatively. My naive explanation is that new students fear to "try out" their own ideas because they have no way to gauge the quality of their ideas. By questioning their arguments, we show them tools to evaluate their own thinking. Expressing "wrong" (or indefensible) positions no longer has irreversible consequences, because they can revise their position. As a result, constructing intricate arguments becomes possible.

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For students: fear of endangering their GPAs For faculty: none, other than balancing time constraints/demands (necessary evil, not a complaint) Bucking the system is never easy, but many individuals (students and faculty) are willing to take those risks. KC Students: Diversity and Critical Thinking I think that the diversity of the campus does help in thinking critically about things, as you have to be aware of not offending people and you're constantly thinking about where other people are coming from and how they'll react to something you say and putting yourself in their shoes. different ideas and experiences mingle and sometimes integrate. new ideas may emerge and narrowness may broaden. It can. It can also contribute to ignorance. If diversity is celebrated and people are given sources of knowledge, I think that critical thinking can be enhanced by it. However, it takes a certain amount of willingness from students that is not always there. Diversity contributes to students' development of critical thinking, in particular on questions related to diversity itself. Individuals from diverse backgrounds can offer the evidence of their personal experience to the analysis of these questions. I'm inclined to say it does not. In terms of critical thinking, I believe that all diversity stems from ideas. While diversity of class/race/sex/etc. may coincide with diverse opinions, there does not appear (to me) to be a clear cause-effect relationship between the two. Diversity encourages critical thinking because it necessarily requires us to question our own standpoint and the privilege/oppression we have in it. Different life experiences from a variety of people in different social categories fosters a rich climate for critical thinking. We need more of that! Yes, it contributes new points of view and experiences that provide students who did not grow up or identify with that context to get an in-depth perspective I believe that diversity at a small liberal arts school is eye-opening to some degree -- baring issues that might otherwise stay hidden. This forces students to rethink their personal philosophies and relationship-skills. In my experience at Kenyon, people don't go around saying "oh, diversity this, diversity that." So there's no explicit focus on diversity and its impact. I would venture to say that diversity helps liberal arts education and the development of critical thinking, in that diverse viewpoints make for a richer experience wherein students MUST think critically or be overwhelmed.

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Diversity is really pretty limited. I would appreciate more diversity, but mostly of views, not necessarily of skin color. Adding more diversity, especially if the college sacrifices academic qualifications, is, I think, pretty detrimental to students really engaging with different viewpoints because it fosters a kind of PC-ness that inhibits real exploration and the mistakes that come with that. I really wish the curriculum was more open to different subjects that are globally important but not necessarily taught in the US. Things like Histories of different continents, histories of art and study abroad. I think those things really teach students to examine problems across the board with different eyes. KC Faculty: Diversity and Critical Thinking It does contribute because students of different backgrounds may have different insight into or ways to approach a particular problem. Diversity -- where people bring different attitudes and values -- definitely contributes to critical thinking, but only if they talk to each other on matters where these differences manifest themselves. There is more than one type of segregation. Maybe a little bit. It is sad, if not hopeless, when students are not aware of diversity(ies) at the time they come to college. Definitely. I can talk about social inequality till I'm blue in the face, but students receive and understand it much better and more concretely when members of traditionally-oppressed groups are right there in the classroom during the discussion. And in general, the more diversity, the more opportunities for questioning one's own taken-for-granted assumptions. On a broader scale, student diversity has led to institutional developments that promote critical thinking--for example, programs and spaces focused on women and gender, race and ethnicity, and potentially class. Not as much as you might think. I think most people try to ignore the diversity as a source of challenge to the status quo. I think it does help students consider different perspectives and think about issues in new ways (if they are open to these new perspectives). Interacting with individuals of different backgrounds can create sensitivity to different world views and foster critical thinking. In one-on-one or small group discussions, diversity contributes greatly by expanding the viewpoints and life-experience of discussants; since people at Kenyon really listen to each other in those situations, everyone's perspective is expanded and differences are compared and contextualized, increasing critical thinking. Doesn't help nearly as much in campus-wide conversations, though, b/c each person still acts as own agent, so differences are diluted by larger numbers.

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Definitely diversity contributes to critical thinking. People from different backgrounds, who have different experiences, tend to think differently and to focus on different things. Lack of diversity causes narrowness of thought and complacency. One needs to be aware of other points of view in order to defend one's own beliefs. Apparent "difference" is welcomed on campus but true difference is not. Whatever "difference" arrives on campus in time becomes part of the "same." KC Students: Diversity and Creative Thinking This campus is not very diverse- though I have experienced heated class-room discussions between self-admitted liberals and conservatives. yes, especially in courses where these issues are discussed openly and without judging others opinions. Because this is a "liberal" college I think many are quick to judge others with more conservative viewpoints and although I may not agree with many statements made by my conservative friends creativity and freedom of expression cannot exist only for one group. I don't think it does contribute to creative thinking, really, unless a student seeks out association with "diverse" people. For those who are part of those groups, yes; for others, there is a disconnect and the minority groups tend to be ignored. Diversity does contribute to creative thought, but only in classes where that diversity is a topic of consideration, i.e. women's studies, sociology, legal studies, anthropology, psychology, etc. I think the biggest contributor comes from diversity of opinion. For example, a foreign citizen will have had a different experience from mine. If his opinion seems creative/novel to me it may be a product of cultural differences. Diversity certainly allows for creativity to flourish. New perspectives approach the same activity or assignment differently and together, they can create a whole new end product that wouldn't be had with the same old perspectives working together. We don't have enough in the way of diversity, but we're getting there, and I think nationality actually contributes the most to creative class discussions because the difference in approach is often the most striking. Me, it's about what a person can offer intellectually, not what they look like. Kenyon is post-racial.

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KC Faculty: Diversity and Creative Thinking I really don't think so, noble though it may sound. Exposing students to a cross section of upper middle class students does not in and of itself mandate "creative thinking." It might, as it did for me growing up, and in the Army, help a person see the complexity and variety of humanity, and that we are all Americans, but save for certain off-campus , overseas or North American cultural immersion programs, I don't see it as a major factor. Of course, diversity encourages people to open their minds to other points of view, and diversity offers juxtapositions that allow people to see new connections. Oh good, two shibboleths in one! To the extent that having people of different backgrounds talk seriously about how they see the world, listen to others, and, above all, begin to try to make rational judgments about those viewpoints (and not just "appreciate" them) liberal education gets done. I'm not at all sure that it's what you mean by "creativity," and it's not exactly what I mean by it. To the extent that "diversity" just means "political correctness" (i.e. never making an argument against someone's traditions or "culture" for fear of seeming "insensitive"), diversity is iron, dogmatic death both to liberal education and creativity. Here at Kenyon we talk some diversity but it hasn't hardened (at least as much as at other places) into a deadly orthodoxy. We haven't yet got to the stage where "you hurt my feelings" is a crushing counter-argument. At the same time, having more people of different backgrounds and views would be a good thing here. As a goal, diversity encourages creative thinking, since it fosters an environment in which new attitudes, values, and points of view are sure to be validated. I know of no evidence, however, that diversity itself contributes to creative thinking. Yes, very much, knowledge of other models of living, agency, choice, struggle prepare students to contribute to the world in meaningful ways. To the degree that it does, yes: any difference or diversity offers new opportunities for learning and understanding, which foster creativity (connection with others). It contributes somewhat. But students can still have the tendency not to think outside their own comfort zones. I really don't know. I can see that it might have a profound impact in the social sciences, but in the natural sciences (my field) I don't see any evidence for it. The most obvious way for diversity to affect creative thinking is through student-to-student feedback: How do students challenge each other? How do they respond to peer critique? When I first started teaching here, I feared that differences in class, race, or sex would determine these behaviors. There are differences, but not according to these categories. Instead, I

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sometimes find that students who had advanced high school preparation in the subject are more resistant to critique from their peers. Any challenge to one's identity/self-concept, whether internal or external, is vital to the creative process. KC Students: Experience that Required Most Critical Thinking I think what has enhanced my ability to think critically the most has been interactions with professors outside the classroom. I can scarcely begin to list these. Every course, play, event, and performance has fed into my ability to think in some manner. The stuff of our brains is chemically altered by each thing that we view. The most inspiring things I can think of are: my American literature course, my French Social Theory course, the Angela Waite recital series, Kate Bornstein's lecture, the Kenyon Literary Society, Tim O'Brien's lecture, Margaret Atwood's lecture, The Goat or Who Is Sylvia?, the Stoppard play that went up earlier this year.... shall I go on? The entire Kenyon experience is geared towards encouraging creative thinking, but some courses that stand out as doing so especially are: Math 391 Computer Graphics Programming Philosophy 391 The Mind, Perception, and Film All my economics courses. Reading journal articles for all my classes. Writing research papers. Definitely. The course Psychology of Women opened my eyes and my perspective. It made me think about feminism in a way I never had before; I had always operated under stereotypes and that class gave me theories and facts to broaden my perspective. Classical philosophy texts enhance the ability to think critically, as they are written in riddles rather than in forward prose, and require a great degree of attention, awareness, and insight to understand their meaning. I point to Plato's Republic, Aristotle, and Socratic Dialogues in specific, although many political philosophy texts achieve a similar goal. Yes. I was chair of the Student Lectureships committee. Seeing speakers and evaluating what an interesting academic idea really helped. I think that all of my math courses helped immensely as did a lot of the reading I did for my Economics honors seminar. Reading diverse books about politics also really helped, particularly when I didn't agree with them. Being good friends with people who are quite different from me in terms of ideological thinking also really helped. going abroad is high on my list of experiences that have fostered critical thinking.

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Yes. The political science department asks you to address problems in different ways with each new class you take. The advanced lab "Experimental Physics" (PHYS 481) required of physics majors effectively fostered synthesis of previous knowledge, development of new problem-solving methods (isolating a problem and determining solutions). Electronics (PHYS 280-281) also helped me to develop a new manner of viewing lab methods and execution. KC Students: Most Creative Experience Writing my senior comprehensive in International Studies- I was able to tap into first-hand sources to reach a novel conclusion. Creating my own psychological study and having the ability to conduct it within the psychology department. In order to create the scales, hypotheses, and procedure, my partner and I had to think creatively to make the project our own and not simply a replication. Wow. I'd go with my honors thesis, since I spent a year and three months writing it, and the structure of the program allowed me to take that kind of risk. But having dinner with professors - which I've done frequently in the past - is also a creative experience, and an extraordinarily rewarding one. I figured out a bizarre way to solve a certain type of calculus problem. It works for me, although it is a bit round about. Although, I'm probably most proud of this painting I did where I got frustrated and slashed it with an exacto knife and then began stitching it back together and stitching all over the canvas and creating connections between the photographs I had burnished onto the surface. I enjoyed combining two of my majors into one single paper. I think that I was able to truly analyze the topic by doing so. My Senior art thesis. It forced me to think in metaphor, come up with an innovative and thoughtful concept, and express it in a way that was not only a merit to my studies but also aesthetically appealing to those that saw it. My most creative experience at Kenyon has been my senior seminar in Women's and Gender Studies. We are working on a monologues presentation/play, and the writing exercises we do require us to re-imagine the character created by another student in the class. We generate random lists and try to incorporate a certain number of items from the lists into the rewritten monologues. Unless you're a Creative Writing concentrator in the English department, you don't get much opportunity to do creative writing here, so I've definitely appreciated that aspect of this project.

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My senior exercise in studio art, if only for the intimidating but liberating amount of freedom I had to explore my ideas. My studio art minor final show. There were no guidelines, I had to decide and creative for myself a concept. My final senior exercise in political science, in which I combined coursework from a variety of subjects such as history, religion, and politics, to write an exam on political science questions. The experience of integrating different disciplines and finding the proper way to do so tapped my creativity. KC Faculty: Most Creative Experience Teaching in all its forms, to include involving students in the growth and discovery process both here and at another colleges in which I've taught while on sabbatical; the development of new courses, with the active approval of the administration and department--high marks here. The ability to do research and write; and to incorporate my findings not only for publication but for class and student use as well. to collaborate with other teachers in team-taught courses; but my own good fortune is not that of all others. It all depends on the individual and her/his commitment to teaching, and whether he or she desires to go beyond a "safe" conventional routine in both teaching and advising. Seeing connections leading to new hypotheses in my own research. This has mostly occurred during periods of intense focus on one project where I was able to read literature extensively and also spend hours on data analysis and interpretation. "Immersion" is the best single term for a condition that promotes creativity for me. Again, I don't think I would use that word to describe what I think you mean. But the best thing I have going for me, year in and year out, is teaching, whether it is the 28th time with freshmen (excuse me: first-years) or the second time with Montaigne's Essays. I know generally what I'm doing, but I'm on my own with some inquiring and independent minds and I don't know where it's going to end up. The experience that most effectively fostered my creative powers was a single good course, in college, on literary theory, in which the professor modeled the creative thinking enabled by broad theoretical understanding. Developing a new work with students. We were forced to find new ways to work, to collaborate, to evaluate, and to create. Discussing ideas each and every day in the classroom with students is always an intensely creative experience for me. In addition, art exhibitions on and off-campus that I promote, curate, and co-curate with students are highlights.

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Formulating a new course on material that I knew well--rethinking the material, choosing new editions of familiar texts. When I reread the texts freshly along with the students, I thought more freely about those texts. Developing a new course that was far outside my area of expertise. Answering this question would identify me. Let me answer the question more generally in that the most rewarding experiences were when students were intrinsically involved in the process. Working collaboratively was invigorating. My most creative experience has been the development of new testing procedures. Existing procedures were often used when they were not appropriate, but getting scientists to move in a different direction requires patience and persistence.

Focus Groups Kenyon Students – Focus Group on Critical Thinking Are there features of your campus environment – for example, classes, events, activities, spaces around campus – that encourage critical thinking? Symbolic logic; philosophy classes in general; any class that engages issue of ethics Canterbury Tuesday night dinners where discussions take place e.g. what should the role of religion be in politics Senior exercise questions that require you to take things from lots of different areas of the discipline Campus spaces encourage it without demanding it like Crozier Center with a lot of information available; the art gallery in the library Speakers on campus - sometimes an event has two levels to it - the event itself and the talk about it afterwards Literary magazine where students evaluate the work of their peers Sports not necessarily while playing but when you are away from the game so you know what to do in the game so it will come naturally Student-led activities; rugby team, “Take Five” Lot of pressure to get good grades; not from the professor but grad school etc. Assignments that encourage critical thinking. You get better at thinking in some classes. Sometimes professors have a narrow way to think about things in their discipline but you should learn that technique and then take courses in another department to learn a different way of thinking. Critical thinking in classroom more detail-oriented than in real life. What experience at your college has encouraged critical thinking the most? Independent research mentioned by a couple people

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Comps mentioned by several people Going abroad requires you to apply a lot of problem-solving skills Biggest challenge trying to do cross disciplinary work. Some classes allow you to do that. Art classes. They require a lot of work. Talked about the experience of doing something new that requires creativity. It might take more effort to do this kind of work but it is more exciting. What is one thing that could be done to encourage more critical thinking on campus? Students should have more responsibility in student government. Comps was the hardest thing in college but learned a lot – some kind of experience like comps every semester – more opportunities for showing independent thought When events can be made public it challenges people more. E.g. if the senior exercise is public. Small honors seminar class where had to present a paper publicly. Having students comment on each other’s work. Something that would purposely engage big questions, maybe not in the curriculum but sponsored by the college – e.g., competition between departments – ask big questions across the whole college When speakers come in there could be more time given to discussion afterward Good to have dinners with speakers, more of that Class participation could be focused a bit more sometimes. Short essays required in a particular class everyday were very helpful Ways to encourage more students to do the reading makes a big difference; discussed a professor who calls on students randomly Need to have the knowledge base first before you can think critically about it Sometimes there is too much reading to actually have time to think about it. Can’t take too many seminars in one semester because there is too much reading. It takes a really good professor to have a productive three-hour seminar; Seminars should only be used when the topic lends itself to it. Small classes with a lot of student responsibility can be challenging Anything that can encourage cross-disciplinary thinking. Assignments that require breaking into a different discipline. Assignments that allow you to use different methods. Intro courses could be better. If you are an upper-level student in an intro course you are ready for more than the intro students. Maybe upper level students should take courses above the 200 level. Non-majors courses in various science departments are good. If other departments had courses like that for non-majors it would be good. Too bad intro classes are required for many upper-level courses. Kenyon Faculty – Focus Group on Critical Thinking Are there features of this campus environment, classes, events, facilities, spaces on campus that foster critical thinking?

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Smaller discussion-oriented classes Independent study We have discourse with our students about the language of the discipline Math course that tries to teach students to think about how they make mathematical arguments; students work out proofs and present them to each other; fight to get students to do critical thinking about the work of their peers but they do learn to do it Methods courses that strategize about how to approach a topic are interesting Senior lab courses Art studio courses are like labs. Tried to get students to think of the “art critique” as more of an exchange or an analysis so that it is not as antagonistic. Want student to be aware of other disciplines. Frustration with oral reports from students. Students need to develop a consciousness about what they are doing. Oral reports would be better if students said things that they seriously mean. An original claim that is made with evidence. Try to model behavior that I want them to do. Discuss failed research of my own. Kenyon seminar for faculty Library is a good space. Eavesdropping in the library I have found out that students really do talk about school. They grapple with their ideas with one another. Culture encourages students to gather and work in groups. Lunch tables Hear good conversations at the coffee shop When you bring an outsider to campus it helps. Visiting artist program. Olin auditorium a good place to show work. What has been your most positive experience with critical thinking in your professional life? Something from teaching or research, etc. Senior paper in the first class I taught. I tried to teach students that there wasn’t just one way to do literary criticism. Had a quiet subdued class and one day a topic got challenged by one of the students which broke down the wall and other students started to talk. My own show, exhibition Try to share the life of the artist with students and what critique, analysis means in the real world. Exciting when students come to the point where they start questioning on their own When students start taking themselves seriously. They aren’t pleasing anybody – they are only pleasing themselves. Teach a course for senior physics major, capstone course where they need to synthesize. When students can apply the work in your class to something in their lives. Are there particular assignments you have used in class or heard about that encourage critical thinking in students? Response papers. Describe an argument and summarize.

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Short papers Seniors are required to do orals for their comps in art. What is one thing that can be done to encourage more critical thinking on your campus? It would be interesting to have a class that is completely student-run. Faculty would do the evaluation. Students could determine what they want to get out of it. Some way to encourage students to think about what they want to get of college. Have students read each other’s work. Exchange senior exercise papers. Taught in humanities program (IPHS) which has a tutorial session to it which brought up a lot of experience with self-education. Maybe beneficial to have them ask small questions not just big questions. Start with a small question and then work your way up. When I have double majors in class it affects how they perceive art. Kenyon Students – Focus Group on Creative Thinking Are there features of your campus environment – for example, classes, events, activities, spaces around campus – that encourage creative thinking? Talking about philosophy in classes and at a lunch table A lot of freedom in assignments to express opinions and use different methodologies Class discussions There are inspirational, comfortable places like Ascension reading room; empty rooms in the houses on campus; being outside Can’t be creative on two hours of sleep Leaders with creative energy can make things happen on campus Horn gallery does do a lot for campus, helping events to happen Student art shows; open mikes; student bands, bringing in outside bands and artists stirs the pot a bit; groups that read poetry and creative writing groups; literary societies that reads classical works; It is very easy for students to find something they like to do; if they can’t find the creative outlet in what exists they can start their own group; freedom to do things; a lot of spaces you can use Common denominator is a lot of student freedom Some performance art expressive events like painting your body occur and people aren’t judged; Lectures on obscure topics make me realize that there is a fringe element to every topic I might be overlooking Diversification requirements get students into different fields; encourage more cross-disciplines outside of your department (You are reading about these ideas in other classes but because those departments don’t communicate they only understand their own way of thinking about it) Discussed lack of support for interdisciplinary majors, synoptic majors

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What has been your most creative experience at college and what made it creative? Service learning class– getting out and experiencing something and then being able to discuss and read critically about it helped A class where professors pushed students so hard to the edge –the class ideas were so radical he gave a lot of students a completely different point of view about how to look at things Research methods class in psychology we had to come up with our own project Senior exercise in studio art As a studio art major the senior exercise Agriculture class where we worked on a farm five hours a week and then came to class for two hours a week; talked more about what happened on the farm than about our assigned reading Independent study is the epitome of a creative class; I need to figure out what I am reading and how to start and stimulate discussion Helped a fellow student make a movie here over break which was his senior thesis; the school allows this thing to happen and gives you the resources The party scene can get creative like the debutante ball where guys dress up as girls; (My friends spent all day creating their costumes); My friends and I dressed up in sea-based theme for Phling Dance and drama productions are great creative community experiences People do a lot of things with their rooms Freedom is developed here; my understanding of how to control and handle that freedom has been developing the past four years; I can think to freshman year when I had a lot of freedom but I didn’t know how to use it, I was just telling my friends how bored I was Kenyon sort of forces a certain degree of creativity because we are so rural and isolated you have to create your own fun; at other places you can go and be entertained somewhere What is one thing that could be done to encourage more creative thinking on campus? Interdisciplinary majors and concentrations Distribution requirements Art classes are impossible to get into Can’t take intro to Spanish after sophomore year Staffing issues in interdisciplinary programs can be a problem (mentioned American Studies and International Studies) The administration makes it hard to start a club. They want to consolidate various groups but shouldn’t be done, especially with creative groups; there should be multiple theatre and dance groups ok if they aren’t all well funded they can work together on big projects Some professors could apply their material to the real world better. Maybe not all of the classes should be traditional liberal arts. More application (some disagreement on that issue)

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Kenyon Faculty – Focus Group on Creative Thinking Are there features of your campus environment for example classes, events, activities, spaces around campus that particularly encourage creative thinking? More cross-pollination. Embrace the idea that Kenyon is a literary place in other classes besides English; e.g. much reading and writing in art classes. Interdisciplinary senior seminar Senior exercise Teaching abroad with Kenyon students Small seminars Summer science program Take students to applied settings when possible such as the Kokosing River. Student-initiated spaces. Accapella groups, comedy groups, theatre groups. Student literary magazines What has been the most creative experience in your professional life? That could be something from your teaching or your research Collaborated with students in developing a website Synergy between teaching and research. Any opportunity to become a learner again. Collaboration with colleagues outside of the discipline mentioned by several people. The junior leave allowed extended time and energy to study something (like the graduate PhD experience) Is there an assignment or activity in your courses or in other people’s courses that you are aware of that requires a lot of creative thinking from students? Assignments where people have to put things together. Assignments that require vulnerability, for them to show something about themselves Touching in dance Open-ended projects Software that encourages engagement Math contests Problem-solving Give students a compound to develop a synthesis with the least number of steps Working in teams and compete to develop this compound Small-group setting like the senior seminar – explore the literature themselves (mentioned by many people) Cultural studies projects – extending literature into other realms such as dance, etc. Take their knowledge of a literary field and articulate it to a general audience Students have to come up with good questions in mathematics

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What is one thing that could be done on campus to encourage more creative thinking? Opportunities to do things differently – team-teach, time to do projects Anything that breaks up the normal routine such as class schedules, etc. Making interdisciplinary work easier, breaking down departmental autonomy, More financial support for research and for our teaching, too. Our administrative assistants are over-loaded and not enough technical support for labs in the arts. Teaching initiative grants are good but too limited When faculty are brought together like for Richard Light it is a good experience More conversations about creativity – the conversation makes them aware that they don’t talk about this enough Multi-disciplinary sustainability group has been a great opportunity for cross-fertilization – more opportunities like that There are more first-year experience opportunities going on than before but we have lagged behind. To have a social experience that they can talk about. Talked about a sophomore experience also.

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OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY DATA ANALYSIS

Survey Data Each school was sent a data report that contains a description of the surveys administered to first year students, seniors, and faculty at the College of Wooster (COW), Denison University (DU), Kenyon College (KC), and Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). That report should be consulted for detailed information about research methods and results across all four schools. The purpose of this report is to provide some school-specific information that might of use to the particular school. Data from seniors and faculty were examined. The average of seniors at the target school was compared to the average of seniors at the other three schools and the results are shown in the tables provided. Similar analyses were conducted to compare faculty responses from the target schools to responses from faculty at the other three schools. The tables are numbered to correspond to the tables in the full report such that Table 1 of the full report becomes Table “OWU1” for Ohio Wesleyan’s data that relate to Table 1. For free-response questions, representative responses from seniors and faculty from the target school are provided. An effort was made to include more detailed responses and to limit the number of responses for a question to one page of text.

Focus Group Data

Focus groups were held at each of the four schools. There were two student groups – one that discussed critical thinking, and one that discussed creative thinking – and two faculty groups on these issues. The discussions were set up so that there were eight to twelve persons per group. Student focus groups were led by two students (one female and one male) from Kenyon College. Faculty focus groups were led by two faculty members (one female and one male) from two of the other colleges (not the college where the discussion took place). Each focus group participant was paid $50 in return for participation. The focus group leaders asked four questions of students and five of faculty. The discussions took one hour and were tape-recorded. The discussions were transcribed and the results are summarized in this report. (For each group the first question was for them to define either “critical thinking” or “creative thinking” in their own terms so that the group arrived at some common understanding of the issues being discussed. Their definitions are not summarized here.)

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Table OWU1: OWU Seniors Rate Critical and Creative Thinking of Various Events Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= not at all to 5 = great deal How much does each event involve… Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Event: OWU other 3 OWU other 3 Interacting with students and faculty in class 3.65 3.99 2.87 3.11 Cultural events on campus 3.23 3.03 3.05 3.25 Extra-curricular or co-curricular activity 3.11 3.07 3.46 3.57 Listening to speakers on campus 3.68 3.94 2.53 2.85 Interacting …students outside of class 3.06 3.14 3.35 3.53 Engaging in a hobby 3.09 3.11 4.23 4.08 Reading material for class 4.00 4.30 2.52 2.67 Interacting with faculty outside of class 3.59 3.80 3.05 3.16 Completing projects for class 4.28 4.36 3.69 3.82 Communicating with peers over the internet 2.35 2.40 2.72 2.66 Writing papers for classes 4.37 4.62 3.54 3.77 “Surfing” the internet 2.33 2.41 2.65 2.50 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table OWU2: Frequency of Critical and Creative Activities of OWU Students Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= never to 6 = always or almost always How often have you… OWU Other 3 Taken an assignment in a slightly different direction 3.21 3.39 Found yourself wanting to read more … 4.34 4.24 Used brainstorming during a class 3.57 3.75 Used brainstorming in a class assignment 3.93 4.20 Used brainstorming outside of class (e.g., club activity, etc) 4.22 4.13 Worked on a paper or project that required you to integrate… 4.74 5.19 “Let go” and had fun intellectually 4.04 3.97 Engaged in abstract thinking 4.30 4.52 Put together ideas or concepts from different courses … 4.52 4.62 Used a story, metaphor, or visual in a class assignment 4.07 4.05 Incorporated diverse viewpoints in a class assignment 3.82 4.22 _______________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table OWU3: OWU Seniors and Faculty Rate Creative Environment Characteristics Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= not at all present to 7 = extensively Seniors: Faculty: Frequency of characteristic: OWU Other 3 OWU Other 3 Challenge 5.19 5.37 4.95 5.07 Freedom 4.90 4.88 5.45 5.02 Idea Support 4.60 4.98 5.14 4.66 Trust/Openness 4.87 4.87 4.68 4.49 Dynamism/Liveliness 4.85 4.97 4.95 4.74 Playfulness/Humor 5.11 5.13 4.82 4.44 Debate 5.14 5.37 5.14 4.70 Risk Taking 4.20 4.40 3.86 3.76 Idea Time 4.29 4.53 3.82 3.71 Conflict 4.53 4.58 3.59 4.21 Supportive Environment 4.96 4.97 4.68 4.72 Working in groups 4.97 5.09 4.73 4.72 Active models … 4.83 5.06 4.18 4.60 Assignments … 4.82 5.15 4.50 4.93 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table OWU4: Critical Thinking Attitudes of OWU Seniors and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Seniors: Faculty: Summarized Characteristic: OWU Other 3 OWU Other 3 I consider myself a person who thinks critically 6.08 6.13 6.71 6.67 Too little teaching at this college is focused … 3.66 2.82 4.93 3.97 Faculty can create conditions critical thinking 5.96 5.80 6.29 6.36 Faculty on campus model critical thinking 5.64 5.88 5.43 5.51 Courses offered encourage critical thinking 5.32 5.83 4.79 5.32 Extracurricular activities… critical thinking 4.28 4.12 4.36 3.98 I value critical thinking. 6.38 6.37 6.93 6.88 It is possible to assess critical thinking 5.28 5.83 6.29 6.19 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 5.86 6.04 5.71 5.78 This college values my efforts critical thinker 5.68 5.98 5.43 5.44 A liberal arts education is conducive… 5.95 6.31 6.57 6.44 Higher education system is conducive 4.61 5.08 4.14 4.24 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table OWU5: Creative Thinking Attitudes of OWU Seniors and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Seniors: Faculty: Summarized Characteristic: OWU Other 3 OWU Other 3 I consider myself a creative person 5.47 5.51 5.22 5.99 Creativity can be learned 4.59 4.63 5.33 5.17 Creativity should be taught in college courses 4.76 4.83 5.33 5.43 Too little teaching at this college is focused on … 4.59 3.74 4.89 4.10 Faculty can create conditions … 5.82 5.79 6.11 6.18 Faculty on campus model creative … 4.99 5.06 5.78 5.48 Courses offered on our campus encourage ... 4.99 5.06 5.78 5.48 Opportunities no right or wrong answers 4.77 4.98 5.67 5.14 Extracurricular activities encourage creativity 4.78 4.97 4.89 5.12 I value creativity 6.20 6.30 6.67 6.45 It is possible to assess creativity 4.88 4.95 5.22 5.17 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 5.47 5.87 5.22 5.66 This college values my efforts to be creative 4.90 5.20 4.56 5.42 This college provides time for me to be creative 4.40 4.64 3.11 4.34 This college gives me space to be creative 4.52 4.87 3.00 4.60 There is a creative vibe on this campus 4.63 4.61 3.22 4.27 A liberal arts education is conducive … 5.70 5.66 5.89 5.88 Higher education system is conducive … 3.96 4.00 3.22 3.54 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table OWU6: OWU Seniors Rate Importance Critical, Creative Thinking for each Discipline Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Item OWU Other 3 OWU Other 3 Important in fine and performing arts 5.45 5.39 6.61 6.65 Important in humanities 5.95 6.19 6.12 6.08 Important in natural and physical sciences 6.50 6.38 5.69 5.15 Important in social sciences 6.37 6.43 5.90 5.70 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

Qualitative Data from the Survey

OWU Students: Where Critical Thinking Thrives on Campus I think that critical thinking definitely exists in living spaces and with students while they're not in academic settings (especially because we are a liberal arts school filled with a diverse bunch of students). However, the most critical thinking is probably in an academic focus. classes and labs, esp. sciences, the House of Thought, HamWil Campus Center, lectures, esp. Sagan National Colloquium, Classrooms, spring break mission trips, retreats. I would say it mostly thrives in the academic setting, especially upper level seminar classes. Critical thinking thrives in particular classrooms and particular majors on campus. Over my four years at OWU, I have discovered which professors and which departments are capable of critical thinking themselves, and which encourage critical thinking among students…The differences in critical thinking are particularly evident in each major's approach to the senior thesis. In some departments, the senior seminar is one of the easiest classes offered in the major. In other departments, it is a challenging, exciting class that pushes students to integrate their four years of learning into a coherent project. I strongly believe that Ohio Wesleyan needs to have university-wide standards for senior

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seminars and senior theses. I have many friends at other small liberal arts colleges who must adhere to university-wide standards for their projects, and I think this is a preferable system, designed to ensure that all students learn how to think critically during their time at OWU and have the opportunity to put their critical thinking skills to work in the classroom. In my science classes, we frequently read journal articles to support or critique our own experiments. We have to critically think about our own work and other researchers work to determine if yours or their claims are justified. it thrives in the classroom but also when speaking to faculty and staff of the school, you are allowed to express yourself to someone who will encourage your critical thinking and perhaps help you analyze even further. the slus definitely encourage critical thinking in their houses Professors encourage students to come up with ideas before lecturing on other possible ideas--they encourage students to ask why and how, and challenge accepted ideas or take those a step further. Wherever one decides to use it. For most people that's probably the classroom or at a guest lecture, but many people critically discuss things outside of the purely academic environment. Seminar classes are a great place to find the kinds of discussion and openness necessary for critical thought. Here at the House of Thought we obviously foster that same atmosphere; and we extend that beyond the House in our weekly Socrates' Cafe forums. Some professors provide great opportunities for critical thought in their office hours and in other non-class interactions with students, though many do not. OWU Faculty: Where Critical Thinking Thrives on Campus In the classroom environment, in meetings of student organizations where strong leadership and vision or goals influence direction, during discussions following outstanding lectures or presentations or associated with issues-oriented events. many classrooms, faculty offices (student-prof conferences), writing workshops and classes classroom - independent study - study board participation - WCSA Classroom, performance , study spaces, Honors Program activities classrooms, faculty offices, ?? I believe that all of those areas are amenable to critical thinking. In my own experience it happens in the classroom as I have students evaluate scientific literature and in the lab as we are developing experiments and analyzing the results.

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Class room, faculty discussion, etc. Very little outside the academics. classroom, laboratory In most seminars, open-ended discussions and simulations/role-playing (think Mock Convention) settings in the classroom; in some student organizations and deliberative settings (e.g., campus judiciary); in research and upper level work in laboratories, and in library research. Maybe in athletic teams' strategy sessions, but you couldn't prove it by me. Classroom, faculty interactions It's hard for me to comment on this in a complete sense. I believe there is critical thinking in the classroom, most likely in living spaces, among the faculty informally and in official capacities, in faculty research, in some student groups. classroom, laboratory, library, study spaces, faculty offices and research labs classroom. Small living units. Colloquia. some classrooms, discussions after speakers, some SLUs, some one-on-ones with professors classrooms, small living units, faculty homes For me, it happens in my smaller classes, and in conversations with individuals and small groups outside the classroom.... in my office, at meetings... OWU Students: Where Creative Thinking Thrives on Campus independent studies, directed readings, small group discussions outside of class, The SLUs, particularly the House of Peace and Justice, The Women's House and the Creative Arts House, small discussion rooms in academic departments such as the Psychology and English department buildings, Chappellear, Sanborn, Gray Chapel, the Communications department, the Admissions Office, the Dance Studio, all the art buildings, Edgar Hall, the Library atrium, Edgar hall In the dorms, when students forget they have actual assignment and just relish in the intellectual presence of others. Skipping assignments and just discussing the great things in life and the many wonderful things God has given us. These types of conversations are what I have found to be the most important, and the most worth the cost of my education. I have learned much about myself, life, and others through these times that we are neglecting our assignments, and then must stay up for the rest of the night to complete in many cases - busy work.

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It flourishes in places where the students whom all feel similar in a particular opinion can get together with or without faculty and talk about their ideas, such as the small living units. Drama center, outdoor spaces, and living spaces Professors that encourage students to approach problems from a variety of perspectives to achieve a goal or come to an understanding of a concept. Activities and functions that force students to step outside their usual boundaries and experience new things or new ways of thinking. Spaces on campus which students have access to as resources for doing creative thinking or exhibiting that thinking to the rest of campus. In many classes that are not lecture-based but encourage more class participation, especially in the arts and humanities. Creativity also flourishes in many activities and organizations. As an art student, obviously I see creativity flourishing in the studios on campus. But I also feel the Small Living Units generate creativity around their specific issues they champion as a house; for instance, the modern foreign language house is a house based on diversity of language and learning about cultural differences that come from a diverse population. I see that process of sharing information as creative. I think most collaborative projects of any kind involve creativity, whether in clubs or classes or just people having to get along with one another; wherever these people meet is a creative place. I think that creativity flourishes in places wherever people are brainstorming and working together to come up with new ideas on how to solve problems or complete assignments, etc. student lounges in the Science Center, labs/field trips, private music lessons Theatre and other performing arts projects, student projects for important events such as Women's week, creative arts events, etc Creativity most flourishes in extracurricular settings, such as productions by the drama department or student-run organizations, such as the Babbling Bishops. OWU Faculty: Where Creative Thinking Thrives on Campus It should in the classroom, seminar room, and studios. It should in academic and administrative offices (it DOES in some more than others). It flourishes wherever there are creative individuals who wish to be creative, and supervisory individuals who allow and encourage it. Students living in alternative housing seem to value creativity and inquiry more than those in traditional housing.

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teaching space flexibility teaching content flexibility diversity of faculty I cannot think of any place on campus where creativity flourishes. We spend most of our time trying to handhold weak students through basic courses. In the arts and theatre departments, of course, but also in some (especially) classrooms in the humanities. Creativity can happen anywhere, it is a matter of having positive, fresh and curious attitude to the challenges of an every day and life in general, it can be demonstrated both by teachers, students, or workers. classroom Only in the arts (dance, theatre, music, fine arts). Also in some creative writing and creative non-fiction classes. Perhaps in some classes that use journaling. Perhaps in some co-curricular activities that encourage helping others. It can flourish in the classroom, and I strive to nurture that kind of attitude with my students. On our campus, our theatre, art, and music departments nurture creativity consistently and well. Creativity is definitely possible in student living spaces, but our campus does not yet do that. Our outdoor spaces have one or two creative settings. Study spaces for students are improving, but slowly. Faculty offices demonstrate a wide range: some not creative in any way, others quite creative. My own office is rather creative, as I've been told by many who come specifically to see it! class, living spaces certainly one hopes in classrooms devoted to it like studio art courses and things like fiction writing and poetry writing; but also various assignments in other courses, our new marketing office, and faculty in doing their research and designing new ways to present their courses OWU Students: Barriers to Critical Thinking Our educational system has become irrevocably skewed by the corporate apparatus, to the point where it has become impossible to even float the idea that education is a means of 'appreciating the intrinsic value of thinking about and interpreting the world,' as opposed to the dominant view that it is a vessel by which one can obtain a job/career. Only when the dynamics of this relationship are reversed (and destroyed) can critical thinking ever become appealing to the masses. Critical thought - that is to say, Art - cannot occur until we allow ourselves to be 'less' than what we want to be.

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Sometimes memorization and repetition are more highly valued than critical thinking. The bureaucracy does not like critical thinking or change. I think that the main barrier to critical thinking inside or outside of the classroom is simply laziness and a willingness to only do as much is necessary or the bare minimum to get by in classes and on campus. Maybe classes aren't stimulating enough critical thinking for students to get in the habit of it. I don't see much critical thinking done in any of my extracurricular involvements. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that students are burnt out from academic work and are involved in extracurriculars to relax, unwind, and not have to think so much. No, this university encourages and requires critical thinking from each and every student I think there are no boundaries as anyone can think critically. Again, I think it comes down to student motivation. But, a student can be motivated by outside sources, such as a professor that they really like or respect. Also, the kinds of tests that are mostly short-term memorization tests don't cater to critical thinking; however, sometimes that's just what you have to do. Barriers for critical thinking: apathetic atmosphere of the campus in general, lack of connection between the administration and the students, bureaucracy of WCSA and the difficulty of getting funding for student-initiated activities Inside depends on the professor. Most that I know welcome critical thinking, but I have heard that some prefer students to treat their teachings as dogma. Outside the classroom the biggest obstacle is apathy, indifference, and disinterest amongst the student body. Many people don't enjoy critical discussion outside of the classroom. Some student activist and religious organizations, while very well-intentioned, sometimes lack a critical approach to their activities, and can view the world through a very one-sided perspective. Too much "babying" of students. Hand-feeding them knowledge in classes and asking for that same knowledge back verbatim on exams, rather than asking students to think critically and create their own theses OWU Faculty: Barriers to Critical Thinking Yes, some within the students and some that we create. Students often are not prepared to grapple with questions that do not have straightforward answers. The typical student's desire to "get the grade" also restricts the risk-taking needed for high-level critical thinking. In some classes, written expression is limited to summaries of texts, or rules about form and style substitute for real critical exploration of concepts. Some profs have

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decreased the amount of in-depth critical thinking tasks to streamline grading and reduce possibilities of plagiarism in longer written assignments. some classes that are too large prevent critical thinking - scanned exams - etc Faculty who espouse critical thinking but expect students to share their opinions. Faculty who curve grades and pit students against one another, the semester system which does not allow for long periods for real reflection, grades that make students fearful to take risks. general academic laziness among many of our students; not enough role modeling for incoming students; need to pay the bills by admitting too many unprepared students I suspect that the format of some exams would limit the critical thinking needed for some of the evaluation that takes place on campus, though I don't necessarily believe that all evaluation can take that form. Too much sentimentality and concern for "feeling". Yes. Procedure often trumps inquiry in many administrative settings and committees I've been involved with. Example: Once criteria are set and weighted for evaluation, it becomes difficult to re-assess evidence in a different light or mode. E.g.: Measurement and analysis trump narrative and synthesis. Time pressures have a similar effect. Measuring for assessment is good example: We become like my senile aunt searching for something in one corner of the room when we know she lost in the other because, she says, "This is where it's supposed to be, and anyway the light is better" Yes, inertia, close-mindedness, fear and conformity. Yes, student culture is one barrier in the classroom (and probably outside of it, too). I also think that the extreme workload interferes with critical thinking, i.e. we could be a lot more creative about the thesis project in our department that is a bit tired and out of whack with students' abilities and needs. But, it takes time to think about and effect reform, time that we don't have. So, we settle for the status quo. Yes, the following attitudes are barriers: will this be on the test?, focus on immediate payoff from knowledge or discussion, time pressure, lazy - just doing the minimum, PC mentality means certain topics are off limits OWU Students: Barriers to Creative Thinking Time and workload create barriers in that every professor believes theirs is the only class a student takes and buries them in "studying" - but it also provides a new opportunity for creativity in getting everything done.

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Outside- no. There are many opportunities to any individual seeking to express themselves in a creative fashion- the individual just has to have the guts to do it in most cases. The social implications of being different apply on campus, but to a lesser degree than "in the real world" and I think that students take advantage of that. In class- There are certain degrees of limitations, depending on the class itself. Most of my science classes are based heavily on memorization, but we need to know the facts as undergrads so we can apply them in our careers and in graduate school. However, it would be nice to have a bit more creative stiumulus in science courses since it is relied upon so heavily once we graduate. not that I'm aware of but I am a fine arts major so my experience might be different from someone else's. But I have taken zoology and astronomy classes in our science department and was still able to be creative. Yes. In certain classes, professors want a very specific assignment done, such that everyone generates the same ideas in a paper. I feel that does not allow students to explore options nor does it allow for freedom of thought. I also think the University Brand does not allow for creativity, but constricts our image to a specific box. Being creative is difficult; I think most people are their own roadblock. That and the fact that the word creative is associated so much with the fine arts; if somebody looked over in kindergarten and saw their classmate's picture was 'prettier' than theirs, they start thinking that early that they're not as artistic (equated a lot of the time to creativity). And if they think that then, it only grows as they get older, and so they don't try and create anything because they think they can't. Since creative has such a fine arts slant, most people don't think they're creative if they aren't skilled at drawing or painting or any of the traditional fine arts. I think it's hard to foster creativity as well; how are you supposed to get someone to really stretch their mode of thought? I'm not a professor, of course, so I don't know, but I'd imagine it would be frustrating sometimes to try and motivate students to think outside the box. It's much more easy and therefore comfortable to do an idea that's already been done. I think there are social barriers because people who are very creative are often labeled as being weird or different so people may without creativity to avoid this negative label. In college, there are right and wrong answers and being creative doesn't always get you points on a test or paper. Also, people, organizations or departments that are stuck in a habit of always doing something a particular way stifle creativity. OWU Faculty: Barriers to Creative Thinking It doesn't physically take much to be creative: a blank piece of paper, a space to have a conversation, etc. What prevents it is a situation in which students or subordinates are expected to parrot back one correct answer rather than think more openly. That individual can be a teacher, a chaplain, a supervisor, a friend, anyone.

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Often there is student resistance - frequently, their education to this point has not mentioned, let alone nourished, creativity, so students may view opportunities to be creative as illegitimate, or not 'real' education. TIME When you do great work here, you are assigned MORE WORK. Time. When we spend all our time teaching students to add 2+2, there is no time to go beyond. To be frank: The attitudes of many students, who come here to learn a trade (in business, mostly) instead of with a desire to grow as humans. It depends from HOW is the academic material presented, discussed and perceived by faculty and by students. inflexibility Too many of the profs teach to the test--want their own preferred opinions to be "regurgitated." On the student life side, fraternities and drinking rule most of the students. Not particularly, except for non-encouragement on the part of some [I've no one in mind specifically, but I do know that not all faculty value creativity highly, or seem to think it's attainable]. emphasis on theory, grad. school the usual time constraints - if one is doing too much, then having the time to be creative about new ways to do things can be an issue instead of merely continuing in old patterns; I don't see anyone blocking the creativity of others in the circles I frequent. OWU Students: Diversity and Critical Thinking Yes and no. It's mostly lip-service. Instead of encouraging low-pressure social gatherings in stress-free environments where people 'who are not the same' can get together and have fun, we create Cultural Sensitivity Committees and require students to complete Diversity Courses. This makes us white folks feel better about ourselves, because it addresses the PR campaign without having to actually deal with 'alternative'/'minority' lifestyles. Just like creative thinking, diversity exposure forces new ways of thinking and looking at your surrounding, this leads to critical thinking.

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definitely due to all the different beliefs and cultures put together in close quarters; you can't help but critically think about those around you and how their experiences are different and what that means to/for you. As with creativity I think that being surrounded by people who are different from me in some ways stimulates my mind. Being around people of different backgrounds leads to discussions of many things and this helps to open my mind and to make me a more tolerant and open minded person. It allows me to develop my critical thinking in the discussions had with people of different backgrounds. I think that diversity is a key component to enhancing critical thinking in the classroom. When students represent diverse backgrounds and personal experiences, they challenge classroom ideas and assumptions in new ways. All students benefit from this interaction. I enjoy participating in culturally diverse activities outside of the classroom as well. During my time at OWU, I think that I have seen a better integration between international and domestic students, but I think there is still considerable room for improvement. I would like to see more interaction, because diverse friendships outside of the classroom are an invaluable way to enhance students' critical thinking abilities. It should, but rarely does, as the majority of the student body is disengaged If you're open to it, I think it does. I think, however, it depends on the area. It seems much easier to learn about sexual orientation than about race here. I often feel as if we segregate ourselves by race or national origin willingly, and it's hard to cross those lines. yes; the perspective of international students is invaluable to our own critical conception of the place of the US in world politics, etc; diversity exposes students to world views they would not otherwise encounter and enables them to better understand the perspectives of others It exists in to a medium extent and I believe it does lead to the development of critical thinking as people are exposed to new ideas. although our campus is not terribly diverse, different groups and organizations are very passionate about what they do, who they are, or what they stand for, and luckily they get to share their ideas with the campus. whether student realize it or not, they are exposed to these new ideas that are influencing their life, therefore effecting the way they think OWU Faculty: Diversity and Critical Thinking Diversity on campus contributes greatly to students' development of critical thinking provided there are significant and productive interactions between and among students and students, faculty and staff. Absolutely. I have taught several classes with very diverse participants, and the level of discussion is almost always higher with a "mixed" population. Students often ask more

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difficult questions, especially about politics, social conventions, cultural practices, even campus issues. Some students hold back, though, when they feel they are alone in their position or that they are different from others in the class. In classes with many international students, US students often are less responsive, and in classes with mostly US students, the international students often stay more in the background. The best experiences I have had in the classroom have been with groups that have wide diversity in terms of gender, race, class and national origin. shared values if students live together - rather than socially group with those that are similar to them Yes. By simply exposing students of the ethnic majority to individuals not like themselves; by providing alternative perspectives on political and economic issues in classrooms; by allowing students the opportunity to participate in activities supported by Chinese Culture Club, Horizons, and other international student organizations on campus. Overall, yes; but the dancing around sensitivities inhibits development of the full potential for critical thinking. It can insofar as students and faculty take advantage of the opportunity to consider alternative perspectives that MAY derive from such diversity, and also question assumptions that link certain stereotypical positions with a particular category. It raises questions that any sort of categorization, stereotyping, and prejudice might raise, provided those involved are willing to propose and examine the assumptions that link a category with an argument or point of view. Only if it is a cause for reflection and introspection. Not sure how often that occurs. It's a mixed bag. My experience with diversity comes from participation in diverse faculty meetings, as well as in my courses. At faculty meetings, diversity is great. In my courses, diversity has mattered only to the degree that students are willing to share their perspectives as "the other." I have had classes where students that would be categorized as minorities do that wonderfully, and others where the "minority" individual was reticent and nonparticipatory. As with anything, the value of diversity depends on the mix of individuals. The potential for diversity to facilitate critical thinking is tremendous, though, assuming individuals are participatory. when diverse groups on campus interact and share culture similarities and differences Yes, it contributes to critical thinking in those students who fully interact with those unlike themselves. But most stay mainly in their comfort zone. Perhaps somewhat, in that it might get students practice with the idea that there can (and usually should be) be different ways of looking at nearly everything

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OWU Students: Diversity and Creative Thinking yes. everyone comes from a certain background, and being exposed to people with other backgrounds opens your mind. The experience, and an open mind lead to creativity. If students feel that the environment is mature enough or safe enough to hear diverse perspectives, yes the contribution is very irreplaceably valuable. Everyone is positioned differently based on many things and the only way we can get perspectives not our own is secondhand. If that can be done well in a classroom when other information is present, the students can gain a lot. Diversity is one of the greatest contributors to creativity. One must constantly adapt her response to different stimuli based on who provides it, the intended audience, etc. Also, diversity encourages interaction that allows new opportunities for creativity to develop. Unfortunately, the campus is fairly segregated. International festivals, glbt events, etc, provide opportunities for exposure to new perspectives, but the academic side doesn't promote the events very much. The Greek community (ahem, class) doesn't help things. Yes, since being a part of this campus, I have learned an amazing amount of information about other cultures and the way that people think in general. With this newfound information, I have begun to challenge thoughts and ideas that would have otherwise never thought about. I think that OWU's diversity definitely contributes positively to students' ability to think creatively. As an International Studies major, many of my classes have been enriched by the presence of international or multi-cultural students whose backgrounds and experiences are different from my own. This has exposed me to a variety of diverse opinions and perspectives, which has helped me to learn to address an issue in a variety of ways. Diversity doesn't really have an affect on creative thinking. If someone wants to be creative, they will be. It really isn't something that can be forced, which is what this survey seems to be indicating. I think diversity does breed creativity just because something new and different forces you to confront it in a new way by the very fact that it's new. Curiosity about somebody different is a kind of creativity. But that initial interest and effort and motivation to find out has to be there. Yes, as long as people are not cliquing into their own groups. Again, I don't think the campus is all that diverse. That being said, I think there are elements of campus which facilitate creativity such as the Small Living Units (SLUs). SLUs are themed campus houses and many of those houses put on projects which promote creative and critical thought. While there isn't much racial, religious, or other typically thought-of diversity there, it is different from the norm on campus.

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It does, but again, people's stereotypes limit them in their creativity because they won't give some different from them a chance. OWU Faculty: Diversity and Creative Thinking Sure. Diversity breeds creativity. New experiences of all sorts breed creativity. Anything that brings new ideas and thoughts into your head breeds creativity. It should, but my classes are largely homogeneous. yes, by being exposed to diversity, one can only be enhanced by it. Creative thinking occurs when one person is exposed to different thought & action of another. Diversity is a key component in creative thinking. I have no idea. It does if we provide the opportunity for it to happen. Just putting diverse groups together isn't enough. We have to encourage intellectual and emotional interaction by students of with each other. Yes it does very much, because you have the opportunity of exchange of the ideas and experiences between different groups. yes many other ways to look at life Of course there are clubs and activities that encourage diversity, and many courses also make an attempt at multiplicity of readings and analyses, but essentially the groups stay with their own. Even the minority profs teach courses solely on minority readings. The students eat together in their own groups, be they sports, fraternities, international, major, liberal, conservative,whatnot. Yes, I do think that the diversity at OWU contributes to creative approaches, not only because of different perspectives and experiences available to students, but also because the faculty and administration do consciously encourage exchanges and interactions of this type. When opportunities are made available, our students do tend to at least attempt to participate in joint creative endeavors. This includes the "mission trips" which our students take with volunteer faculty, which really test a group's ability to adapt creatively to sometimes difficult environments in order to aid struggling communities in some way. YES Ideally it should, but I imagine it is often easy to just ignore the diversity and have it irrelevant to overall creativity.

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OWU Students: Experience that Required Most Critical Thinking Colloquium lectures, having to do with urban society this past semester, have done a lot to enhance my ability to think critically. These lectures, presented many perspectives to me and a great deal of information which gave me a new view of the topic of urban life and made me start questioning things and want to delve further into the subject on my own. all the sociology classes i've taken have enabled me to think critically, along with the books in each of those classes. modern dance performances i've been in and seen allow for interpretation of the movement and analyzing its meaning. various art pieces in the galleries we have create an environment of critical thinking, in that is what you see really what you see? and what does it mean? yes, various authors and accomplished academic folk come to this university all of the time to talk about issues and topics that students may or may not be aware of Yes, cultural events, books from classes, especially those related to concepts that I desired to understand better or learn a variety of ideas from different viewpoints on the topic. I think the arts (in my case, art as in two and three dimensional works, not dance, theater, etc. though those employ their own kinds of critical thinking) make you think critically. You're given an assignment and you have to fulfill the requirements; how will you fulfill them? How will you get an idea across to somebody you don't know who doesn't think like you and might not care like you do? The arts are all about finding solutions to problems. Yes, several of my humanities, as well as my chemistry courses have enhanced my ability to think critically. I found my cell biology class to be very useful for critical thinking. We were given the choice to read a book on a current issue in science and then write a report. My particular book focused on the aging process and how people deal with it. This topic was very stimulating for me and I very much appreciated it. yes. All of my Women's Studies classes and Black world studies classes. I think that professors who encourage students to create controversial and debatable papers/ thesis statements help them to think critically. In my time at OWU there have been countless events which have forced me to think critically of the world I live in. But the place I am most pushed out of my personal comfort zone is with in classroom discussions. I have no other choice but to critically look at my world and my own values.

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My philosophy course and political theory course really made me think different because we were studying what others think. Many of my seminar courses make me think critically because I am forced to explain my thoughts in a small group setting. OWU Students: Most Creative Experience Studying abroad was my most creative academic experience because I was pushed beyond my comfort zone and forced to be open to new ways of living/ culture. The most creative academic experience I have had came this semester. I was having a horrible time because I was failing a science course. As a junior science major with a perfect GPA this was foreign to me. Through the experience of letting a class go that I eventually dropped due to lack of desire to do anything it in, among other person reasons, I learned an unmeasurable amount about myself. It is necessary for us to struggle so that we look at things through a different light; now, I am so happy with where my life is leading. This took a difficult/uninteresting class for me to think more creatively about my life and what I was pursuing academically. I did a summer research project in physics. the research project was mostly independent. The lack of guidance tapped my creativity. I was taught all the tools I needed to handle it in my coursework prior, and now it was time to apply it. I definitely couldn't handle this lack of guidance in a class setting though. recently, my entrepreneur class lets groups of students come up with a business plan, letting us think about what kind of business we would want to run. this allows us to come up with different creative ideas about entrepreneurial activities. in a sociology class, the papers we wrote also allowed us to give our opinions about the cultures we were studying and i was able to think about different meanings for their interactions, and suggest ideas about what is going on in the world Science research - come up with my own way to conduct the research and analyze it Senior seminar paper. Choice of topic, and complete responsibility on the structure and length of paper. Qualitative research projects for sociology: going into the field, observing, detecting patterns, coming up with new concepts, researching and synthesizing other people's research and ideas with my own... finding creative ways of communicating and interviewing in the field... Constantly evolving the research with the data Almost every Computer Science assignment or test question has required creativity in order to solve the problem.

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My most creative academic experience has been when professors required students to perform community service as part of the course work. Working on house projects for the small living unit within which i reside. They tap my creativity because every one of them has to be personal and original. OWU Faculty: Most Creative Experience It's hard to pick one. I tried to "reinvent" a standard course in my discipline -- throw out the way it had always been taught and rebuild it, totally differently, from the ground up. It was a challenge because everyone has always done it pretty much the same way. I threw out lots of the content and added much new material to make the course (even more) relevant to the global 21st century world. I like to think I succeeded! Structuring and editing my intro course. I love the challenge of meeting entry level students at an appropriate level, challenging them with aggressive materials and assignments, and then seeing how they use those in future classes and in the field. Having the opportunity to develop a course that had never been taught or structured. Continued change and re-structure. My most creative academic experience occurred in graduate school when I had the freedom to have ideas and follow those ideas. OWU certainly provides no such opportunities . . . at least not in the chemistry department. Discussing MK King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in a writing class. The students were moved by the words, and I was moved by the discussion. To make students and myself work and create something without the tools and equipment we had pretending as if a catastrophe happened so we had to rely on our own resourcefulness in accomplishing the work. a celebration of an author's anniversary Applied for, and received, a three-year grant to give week-long seminars (with stipends for them) for faculty in the other disciplines across the curriculum, to show them ways to use writing-as-learning in their courses. It was in an authentic environment of smart, interesting colleagues from all the fields (even math!). I worked EXTREMELY HARD to help create specific materials they wanted in each field, in addition to creating a general workbook of 200 pages. Of the people still left from the 75 participants over three years, we are still all friends. Personally, my most creative academic experiences have been outside the confines of our campus. One of the most significant of these was participation in a round-table group of specialists who met in Spain to discuss circulated papers concerning Jewish-Muslim

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relations throughout history. My particular contribution was for the late-medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula, and the complex and rewarding interactions between members of the group tapped my creativity with respect to approach, presentation, and response. On the OWU campus, my most creative experiences have been in the classroom using various strategies to encourage creativity in my students, and in my role as Faculty Advisor to the History Honor Society. I've even taught a topics course entitled: Crisis and Creativity, which focuses on crisis as a dynamic for change and creativity in late medieval and early modern Europe.

Focus Group Data Summary OWU Student Focus Group - Critical Thinking: Are there features of this campus environment, classes, events, facilities, spaces on campus that foster critical thinking? Small classes, small ratio of students to teachers. National Colloquium (speakers in general…when we have a lot of different people come to campus we are able to ask questions.) Many challenging courses. Being a member of the college readership program. Encouragement to pursue independent research. Study abroad. Professors’ doors are always open. The honors classes…are very small, smaller than usual classes, largely discussion based. Senior seminars. Clubs such as the marketing club. Meeting in small groups among yourselves out of course work is like really good. Mission trip. Small living units are conducive. Houses that have themes and promote their themes. E.g., Socrates house. Discussed the fact that the library is a fairly social space. Mean Bean which is not on campus is much more conducive to studying and for critical thinking. What experience at your college has encouraged critical thinking the most? Earning a broad education and then integrating facets of it. Study abroad. Had to figure out how to get through that without knowing anyone and being able to get from point A to point B and really had to think. Internship. It was really important to have that opportunity to go outside of school into the real world and explore what I could do when pushed into that environment. Departmental honors project put my brain in a totally different place and I’ve been there ever since

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Senior Art Show. Mission Trip. Interdisciplinary Major. What is one thing that could be done to encourage more critical thinking on campus? Should make spaces more accessible. More support for speakers. Allow professors to maintain small classes. Discussed distinctions between students – many students are well prepared and motivated, but not all and it can cause problems in classes. Mentioned that the retention rate is not high; Increase the credibility of each department so everyone is on the same level Increase the honors program OWU Faculty Focus Group – Critical Thinking Are there features of this campus environment, classes, events, facilities, spaces on campus that foster critical thinking? In the classroom students are not simply spoon fed things but coming up with conclusions on their own and making connections on their own. (A lot of examples of this given by faculty members.) The extent that campus offers extra-curricular activities brings speakers, various shows, various programs which provides alternative and supplement to what is being taught in the classroom which is not possible to offer in the classroom e.g., mission trips I think going back and forth between a lecture or experience circuit and the classroom is really important. Need the opportunity and the space to practice and be able to make mistakes. Focus on labs in the sciences. Students need to have ownership of the project. Diversity…when you go to a place where there are diverse perspectives, it really generates thinking: why did he say that? Why do I say that? What has been your most positive experience with critical thinking in your professional life? Something from teaching or research, etc. Challenging students’ assumptions Spent time in France working with a grammarian and working on writing and papers. It was really during that time that I think I learned how to write. Taught a course in literary presentism. We were going to read 400-year-old texts, English renaissance texts, and try to bounce them off or examine current day issues along side those early modern texts. We would read Othello and then we would read court documents relating to the O. J. Simpson case. (I expected them to really like it and they really didn’t.)

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Criticality does not necessarily always come as the result of enabling or liberating. It actually could be extremely disarming and uncomfortable to learn “ this is what you are really doing, you are questioning yourself.” It challenges establishment, Using the sociological imagination to read the paper daily in life. To overthrow a homogeneous idea of what theater is. Are there particular assignments you have used in class or heard about that encourage critical thinking in students? Having students deal with sources. Response papers, discussions. Junior year students proclaim their manifesto of theater and need to revisit it their senior year. Teach a lab course in collaboration with another institution using video conferencing. Debates What is one thing that could be done to encourage more creative thinking on campus?

Offer diversity. Diverse perspective, diverse material, diverse lecturer, and also teach from different angle. Promote interdisciplinarity. Allow for a culture of team-teaching (if the administration won’t pay for that you can invite guest speakers to class) Allow for small class sizes Encourage faculty to share their notes with others Discussed a faculty member who invites students to have lunch with him each week. Socrates Club associated with the philosophy department. Sending students to conferences Research off campus. Field trips

OWU Student Focus Group – Creative Thinking

Are there features of your campus environment – for example, classes, events, activities, spaces around campus – that encourage creative thinking? Small Living Units Upper-level lab classes; in the first half of the semester you do design projects the teachers lay out for you and the second half you have to design your own experiment that means you take everything they’ve shown you how to do and then you do something all your own.

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Guest lectures, colloquia such as the National Colloquium Mentioned music classes, classes that require internships, philosophy classes, theatre, depends on the professor, One of the good things about going to a smaller school you have such small classes that they can ask questions What has been your most creative experience at college and what made it creative? Poetry and short story class where needed to write a poem Designing experiments in a class Participated in a festival of plays Project combined effort of Women’s House and Creative Arts House Music class where had to arrange hymns. “It was really cool just to be able to try ideas and oh like play things on the piano and here what sounded good and just write it down. That was a lot of fun.” Art distribution credit was really challenging but looking back I’m really glad I took it. What is one thing that could be done to encourage more creative thinking on campus? Selection of classes could be more diverse (but perhaps too many required courses) More honors classes? Find ways to encourage people to go to events. The physical layout of campus might prevent people from getting places Scholarship students vs. legacies Freshman topic for everyone to study More explicit encouragement of creative thinking Need better school spirit (low retention rate mentioned) Could students propose their own classes? Professor aren’t the problem – could invest more in facilities Negative experiences with registrar’s office, dining services Fix all the potholes on campus, put salt on the sidewalks Pay more attention to residence halls Student government discourages creativity – make it easier to fund budget requests Pay for student travel to get away from campus for events such as trip to the theatre for the theatre group; A group called STAND raises money It is a great campus with great professors – if you work at it, you can have a great experience OWU Faculty Focus Group – Creative Thinking Are there features of your campus environment for example classes, events, activities, spaces around campus that particularly encourage creative thinking? A final project with several options to the traditional paper

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40-minute presentations that require creativity Ceramic class- translate every day object into ceramic form.. National Colloquium. The Theater Department has senior plays Student clubs e.g., entrepreneurship club, marking club, international group. Diversity of student population. Smaller classes. Going to conferences. Internships and volunteer opportunities. An assignment to be actively engaged Philosophy club, Socrates cafe Small living units Better use of some of the common spaces What has been the most creative experience in your professional life? That could be something from your teaching or your research Students doing an independent study One faculty member was a superhero with his female partner Same faculty member trying to write a novel. One person made a comic book. One cut an atlas. (The video is on UTube.) One had the class rewrite Aristophanes’ Lysistrata as a rap opera. Have discussion sessions at the local coffee house People can only be creative if they go to the movies! (or read novels) Studying the cello as an adult. Playing the banjo Provide visual critiques in art class in native Serbian language to get the students interested Is there an assignment or activity in your courses or in other people’s courses that you are aware of that requires a lot of creative thinking from students? Students work in groups to solve a problem where there are no definite answers and the students need to come up with reasonable data. In a senior seminar students always have to come prepared for a presentation because their name is chosen at random to present on any given day. Students give 40-50 minute presentations where they need to do something creative such as make a movie. Let students grade themselves with a one-page justification for their work and strong argument for the grade. Have students taking foreign language classes write about something unforgettable like their first true love. In international business students pick a country and do research on it, interview someone from another culture and find out about things like social distance and male female gender types of things, all kinds of culture related aspects.

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Students write dialogues instead of standard philosophy papers Make students aware that there is not one definition or one answer to what is art In history class have students take on a character and to create a diary or a dialogue and then we actually had a party where we could dress in character. What is one thing that could be done on campus to encourage more creative thinking? Common areas used better Places for students to hang out. Find ways of getting students to take courses outside of the own field Find a way for students to see more good movies and read more fiction. More appreciation for internationalism. Better link between the campus and the city of Columbus. More interaction between different departments.

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THE COLLEGE of WOOSTER DATA ANALYSIS

Survey Data Each school was sent a data report that contains a description of the surveys administered to first year students, seniors, and faculty at the College of Wooster (COW), Denison University (DU), Kenyon College (KC), and Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). That report should be consulted for detailed information about research methods and results across all four schools. The purpose of this report is to provide some school-specific information that might of use to the particular school. Data from seniors and faculty were examined. The average of seniors at the target school was compared to the average of seniors at the other three schools and the results are shown in the tables provided. Similar analyses were conducted to compare faculty responses from the target school to responses from faculty at the other three schools. The tables are numbered to correspond to the tables in the full report such that Table 1 of the full report becomes Table “W1” for the College of Wooster’s data that relate to Table 1. For free-response questions, representative responses from seniors and faculty from the target school are provided. An effort was made to include more detailed responses and to limit the number of responses for a question to one page of text.

Focus Group Data

Focus groups were held at each of the four schools. There were two student groups – one that discussed critical thinking, and one that discussed creative thinking – and two faculty groups on these issues. The discussions were set up so that there were eight to twelve persons per group. Student focus groups were led by two students (one female and one male) from Kenyon College. Faculty focus groups were led by two faculty members (one female and one male) from two of the other colleges (not the college where the discussion took place). Each focus group participant was paid $50 in return for participation. The focus group leaders asked four questions of students and five of faculty. The discussions took one hour and were tape recorded. The discussions were transcribed and the results are summarized in this report. (For each group the first question was for them to define either “critical thinking” or “creative thinking” in their own terms so that the group arrived at some common understanding of the issues being discussed. Their definitions are not summarized here.)

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Table W1: Wooster Seniors Rate Critical and Creative Thinking of Various Events Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= not at all to 5 = great deal How much does each event involve… Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Event: COW other 3 COW other 3 Interacting with students and faculty in class 4.04 3.86 3.12 3.03 Cultural events on campus 3.16 3.06 3.39 3.14 Extra-curricular or co-curricular activity 3.13 3.06 3.70 3.49 Listening to speakers on campus 3.85 3.88 2.68 2.80 Interacting …students outside of class 3.14 3.11 3.68 3.42 Engaging in a hobby 3.17 3.08 4.13 4.11 Reading material for class 4.18 4.24 2.65 2.62 Interacting with faculty outside of class 3.82 3.73 3.21 3.11 Completing projects for class 4.33 4.34 3.91 3.74 Communicating with peers over the internet 2.40 2.39 2.76 2.65 Writing papers for classes 4.56 4.56 3.85 3.67 “Surfing” the internet 2.31 2.41 2.42 2.57 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005 Table W2: Frequency of Critical and Creative Activities of COW Students Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= never to 6 = always or almost always How often have you… COW Other 3 Taken an assignment in a slightly different direction 3.41 3.32 Found yourself wanting to read more … 4.13 4.3 Used brainstorming during a class 3.68 3.72 Used brainstorming in a class assignment 4.01 4.18

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Used brainstorming outside of class (e.g., club activity, etc) 4.08 4.18 Worked on a paper or project that required you to integrate… 5.28 5.01 “Let go” and had fun intellectually 3.92 4.01 Engaged in abstract thinking 4.47 4.46 Put together ideas or concepts from different courses … 4.64 4.58 Used a story, metaphor, or visual in a class assignment 4.16 4.02 Incorporated diverse viewpoints in a class assignment 4.23 4.09 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005 Table W3: COW Seniors and Faculty Rate Creative Environment Characteristics Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= not at all present to 7 = extensively Seniors: Faculty: Frequency of characteristic: COW Other 3 COW Other 3 Challenge 5.39 5.30 5.20 4.99 Freedom 5.25 4.77 5.00 5.17 Idea Support 5.18 4.78 4.87 4.75 Trust/Openness 5.15 4.78 4.61 4.51 Dynamism/Liveliness 4.94 4.94 4.43 4.92 Playfulness/Humor 4.94 5.19 4.52 4.54 Debate 5.50 5.25 4.87 4.79 Risk Taking 4.43 4.32 3.96 3.72 Idea Time 4.59 4.43 3.87 3.69 Conflict 4.23 4.68 4.39 3.95 Supportive Environment 5.24 4.88 4.87 4.65 Working in groups 4.96 5.09 4.87 4.67 Active models … 4.99 5.01 4.70 4.43 Assignments … 5.51 4.92 5.20 4.69 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005

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Table W4: Critical Thinking Attitudes of COW Seniors and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Seniors: Faculty: Summarized Characteristic: COW Other 3 COW Other 3 I consider myself a person who thinks critically 5.95 6.17 6.73 6.67 Too little teaching at this college is focused … 2.76 3.12 3.54 4.43 Faculty can create conditions critical thinking 5.82 5.85 6.46 6.30 Faculty on campus model critical thinking 5.81 5.83 5.88 5.36 Courses offered encourage critical thinking 5.72 5.69 5.38 5.12 Extracurricular activities… critical thinking 4.18 4.16 4.23 4.03 I value critical thinking. 6.28 6.40 6.92 6.88 It is possible to assess critical thinking 5.51 5.76 6.19 6.23 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 6.41 5.86 6.46 5.53 This college values my efforts critical thinker 6.02 5.87 5.85 5.30 A liberal arts education is conducive… 6.19 6.23 6.58 6.44 Higher education system is conducive 4.85 5.00 4.04 4.27 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005 Table W5: Creative Thinking Attitudes of COW Seniors and Faculty Average response of students vs. faculty across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Seniors: Faculty: Summarized Characteristic: COW Other 3 COW Other 3 I consider myself a creative person 5.50 5.50 5.87 5.78 Creativity can be learned 4.62 4.62 5.04 5.27 Creativity should be taught in college courses 4.76 4.83 5.17 5.49 Too little teaching at this college is focused on … 3.61 4.07 3.74 4.48 Faculty can create conditions … 5.68 5.84 6.17 6.16 Faculty on campus model creative … 5.05 5.04 5.74 5.50 Courses offered on our campus encourage ... 4.58 4.57 4.78 4.55 Opportunities no right or wrong answers 5.03 4.89 5.09 5.33 Extracurricular activities encourage creativity 4.88 4.94 4.87 5.13

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I value creativity 6.22 6.29 6.22 6.60 It is possible to assess creativity 4.95 4.93 5.35 5.13 The senior project, thesis, or independent study … 6.28 5.60 6.26 5.31 This college values my efforts to be creative 5.32 5.06 5.30 5.17 This college provides time for me to be creative 4.75 4.53 4.00 4.04 This college gives me space to be creative 4.98 4.71 4.48 4.11 There is a creative vibe on this campus 4.58 4.63 4.17 3.95 A liberal arts education is conducive … 5.61 5.69 5.91 5.88 Higher education system is conducive … 4.06 3.97 3.61 3.41 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005 Table W6: COW Seniors Rate Importance Critical, Creative Thinking for each Discipline Average response of students across all schools Scale: 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly Critical Thinking: Creative Thinking: Item COW Other 3 COW Other 3 Important in fine and performing arts 5.41 5.40 6.68 6.63 Important in humanities 6.03 6.16 6.26 6.03 Important in natural and physical sciences 6.34 6.43 5.42 5.24 Important in social sciences 6.33 6.44 5.89 5.70 ________________________________________________________________________ note: pairs of means that are in bold are significantly different from one another, p<.005 COW Students: Where Critical Thinking Thrives on Campus The nature of a liberal arts institution is that critical thinking dominates. I don't think there's anywhere where we are not critical. I think that critical thinking is sparked in classrooms and is carried out throughout everyday interactions with people from this college and any person they are interacting.

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Critical thinking is everywhere on this campus, even in our Mission Statement! I think that critical thinking is well represented if students are involved in meaningful volunteer and political extra-curricular activities on campus. Most upper level classes encourage critical thinking. Intro classes are usually not in-depth enough to engage students. Psychology classes that I have taken have been lacking in critical thinking skills (and I am a psychology major!). especially in the sciences, economics, math, physics The philosophy department, informal discussions among peers and faculty In seminar based classes, guest lecturers, and extracurricular managerial problem solving. The library study rooms, academic buildings - spaces for majors, library study carrel Definitely in the classroom, as most professors encourage it, and also the library, of course, but it's also not unusual that it comes up while I'm interacting with friends, as I've had some good discussions in dorm rooms or the cafeteria. As an athlete, critical thinking definitely occurs on the playing field. Classroom, essay exams, field experiences, advisee meetings between students and faculty, student government meetings, libraries, the art museums, study sessions, school newspaper, problem sets, student activity groups such as Model UN and Moot Court. I think the unique thing about my campus is that you will generally find students who often ask why? Many times as a student body we need an explanation or a rational for something. The Independent Study program requires a certain level of critical thinking in order to develop a problem, a means of testing it and supporting it. Most of the public critical conversation seems to be happening in Mom's Truck Stop, a diner on campus. It certainly thrives in classrooms, though more often in professors’ offices, where the students feel comfortable expressing themselves and bouncing their ideas off of someone they respect and who can help them learn. Naturally critical thinking often occurs at meals as well as students can test their ideas in a more casual manner. COW Faculty: Where Critical Thinking Thrives on Campus I think that our college creates a strong foundation for critical thinking during the initial First Year Seminar process. It sets the stage for "habits of the mind" that can be further developed in future coursework.

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In the sciences, in faculty offices and laboratory when we work with seniors on their research projects. Less frequently (but still notably present) in the classroom. Classrooms and faculty offices. My perception is that it occurs and is valued only in the presence of faculty. In my experience, sometimes in the classroom; most often during IS appointments and other one-on-one conversations with students and other faculty members. in classrooms when there's time, in written work, in I.S. meetings with students, in pre- and post-lecture discussions, in student organizations, in study halls, cafes, in the hallway Unfortunately, faculty, staff and students seem (and people in general) seem to be models of uncritical thinking. They are more swayed by rhetoric and emotion than by rational argumentation. In my experience, critical thinking may happen inside some classrooms when prompted by and guided by a knowledgeable prof, but I don't often see it elsewhere on campus. There are, of course, exceptional individuals and unusual moments where people really do engage arguments in a rational way, but I don't see that as the rule. classroom, faculty office meetings with students on IS projects, some outside speakers brought in, campus dorms Critical thinking does not flourish in any one department, space, or status, or activity; it depends more on how the department, space, status, or activity is structured. Anywhere reading and reflection can occur, or where discussions can occur Obviously in the classroom, but more fully in I.S. appointments (faculty offices), and hopefully in the dorms (but I don't know). classrooms/context in which students are engaged. Courses/contexts in which students engage in focused writing, Classes/contexts in which students perform texts. classes/contexts in which students reflect on what they learn. Classers/contexts in which content gets read, understood, & applied. Classes/contexts that require analysis. The entire independent study process. Classrooms, seminars, philosophy roundtable, wooster forum, dorm lounges, faculty offices Classrooms, performance spaces, study spaces (I hope!), the library, art studios, music practice rooms

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COW Students: Where Creative Thinking Thrives on Campus Mostly, I think creative thinking happens in our free time when we get to reflect upon what we study. Most free time is spent in each others' rooms or going out somewhere like a coffee shop. Anywhere where students consume alcohol and drugs facilitates creativity. We can also be creative in our professors' offices, in lounges and other meeting areas. But creativity happens much less often in the classroom. Instructors seem to have a goal for each class, and thinking creatively gets us off track. And I STUDY PHILOSOPHY. Also, creativity can happen in the library. The most creative building on campus is the art building, but even the art professors want students to conform to what they think is excellent. Coffee shops, art studios, dorms and other living spaces, art performances and exhibitions personal endeavors the music building Scheide, the art building Ebert, Freedlander Theater, OUTSIDE, on sunny days, bulletin boards, books, notebooks Creativity flourishes in the classroom and in the work one completes for class. Independent Study, On-campus program housing, speakers, forums, WAC, sporting events, contests Mr. Wooster, education department, Lowry, library, dorms, Greek Life, computer labs As a biochemistry major, I see creativity fostered in lab and in classrooms that are oriented for discussion (circle of chairs for instance). The Lilly House fosters my creativity, my room. classrooms, living spaces Program housing, programs such as Worthy Questions, theater performances and dance concerts, student group performances (Don't Throw Shoes, The Gallows) In the classroom, especially when teacher utilized activities to engage students and to encourage them to consider the material and actively participate but also outside the classroom in the variety of co-curriculars offered and student jobs Everywhere a new decision has to be made or a new idea is learned. Ebert, Scheide, Lowry Art Wall, Galleries, etc Independent Study program, classroom discussions, discussions outside of the classroom, papers, group projects Creativity exists wherever the accepted set of solutions to a given problem is no longer sufficient. That could be in a classroom, but I think more likely it is in living and performance spaces.

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COW Faculty: Where Creative Thinking Thrives on Campus Through campus performances, informal reading groups, lunches with faculty and students. The physical space does is less important than the activities. in classrooms where faculty value creative thought. Creativity seems to thrive more in certain departments and buildings than in others. Art, Theater, Dance, English departments seem to value and encourage creativity in students. The primary classroom buildings do not seem to be particularly well suited to foster creativity, at least in a visible form. The walls in the college center are frequently used in creative ways by staff and students, and sidewalks sometimes become sites of creative expression, which I fully appreciate. It is everywhere. Within every department and facility, there are creative people, you jut need to look ad ask the right questions. Anywhere. It's not necessarily tied to space, though obviously the arts need particular types of space. In labs when students are not formally engaged in structured assignments The Lowry Art wall, the student program houses, in faculty offices, sometimes in classrooms, sometimes in laboratories, in library carrels, in the music and art buildings and the theatre spaces, CCI, Lilly House, Old Main Cafe, Senior IS carrels, Sr IS lab spaces, professor offices, hallways, classrooms, campus lectures performance spaces, student center, art building, student newspaper, yearbook, and arts magazines, student program houses, student arts groups, senior independent study, film club, theater department Informal pleasant meeting places. For example, Old Main - Yes. Faculty Dining Room- NO Courses in the dramatic, visual, musical and writing arts--and in other classes as well, though its existence is probably more dependent there on the individual instructor. Certainly students get together to engage in creative projects (or the distribution/promotion of creative projects). Art shows, theater productions, literary magazines, concerts, etc. in Independent Study. Many other courses are too rigid in the way they are designed to allow the student room to be creative.

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COW Students: Barriers to Critical Thinking Only those few professors who still teach as if they have all the knowledge and you must regurgitate it to them on exams. And they're around, in all the disciplines to a certain extent. Even if a philosophy assignment asks you to critically evaluate, let's say a Marx essay, it still presumes that only a certain set of analyses are valid. Low expectations and demands from teachers on students to be able to advance and further their critical thinking skills. We need more extracurricular groups that encourage critical thinking. NEED 24 HOUR STUDY SPACE AND LIBRARIES. I think students probably avoid thinking critically when it's not necessary... it takes more brain power. Inside the classroom, some teachers aren't willing to listen to critical inquiry, and have penalized students for disagreeing with them. Those teachers are few and far between, though. it is difficult for some Sometimes the college does not give students the respect and responsibility that they deserve. The campus treats students like adolescents, not powerful adults who should have the power to decide how the campus is run, for example what the budget of the campus is and how to get involved and make changes in campus policy. Perhaps the class is overloaded with reading which makes it impossible for students to critically engage any specific article in depth. However, the road goes two ways. Student participation is just as important, if not more so, when it comes to critical thinking. Yes, there are not enough spacing for students to meet as groups. There are also not enough spaces, quiet spaces for seniors or anyone to work without serious distractions (also not enough comfortable places) I like to think my campus is pretty accepting of free inquiry and new ideas. I think barriers to critical thinking exist on an individual level. I think a barrier on campus for critical thinking is a lack of involvement for campus activities. My campus does offer a ton of activities and groups that will help students broaden their experiences, but students have to take the initiative. My campus encourages individual thought and question. Creative thought is highlighted here on campus. Social pressures often inhibit critical thinking outside the classroom, a non-participatory format and/or unmotivated teaching inhibits critical thinking inside the classroom.

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There are no real barriers, although sometimes the restriction set by some professors for papers and projects can be a little limiting at times to fully express the questions at hand. Sometimes it's as though too much critical thinking is frowned upon. COW Faculty: Barriers to Critical Thinking Only barriers that we set for ourselves in how far we want to push our students to think about an issue from a variety of perspectives. Barriers of race, class, gender, sexual orientation and disability to critical thinking are always in play. I think here in Ohio they are more noticeable. As they emerge from high school, many of our younger students perpetuate the notion that every problem has only one "right answer" and that the best learners are those who can perform well on multiple-choice exams. Some of my students are noticeably uncomfortable with open-ended questions and assignments. Some classes seem more oriented to rote learning than others. Some individuals come with entrenched positions or are emotionally invested in positions that don't allow them to see other perspectives. Some high school education teaches too much to testing and not enough to actually thinking about concepts and ideas. Many don't know how to evaluate information they are processing. There is a distinct feeling of separation between academic life of the classroom and college life in general as compared with my own experience as an undergraduate at a liberal arts institution. Yes, anywhere that status quo maintenance is made the priority. Unfortunately, sometimes words like "tradition," "history," and "culture of the college" can be euphemisms for exactly that. The need to quantify the educational experience is a huge barrier to critical thinking. In my discipline, I think so. Students are not taught to think critically or challenge the accepted dogma because many faculty (not just here) don't. I don't believe there are institutional structural barriers. However, I believe that there are psychological barriers (in both profs and students) that hinder critical thinking. I also believe that it is hard to teach in ways that encourage critical thinking, and it is much easier to lecture and expect students to merely memorize. You may sacrifice some course content, for example, if you help students work through problems and arguments in a rational way because you can't proceed as quickly. I also believe that the gains from teaching critical thinking skills are not easily measurable, and it may be difficult to justify your focus on an ability when other people are expecting your students to know a discrete set of facts.

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Students' emphasis on grades sometimes inhibits their ability to think critically--especially in classes that value the "right" answer. Just the usual --student desires to be told the "right" answer and to achieve by objective, measurable standards; the occasional opinionated faculty member who does not tolerate dissent (but I'm not sure I know of anyone in that category) COW Students: Barriers to Creative Thinking Yes. Some teachers do not facilitate a creative environment through their teaching and/or testing of material. Students as well do not facilitate creativity by doing the bare minimum. I believe that strict boundaries for right and wrong (academically) often inhibit creativity. Yes. Though it is good that Wooster requires a great deal of writing in the courses, there could be a greater focus on other modes of presenting information (documentaries, short stories, etc.) Also, the science and math departments do not have their students learn how to write effectively or do anything that is "outside the box". though IS is an essential part of the wooster experience, it is also a hindrance to creativity because it is extremely time consuming and stressful, but along with that the project itself does not warrant as much creativity as it could because advisors/professors push students in specific directions with their IS and are therefore forced into places they didn't want to take their IS. If the barriers are there, I wouldn't call them insurmountable barriers. My experience is primarily with humanities departments, and I can say that some arts/literature courses might be a little too steeped in an appreciation of the canon instead of fresh (read: creative) critical analysis, but I think that this is a rare case. It is really hard to find funding for creative endeavors (outside of I.S./ Copeland funding). The Center for Creativity and Innovation has "creative" in its title but hasn't really made it clear how it is willing to fund creative projects. It is frustrating that "creative" work is hard to find outside of the Ebert Art Center. The time commitments and stresses of classes on both faculty and students make it hard to want to be creative. Sometimes there is a creative barrier because of the amount of text to read and homework given takes away time for creativity Absolutely there are, within the IS project it is hard, as I mentioned before, to be able to inject your own ideas. I appreciate professors who allow students to come up with their own ideas for papers if they don't like the suggested topics. It's a good way to bridge the critical and the creative. The two shouldn't be mutually exclusive, however.

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Yes, in the science world, unless you are discovering new physical phenomena, it's difficult to defy the laws of physics and create whatever you want. Sometimes there is a tendency to remain with the tried and true simply because it is easier to manage in terms of assessment and execution. We stick with the same events because doing something new all the time can be exhausting. And there are always the people, student and faculty alike, that prefer to stifle creativity in favor of their way of doing things. I find so little time to be creative because reading and writing papers takes up so much of my time. COW Faculty: Barriers to Creative Thinking Being creative can lead to more work. I can either lecture from my lecture notes or try to develop innovative teaching methods. I sometimes rely on what I've done before--which is what most people do. A significant barrier is the need to convey significant baseline information to get students to a point where they can have the ideas and concepts that serve as elements for constructing creative new ideas or linkages. Time is a barrier, both in class and outside of class. Fragmentation of our allegiances to too many clubs, or committees, or crusades, limits our creativity. Sometimes in student groups, lack of leadership skills or a sense of ownership by a few people limits or fails to inspire creativity in others of the group. Fear or the desire to play it safe also can shackle creativity. I don't think so. On the contrary, I think there are barriers to making sure that students know basics (basic cultural information, basic reading and writing skills) because there is too much emphasis on not telling them their answer is wrong, or not working with them to make sure that they can write a coherent paragraph with correctly spelled words. Time is probably one of the biggest barriers, inside and outside the classroom. Everyone is so busy and has so many responsibilities that we do not always have time for conversation, contemplation, and debate. Sometimes people on campus can be a barrier, especially if they are extremely vocal and negative and in a decision-making position. too many classrooms, especially in the new Kauke, have fixed seating or hierarchical divisions between faculty space and student space. the new Kauke lacks the kind of departmental seminar rooms that used to invite majors to hang out and encounter the faculty in their most creative moods. Too many students, perhaps a little overmatched by the academic program, seem not to have much spare energy. Lack of a pleasant commons in Lowry.

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I must admit that I am worried that in this era of assessment that well-intentioned attempts to define creativity might result in only those forms of creativity that can be measured/assessed will be valued. The quality of high school education. It's hard to teach the basics, whether it's in regard to skills or information, at College. Also, teachers who think they're creative and aren't. Faculty trying to squash programs they don't understand. Unimaginative administrators who aren't genuinely committed to the life of the mind. Too many "rules" about what a writing project/senior thesis must do and they stifle creativity in my department. COW Students: Diversity and Critical Thinking It offers students other perspectives, which is crucial to critical thinking. I think the diversity definitely contributes to the development of critical thinking, especially in the diversity of nationalities. The International Program at this school does much to incorporate the rest of the student body, and they have various activities throughout the year to introduce students to other cultures. It is interesting to learn about how other cultures deal with similar situations, and often they have a different mindset, so that you realize a whole slew of options that you may not have been aware of previously. Diversity isn't necessary to critical thinking at the individual level, but I do feel that at the group level, diversity adds different perspectives that can, if properly presented, be invaluable assets to any critical discussion or inquiry. However, if improperly handled, diverse perspectives can hinder critical inquisition into the deeper levels of certain perspectives. So, as an object of balance, diversity is essential, and creates a more practical real-world knowledge base, but very rarely there is a necessity to explore one aspect of a question more thoroughly than others. On this campus, the level of diversity is far more than adequate racially, ethnically, politically, and religiously, but is perhaps lacking economically. The students at this school, on the whole, are among a privileged group, and certain views are represented accordingly. I'd like to see more diversity so diverse students don't feel as though they are the token or need to speak for an entire group. I believe so, because these different groups on campus address issues affecting them, encouraging the student body to become involved and think critically about such issues. Yes it does, it allows multiple perspectives to be involved in the conversation, which forces students to re-examine familiar ideas.

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It depends on how willing different groups of students are to interact with each other outside of class, where most of the critical thinking concerning diversity can freely take place. In class we have different perspectives on issues and material which truly does promote critical thinking, but in terms of our willingness to share that social capital that needs to happen informally. Students are less inclined to be candid about their true feelings regarding diversity in class most times, I think, and interacting regularly outside of class with other groups of students is difficult if everyone is content to remain in their own comfort zones, never challenging themselves to learn independently about other cultures. I think that there is a good deal of critical thinking about cultural differences because of the diversity and range in viewpoints due to the diversity of people on campus. I have a friend from the Saudi Arabia and he recently described his home life to my friends and I. This conversation was filled with critical asides and we all learned a lot and, I think, changed some of our perceptions and preconceptions. COW Faculty: Diversity and Critical Thinking I think that it does, but that we would benefit from further opportunities to interact with students from diverse backgrounds. I also think that we should not forget that financial and geographic diversity should also be considered as relevant to these definitions. It contributes to students' critical thinking, but it is hard considering the homogeneous makeup of our student bodies in northeast Ohio (i.e. not very racially, classically, sexually diverse). Diversity contributes strongly to critical thinking because it offers alternative perspectives to students and faculty alike. We all interact in life differently based on where we grow up, who our family is, what our culture is like, and how the world relates to us. Access can differ quite a bit based on race, class or gender. We learn from each other to build a more complete picture of the world. Certainly! Any aspect of a student's experience that challenges presuppositions can motivate critical thinking. Diversity absolutely contributes to students' development of critical thinking. If the campus is diverse, students hear alternate points of view, which causes them to re-evaluate and defend their own values and beliefs. If/when it is celebrated, it does because it welcomes a range of ideas and orientations. It is a starting point but can be a much more significant launching point. Well, of course it does. The way I teach and what I teach is affected by my 'culture', broadly defined. Students with different class/race/etc. backgrounds are bound to see

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things from a different perspective, and this leads to opportunities to challenge conventional wisdom--an essential beginning to developing critical thinking. I don't really have a view on this. I know that there are a group of African-American students on campus who try to engage other students in dialogue about issues concerning race, etc. I think if other students participate on those discussions, that may foster critical thinking. However, I don't know the extent to which students really participate. Nor do I know what other opportunities exist on campus. (I'm new). Yes. Mere exposure provokes thought. Actual interaction in classes and forums encourages discussion and examination of personal assumptions and biases. Yes, if students find opportunities to reflect upon these situations. Campus needs more international, ethnic, racial, and class diversity among students and faculty. Diversity issues do seem reasonably well covered in classes. COW Students: Diversity and Creative Thinking Yes, our IS in particular encourages us to stretch our minds and come up with a creative argument and develop that in a unique manner. Yes, there are many different cultural fairs, dinners, and events that promote diversity and chances for students to learn something new about other cultures. The exhibits in Lowry also are a great way to promote diversity because everyone walks by the display walls and takes a minute to look at them. I think diversity challenges people to expand their conceptions and boundaries, which enhances creativity Sort of. Diversity tends to naturally create segregation, because people like comfort zones. So even though we have a pretty diverse campus, I don't think the different sides communicate with each other nearly as much as they communicate with their selves. But when they do I think it contributes to creative development. I rarely encounter situations in which diversity is actually confronted or made salient. The diversity does nothing but promote creativity in the students, if it's simply talking with other students or faculty, or expressing different viewpoints to the greater campus body. Again, the diversity brings in so many other variable that are outside of familiar ground to many students, allowing for greater expression and exploration of ideas.

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It does in the sense that I constantly feel as if I am learning a great deal about other cultures, which in turn influences how I evaluate situations and use creative thinking. We have a number of opportunities, cultural dinners, drum circles, educational seminars and speakers, etc. that allow us to gain perspective, and then it's up to us whether or not we're inspired by these entities to apply it to our everyday life or into a work of art of our own. again, diversity introduces new ideas for people to utilize. This again depends on how willing different groups are to interact with each other. I think students fail to take on a lot of opportunities to interact with people radically different from themselves because they fear that type of interaction. They willfully cheat themselves out of opportunities to gain alternate perspectives that could very well stimulate thoughts they would never have had otherwise. I believe that diversity on campus fosters a lot of creativity because it asks you to think outside of your own box and consider many different perspectives. It provides a healthy variety. COW Faculty: Diversity and Creative Thinking Yes--creativity depends on diversity in that truly creative ideas and products are the result of listening to diverse points of view. I think that it does, as long as students explore and experience that diversity in welcoming ways. Yes, by offering the potential of a robust clash of ideas. Regrettably, I perceive our students as pretty conservative and they seem to me to think they know quite a bit about the world. I think they are terribly mistaken and their intellectual arrogance mitigates against creativity. If students from diverse backgrounds do not have a variety of opportunities to interact on campus in meaningful ways (e.g. class projects, campus organizations, athletic teams), then opportunities for creative thinking are not as readily available. The more diverse our communities become, the more opportunities I think we have for promoting creative thinking. However, with this growth comes the added responsibility to then provide opportunities for students to interact in productive and meaningful ways. Diversity contributes some, but it could contribute more if more attention was given to fostering interaction between our diverse populations. Very unlikely.

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Again, my bias, but so many are middle/upper class White students, it's hard to see an impact of minority groups sometimes. However, the yearly culture fair every spring helps. diversity is essential to creative thinking moving us outside of ourselves of course! it is only through encountering and beginning to appreciate the diverse experiences of other people that students learn to think past the set of assumptions that they enter college with. if those assumptions were never challenged, creativity would only take place within fairly predictable parameters. Creativity certainly thrives on experiencing new, different or non-similar lifestyles and cultures. Yes. Creativity often arises from seeing something in a new/different/odd/weird way. More likely when there are more perspectives about. a minor factor but nonetheless a factor COW Students: Experience that Involved the Most Critical Thinking I honestly think that most events and courses here enhance creative thinking. Some examples include: reading a book (Reason for Hope) by Jane Goodall and having her visit and give a lecture, a lecture by Robert Kennedy Jr., supporters of political candidates, "Killer Coke" campaign, Religions East and West, and many education classes, such as Social and Cultural Environments in Early Childhood Education. I would say all of the courses I have taken have helped foster my critical thinking skills, but I would say that IS is the biggest one. It’s a largely independent project, and there aren't any lectures (at least in my department) to help you form ideas and opinions and reject or accept certain theories or data, etc...you have to figure it out on your own, then ask questions if you’re stuck. Yes, Some of the on campus speakers make you think critically, and many of my classes have challenged me and the things I believe so I had to think critically to defend them or to see the other view point. all courses I have taken have taught me to think in different ways and analyze material in different ways. One cannot think the same in a biology class compared to an art class. The senior IS process was extremely valuable. Reading Camus and Wittgenstein were also big stepping stones in my critical thinking development. I like the fact that professors tend to encourage students to come up with something creative/different for a project or paper, although for my first year or so it was sometimes difficult coming up with my own topic, as I was not used to such freedom. Studying

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abroad was definitely something huge, as it allowed me to interact with so many different people and learn about different views and ways of life. Right off the bat the First Year Seminar sets the stage for what a student can expect from this school throughout all four years. Nearly every class I have taken relies heavily on the students’ ability to think critically. The culmination of critical thinking is fostered by the independent study program in both the junior and senior years. This allows the students to fully explore a topic of their choice and analyze it to its full extent. Most courses, even if I haven't enjoyed them, have offered me something in the critical thinking realm at one time or another. Particular lecturers, lively class discussions, and personal conversations with advisors have helped. COW Students: Most Creative Experience Literature of the Beat Generation was the course that most encouraged my creative side and forced me to use it. We did free writes on the spot in class, and wrote in beat forms as assignments. In this class, we students were doing what we were learning about, unlike most other courses at this school. Social Entrepreneur Program and IS Going abroad. Leaving campus, the town, the state, the country, and any familiar comfort zone. Changing environments completely. I think that too many students stay on campus all four years, and study abroad should be a graduation requirement. Too many students are missing out. My most creative academic experience was I.S. because I had to design and more importantly figure out how to carry out a survey from participants in Wooster. There were so many small hang-ups a long the way that I had to be resourceful and creative to do well. My most creative academic experience would probably be within the archaeology department as a whole. Everything from the faculty to the courses offered, to the student colloquium and various activities I have participated in and have helped to organize. Above all, the independent study program has allowed me to explore something near and dear to me and think of it creatively on a practical level. Wooster falls short, as most seniors drop their activities in order to focus on IS, which is unfortunate and unfair, in my own opinion. The final paper in my Economic Development class. In this class we learn about various disciplines and how these disciplines affect economic development in third world

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countries. The final paper allowed us to use these disciplines to assess the failure of development in a third world country. Being able to use more than one type of thought helped create a better assessment of economic development and helped me assess this project not just with economic theories but theories from other various disciplines. In turn allowed my creative thoughts to flow in whatever way possible. Senior Independent Study: I was able to create my own project on my own terms, and with the help of my advisor created a synthesis of different themes and genres in a unique ordering that has not been explored in such a way before. I had a professor in the Education department who never told us how to express our thoughts. He always said, just read this, and do something that you know will allow you to express yourself. Many different types of projects came back. I wrote a song, recorded it with a full band's worth of instrumental tracks. Some people wrote short stories, or created a comic book, or videos, or PowerPoint presentations, or many other ideas. I felt that this prof. knew exactly what he was doing, and exactly how to get us to realize what he was doing, and how he was doing it. COW Faculty: Most Creative Experience Participating in Social Entrepreneurship. As an advisor, I was able to go outside of my discipline and think creatively about working with a non-profit organization. Even though not directly related, my experience in my field of study was valuable. Switching departmental affiliation. As a result of this experience I was able to recognize areas of affinity between disciplines that I did not anticipate, and also became keenly aware of some of the more intractable differences in disciplinary perspectives. Recognizing these stubborn differences has made me more attuned to the limitations of my own professional training and development, and I am now more consciously aware of how my new disciplinary home limits my perspective as well as that of students. Consequently, I have become more reflective about the way in which my teaching simultaneously opens and closes opportunities for students. Developing new courses. The challenge of finding engaging ways to make our departmental learning outcomes come alive. Working on papers and/or presentations with colleagues on and off campus. Having time, colleagues who are open to and interested in ideas that might be different from mine, and resources available to us has provided opportunities for me to be creative. When I have time, the freedom to think and talk about ideas is refreshing. I wish I had more time to do this and had less administrative work. Developing ways to use technology to assist in student learning. When we implemented such things in our curriculum there were no external resources available. It was necessary to develop our own ideas and test them out. It required understanding the

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capabilities and limitations of the technology and understanding how techniques would impact student learning. developing prospectuses for several of the books I have written, not so much the book itself, but the idea, laid out and outlined. Several different new and unusual courses. To solve new (to me) problems with students, I had to come up with novel ways of exemplifying, analyzing, showing how things work, testing ideas. Even better when these are team-taught. Being on a research leave and having time to read and talk with other people about things other than grading and committee work. Working with students on their senior independent study projects-- in which the problems as well as the attempt to find solutions (to put the puzzle together) often came from the students themselves. Meanwhile, around the edges of their own work, I can provide advice, tips, etc.,--though they decide what is best for them. Grant Cornwell's faculty reading group.

Focus Group Data Wooster Students – Focus Group on Critical Thinking Are there features of your campus environment – for example, classes, events, activities, spaces around campus – that encourage critical thinking? Independent study: You get grilled on your thinking about the topic; have to play devils’ advocate with yourself; nothing ever comes out the same way twice; forced to make connections – what do your data mean?; In religion we don’t have a methods chapter so we need to make up our own methods; regardless of your major you need to think critically to make your project makes sense. Library has meeting rooms; I.S. library carols are nice; third floor of biology building at 11 p.m. is like an academic party with people working on a variety of is projects; seniors residence halls foster a co-dependency; in the philosophy building faculty are everywhere; most buildings have spaces for gathering; circular layout for classes works best for conversation Philosophy roundtable Math lunch table Investment club and entrepreneurship program What experience at your college has encouraged critical thinking the most?

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Going abroad is hugely important to expanding your horizons in terms of critical thinking. Just the way that other cultures and other people in the world think and view the world. Just in terms of diversity Independent study that is interdisciplinary. Getting in to that interdisciplinary work where you have to bring these different fields together. Figuring out how do you take something that you have learned in this one class over here and another class over here. We have a phenomenal faculty who encourages critical thinking at every turn. They challenge and help us all at the same time. Having access to these incredible people has been amazing. What is one thing that could be done to encourage more critical thinking on campus? More opportunities to really argue about our ideas – if someone doesn’t like your idea it doesn’t mean they don’t like you as our generation seems to believe More organizations that aren’t strictly academic We need a debate program. Biochemistry journal club was awesome but the professor went on leave. Volunteer service projects involve critical thinking Series of lectures on one topic should be continued Going abroad is important The conversation cycled back to IS – Doing IS has been the best experience, according to one student “Phenomenal” faculty encourage critical thinking. There was some debate about whether all faculty were great, but one student indicated that it was clear that the faculty like to teach and another mentioned the availability and helpfulness of professors Wooster Faculty – Focus Group on Critical Thinking Are there features of this campus environment, classes, events, facilities, spaces on campus that foster critical thinking? First thing mentioned is IS. Students need to gather evidence, work independently outside of their comfort zone; First-year seminar should foster critical thinking but sometimes doesn’t happen until senior IS. Maybe there is maturation required. There might not be enough activities outside of the classroom to make it a critical evaluation culture. Fall forum speakers area great outlet that is under-utilized. Used to be linked to the first-year seminar. Students don’t show up for events. Too many demands on people’s time. Not enough spaces. Discussion of how to get more out of campus speakers. Take a topic throughout all of the disciplines. Professors need to help students make connections. We need to model that behavior.

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Issue of time comes up again. What has been your most positive experience with critical thinking in your professional life? Something from teaching or research, etc. Training in expository writing. My involvement with senior IS. Service work. Immersion with people in my field of study. It is important to go to conferences. Getting students involved in brainstorming. Discussion about the use of new technologies. Questioning authority. The Midwestern style of politeness doesn’t help students in this regard. Are there particular assignments you have used in class or heard about that encourage critical thinking in students? An assignment where there’s no wrong or right answer involving group work We’ve incorporated elements of experimental design and give students a goal which to achieve and show them the tools that are available. Open-ended assignment where professor doesn’t know how it will come out Anything where they are individually accountable either to you or to their peers. We do a lot of team exercises. Assign each person in the room a problem. Then they are the solution problem writer. I assign two others as reviewers of their solution. You get ten points for writing the solution to the problem but five points for each reviewer. It’s sort of like a journal submission ultimately, like peer review. Research reports where they move to theory from testable hypotheses. What is one thing that can be done to encourage more critical thinking on your campus? Connect the island. Centralized activities. Cooperation between departments. Interdisciplinarity. Where is the passion? (Discussion about the lack of passion in students – due to blue collar students, the fact that too many of them have to work, athletic practices are too demanding, what goes on in the dorms.) Wooster Students – Focus Group on Creative Thinking Are there features of your campus environment – for example, classes, events, activities, spaces around campus – that encourage creative thinking?

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Meal plan and dorms means I don’t have to think about those issues Living on campus forces conversations with people you wouldn’t engage with otherwise Hanging around people and talking about the various independent studies (IS) Computer labs Library Professors give you that residential feeling more than the other schools I visited. They will invite you to their house or come back later at night to do stuff. They are really available to help encourage creativity. Professors are approachable Discussion-based classes Places to study and relax Art gallery English department sponsors a lot of writers, poets, novelists to come in and read. That can really spark a lot of discussion about their books, the future of students. There are always forums, there’s always lectures (but can’t always go because too much work) Classics day International Relations department brings in good speakers Study abroad forces you out of your comfort zone; photo wall displays these experiences What has been your most creative experience at college and what made it creative? Independent study mentioned first and often Made movies for class and watched each other’s and critiqued Class that required policy papers Classroom where everyone draws their own face Being in the position of teaching assistant makes you think about how other people understand information in a different way than you do What is one thing that could be done to encourage more creative thinking on campus? Help to know the second reader on IS Stereotypically creative courses are hard to get into; e.g., writing courses and art courses seem to be only available for majors. Non-major art classes would be awesome. More discussion-based learning. More working in small groups Structuring junior IS in a way that makes it so that everyone has the same basic cornerstones Taking a full course doesn’t leave enough time for thinking creatively Worthy Questions group meets every week to talk and think creatively (but no time to go to this when working on I.S.)

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Wooster Faculty – Focus Group on Creative Thinking Are there features of your campus environment for example classes, events, activities, spaces around campus that particularly encourage creative thinking? Clinical practicum Living and learning experiences in the education department Independent study. Students interact with the real world In sophomore retreat students develop a sustaining project. Campus speakers. Teaching Matters program. New president is encouraging new ideas. The creation of a diversity officer position was discussed. Facilities with lounges get people together. What has been the most creative experience in your professional life? That could be something from your teaching or your research Sabbatical. Semester-long assignment in class based on multiple intelligences. Center on Creativity. Designing new courses. Moved to France when I didn’t speak a word of French. Is there an assignment or activity in your courses or in other people’s courses that you are aware of that requires a lot of creative thinking from students? Students draw their map of the world. I give them a scene with four different people who have happened to run into each other and they have a conversation – need to speak from everyone’s point of view Science labs, art studios, practice rooms IS should be creative in that it involves an intensity of experience. Requirements to take different courses in different disciplines Being part of a multi-disciplinary group What is one thing that could be done on campus to encourage more creative thinking? More time (mentioned more than once). Opportunities for faculty development. Spaces for faculty to get together and discuss pedagogy. Fifty minute time periods are not long enough. Lecturing is not the evil people make it out to be. Guest speakers in class.

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Use of woodle. How much to use technology to engage students. Use of a wiki page. Difficult to find the right balance with the use of technology.

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APPENDIX

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The Faculty Creativity Survey of the Five Colleges of Ohio You have been selected to participate in a survey of faculty members on your perceptions of creativity as part of a larger project of the Five Colleges of Ohio. The survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. After completing the survey, you may enter your email address into a drawing to win a $200 Amazon.com gift certificate. Please note that your email address will be saved to enter your name into the drawing, but your email address will not be tied to the responses. Your responses will be anonymous. If you have any questions about the survey please contact Sarah Murnen, Professor of Psychology at Kenyon College, by email at murnen@kenyon.edu . Thank you in advance for your participation.

1. Please check your current affiliation:

_____ The College of Wooster

_____ Denison University

_____ Kenyon College

_____ Ohio Wesleyan University

2. What words would you use to describe creativity? Please check the terms from the list below that come to mind when you think of creativity:

comparing reflective evaluating prioritizing discerning interpreting weird free deductive inferring unpredictable querying spontaneous conceptualizing stimulating analytical path-breaking inventive precise imaginative deconstructing visualizing entrepreneurial contrasting experimental novel expressive predicting visionary innovative enterprising artistic resourceful original risk-taking connecting

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eccentric contextualizing inquisitive challenging categorizing inductive insightful assessing focusing exciting synthesizing other (Please list any other words separated by commas.)

3. Please indicate your agreement or disagreement with each statement below using the following scale. If you have no knowledge or no opinion, then leave the statement blank.

1 = disagree strongly

2 = disagree moderately 3 = disagree slightly 4 = undecided 5 = agree slightly 6 = agree moderately 7 = agree strongly

a. I consider myself a creative person.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

b. Creativity can be taught. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

c. Creativity should be taught in college courses.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

d. Too little teaching at this college is focused on nurturing students’ ability to think in creative ways.

For purposes of this survey, as you respond to the next set of questions, please keep in mind the following working definition of creativity:

The word "creative" often refers to artists who are engaged in making a piece of art. But "creative" can also be used to describe any form of creation, originality, or expressiveness. In other words, it is a capacity to generate ideas and products that are novel and appropriate to the task at hand, whatever that task may be.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7

e. Faculty can create conditions on this campus in which creativity is more likely to thrive among students.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

f. Faculty on campus model creative thinking and behavior.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

g. In general, the courses offered on our campus encourage creativity.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

h. At this college, there are opportunities for students to learn where there

are no right or wrong answers.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

i. The extracurricular activities for students on campus encourage creativity.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

j. Creativity is valued in my department or program.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

k. I value creativity.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

l. Creativity is important in my discipline.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

m. It is possible to assess creativity in an academic environment.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

n. The senior project, thesis, or independent study at this college allows students to think creatively or to be creative in ways they would otherwise not be able. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

o. This college values my efforts to be creative.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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p. This college provides time for me to be creative. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

q. This college gives me space to be creative.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

r. There is a creative vibe on this campus.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

s. A liberal arts education is conducive to the development of creativity. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

t. The higher education system in the United States is conducive to the development of creativity.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4. Where does creativity flourish on or around campus? (Consider indoor and outdoor spaces; classroom, performance, study, and living spaces; student, faculty, staff, and administrative spaces on or around campus.)

5. Are there barriers to creative expression, ideas, or development inside or outside of the classroom on campus? Please explain.

6. How do you think technology facilitates and/or inhibits creativity on campus? 7. To the degree that diversity (in terms of class, race, sex, sexual orientation, and

national origin) exists on this campus, does it contribute to students’ development of creative thinking? If so, how?

8. What are some indicators that signify growth or development in your students’ ability to think creatively or to be creative?

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9. Using the scale below, please rate to what extent the following characteristics exist on your campus:

1 = not at all 2 = very little 3 = little 4 = moderately extensive 5 = much 6 = very much 7 = extensively

a. Challenge (the emotional involvement of members in the organization and

its operations and goals)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 b. Freedom (the independence in behavior exerted by the people in the

organization)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 c. Idea Support (the way new ideas are treated)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 d. Trust/Openness (emotional safety in relationships)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

e. Dynamism/Liveliness (the eventfulness in the life of an organization

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 f. Playfulness/Humor (the spontaneity and ease that is displayed)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

g. Debate (the occurrence of encounters and clashes between viewpoints, ideas and differing experiences and knowledge)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

h. Risk Taking (the tolerance of uncertainty exposed in the organization)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

i. Idea Time (the amount of time people can and do use for elaborating new

ideas)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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j. Conflict (the presence of personal and emotional tensions, in contrast to

the idea tensions in the debate dimension)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

k. Supportive Environment (the socio-cultural context that provides opportunities for creativity and encourages as well as rewards such activities)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

l. Working in groups

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 m. Active models of creative thinking and acting

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 n. Assignments that encourage independent problem-solving and risk-taking

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10. What has been your most creative academic experience? What about that

experience tapped your creativity? DEMOGRAPHICS 11. In which of the following major divisions is your field? Please check. If you are

associated with more than one department or program in two divisions, please check both divisions.

_____ Fine and Performing Arts

_____ Humanities

_____ Natural and Life Sciences

_____ Social Sciences Please check the following:

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12. Sex: _____ female _____ male

13. Age range: _____ 29 or younger _____ 30 – 39 _____ 40 – 49 _____ 50 – 59 _____ 60 – 69 _____ 70 or older

14. Race and ethnicity (check all that apply): _____ American Indian or Alaska Native _____ Asian _____ Black or African American _____ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

_____ White _____ Some other race _____ Hispanic or Latino

15. Tenure status: _____ Tenured _____ Tenure-track position, but not tenured _____ Non-Tenure track position

16. Current position: _____ Professor

_____ Associate Professor

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_____ Assistant Professor _____ Instructor

_____ Lecturer

_____ Other

17. Please check any way that you have been involved with this project?

_____ Year 1 working group participant _____ creativity working group _____ critical thinking working group _____ Years 1 and 2 working group participant _____ creativity working group _____ critical thinking working group _____ Year 2 rubric use and/or development _____ Not involved in the project

18. Do you have any general comments on creativity or on the survey?

Thank you for participating in the Creativity Survey!

Your email address will be entered into a drawing to win your choice of one of four prizes.

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The Faculty Critical Thinking Survey of the Five Colleges of Ohio You have been selected to participate in a survey of faculty members on your perceptions of critical thinking as part of a larger project of the Five Colleges of Ohio. The survey should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. After completing the survey, you may enter your email address into a drawing to win a $200 Amazon.com gift certificate. Please note that your email address will be saved to enter your name into the drawing, but your email address will not be tied to the responses. Your responses will be anonymous. If you have any questions about the survey please contact Sarah Murnen, Professor of Psychology at Kenyon College, by email at murnen@kenyon.edu . Thank you in advance for your participation.

19. Please check your current affiliation:

_____ The College of Wooster

_____ Denison University

_____ Kenyon College

_____ Ohio Wesleyan University

20. What words would you use to describe critical thinking? Please check the terms from the list below that come to mind when you think of critical thinking:

comparing reflective evaluating prioritizing discerning interpreting weird free deductive inferring unpredictable querying spontaneous conceptualizing stimulating analytical path-breaking inventive precise imaginative deconstructing visualizing entrepreneurial contrasting experimental novel expressive predicting visionary innovative enterprising artistic

resourceful original risk-taking connecting

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eccentric contextualizing inquisitive challenging categorizing inductive insightful assessing focusing exciting synthesizing other (Please list any other words separated by commas.)

21. Please indicate your agreement or disagreement with each statement below using the following scale. If you have no knowledge or no opinion, then leave the statement blank.

1 = disagree strongly

2 = disagree moderately 3 = disagree slightly 4 = undecided 5 = agree slightly 6 = agree moderately 7 = agree strongly

a. I consider myself a person who thinks critically.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

b. Too little teaching at this college is focused on nurturing students’ ability to think critically.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

c. Faculty can create conditions on this campus in which critical thinking is

more likely to thrive among students.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

d. Faculty on campus model critical thinking.

For purposes of this survey, as you respond to the next set of questions, please keep in mind the following working definition of critical thinking:

The word "critical" often refers to negative comments regarding something or someone. But “critical” can also be sued to describe a persistent effort to explore evidence that supports any belief, solution, or conclusion. In other words, it is the ability to analyze, to explain, and to reason logically.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7

e. In general, the courses offered on our campus encourage critical thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

f. At this college, there are opportunities for students to learn where there

are no right or wrong answers.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

g. The extracurricular activities for students on campus encourage critical thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

h. Critical thinking is valued in my department or program.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

i. I value critical thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

j. Critical thinking is important in my discipline.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

k. It is possible to assess critical thinking in an academic environment.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

l. The senior project, thesis, or independent study at this college allows

students to think critically in ways they would otherwise not be able. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

m. This college values my efforts to be a critical thinker.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

n. A liberal arts education is conducive to the development of critical

thinking. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

o. The higher education system in the United States is conducive to the development of critical thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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22. Where does critical thinking flourish on or around campus? (Consider indoor and outdoor spaces; classroom, performance, study, and living spaces; student, faculty, staff, and administrative spaces on or around campus.)

23. Are there barriers to critical thinking inside or outside of the classroom on campus? Please explain.

24. How do you think technology facilitates and/or inhibits critical thinking on campus? 25. To the degree that diversity (in terms of class, race, sex, sexual orientation, and

national origin) exists on this campus, does it contribute to students’ development of critical thinking? If so, how?

26. What are some indicators that signify growth or development in your students’ ability to think critically?

27. Using the scale below, please rate to what extent the following characteristics exist on

your campus:

1 = not at all 2 = very little 3 = little 4 = moderately extensive 5 = much 6 = very much 7 = extensively

a. Challenge (the emotional involvement of members in the organization and

its operations and goals)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 b. Freedom (the independence in behavior exerted by the people in the

organization)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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c. Idea Support (the way new ideas are treated)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 d. Trust/Openness (emotional safety in relationships)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

e. Dynamism/Liveliness (the eventfulness in the life of an organization

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 f. Playfulness/Humor (the spontaneity and ease that is displayed)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

g. Debate (the occurrence of encounters and clashes between viewpoints, ideas and differing experiences and knowledge)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

h. Risk Taking (the tolerance of uncertainty exposed in the organization)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

i. Idea Time (the amount of time people can and do use for elaborating new

ideas)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 j. Conflict (the presence of personal and emotional tensions, in contrast to

the idea tensions in the debate dimension)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

k. Supportive Environment (the socio-cultural context that provides opportunities for creativity and encourages as well as rewards such activities)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

l. Working in groups

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 m. Active models of creative thinking and acting

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 n. Assignments that encourage independent problem-solving and risk-taking

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 DEMOGRAPHICS 28. In which of the following major divisions is your field? Please check. If you are

associated with more than one department or program in two divisions, please check both divisions.

_____ Fine and Performing Arts

_____ Humanities

_____ Natural and Life Sciences

_____ Social Sciences Please check the following:

29. Sex: _____ female _____ male

30. Age range: _____ 29 or younger _____ 30 – 39 _____ 40 – 49 _____ 50 – 59 _____ 60 – 69 _____ 70 or older

31. Race and ethnicity (check all that apply): _____ American Indian or Alaska Native _____ Asian _____ Black or African American _____ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

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_____ White _____ Some other race _____ Hispanic or Latino

32. Tenure status: _____ Tenured _____ Tenure-track position, but not tenured _____ Non-Tenure track position

33. Current position: _____ Professor

_____ Associate Professor _____ Assistant Professor _____ Instructor

_____ Lecturer

_____ Other

34. Please check any way that you have been involved with this project?

_____ Year 1 working group participant _____ creativity working group _____ critical thinking working group _____ Years 1 and 2 working group participant _____ creativity working group _____ critical thinking working group _____ Year 2 rubric use and/or development _____ Not involved in the project

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35. Do you have any general comments on critical thinking or on the survey?

Thank you for participating in the Critical Thinking Survey!

Your email address will be entered into a drawing to win your choice of one of four prizes.

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Student Creativ ity and Critical Thinking Survey of the Five Colleges of Ohio

You have been selected to participate in a test survey on your perceptions of various academic experiences as part of a larger project of the Five Colleges of Ohio. Students from Denison University, Kenyon College, Ohio Wesleyan University, and The College of Wooster will be participating in this survey. The survey will take approximately 40 minutes to complete. After completing the survey, you may enter your email address into a drawing to win a $200 Amazon.com gift certificate. Please note that your email address will be saved to enter your name into the drawing, but your email address will not be tied to the responses. Your responses will be anonymous. If you have any questions about the survey please contact Sarah Murnen, Professor of Psychology at Kenyon College by email at murnen@kenyon.edu . Thank you in advance for your participation.

36. Please check your current affiliation:

_____ The College of Wooster

_____ Denison University

_____ Kenyon College

_____ Ohio Wesleyan University For the set of questions below indicate how often you have had each experience in the past few months of the academic year using the following scale: 1 = never or almost never 2 = rarely 3 = sometimes 4 = often 5 = very often 6 = almost always or always

37.In the past few months how often have you:

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a. Taken an assignment in a slightly different direction? 1 2 3 4 5 6

b. Found yourself wanting to read more about something you learned in class?

1 2 3 4 5 6 c. Used brainstorming during a class?

1 2 3 4 5 6

d. Used brainstorming in a class assignment?

1 2 3 4 5 6

e. Used brainstorming outside of class (e.g., club activity, etc)?

1 2 3 4 5 6

f. Worked on a paper or project that required you to integrate ideas from various sources?

1 2 3 4 5 6

g. “Let go” and had fun intellectually?

1 2 3 4 5 6

h. Engaged in abstract thinking?

1 2 3 4 5 6

i. Put together ideas or concepts from different courses when completing an assignment?

1 2 3 4 5 6

j. Used a story, metaphor, or visual in a class assignment?

1 2 3 4 5 6

k. Incorporated diverse viewpoints in a class assignment?

193

1 2 3 4 5 6

38. What words would you use to describe creativity? Please check the terms from the list below that come to mind when you think of creativity:

comparing reflective evaluating prioritizing discerning interpreting weird free deductive inferring unpredictable querying spontaneous conceptualizing stimulating analytical path-breaking inventive precise imaginative deconstructing visualizing entrepreneurial contrasting experimental novel expressive predicting visionary innovative enterprising artistic resourceful original risk-taking connecting eccentric contextualizing inquisitive challenging categorizing inductive insightful assessing focusing exciting synthesizing other (Please list any other words separated by commas.)

39.Using the following scale, in general, how “creative” do you feel in each situation listed below?

1 = not at all creative 2 = somewhat creative 3 = creative to a moderate degree 4 = creative

For purposes of this survey, as you respond to the next set of questions, please keep in mind the following working definition of creativity:

The word "creative" often refers to artists who are engaged in making a piece of art. But "creative" can also be used to describe any form of creation, originality, or expressiveness. In other words, it is a capacity to generate ideas and products that are novel and appropriate to the task at hand, whatever that task may be.

194

5 = extremely creative NA = not applicable

a. Interacting with students and faculty in class

1 2 3 4 5 NA

b. Attending or participating in cultural events on campus

1 2 3 4 5 NA c. Engaging in an extra-curricular or co-curricular activity

1 2 3 4 5 NA

d. Listening to speakers on campus

1 2 3 4 5 NA

e. Interacting with other students outside of class

1 2 3 4 5 NA

f. Engaging in a hobby

1 2 3 4 5 NA

g. Reading material for class

1 2 3 4 5 NA

h. Interacting with faculty outside of class

1 2 3 4 5 NA

i. Completing projects for class

1 2 3 4 5 NA

j. Communicating with peers over the internet

1 2 3 4 5 NA

k. Writing papers for classes

195

1 2 3 4 5 NA

l. “Surfing” the internet

1 2 3 4 5 NA

40.Please indicate your agreement or disagreement with each statement below using the following scale. If you have no knowledge or no opinion, then leave the statement blank.

1 = disagree strongly

2 = disagree moderately 3 = disagree slightly 4 = undecided 5 = agree slightly 6 = agree moderately 7 = agree strongly

a. I consider myself a creative person.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

b. Creativity can be learned. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

c. Creativity should be taught in college courses.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

d. Too little teaching at this college is focused on nurturing students’ ability to think in creative ways.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

e. Faculty can create conditions on this campus in which creativity is more

likely to thrive among students.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

f. Faculty on campus model creative thinking and behavior. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

196

g. In general, the courses offered on our campus encourage creativity. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

h. At this college, there are opportunities for students to learn where there

are no right or wrong answers.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

i. The extracurricular activities for students on campus encourage creativity.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

j. Creativity is valued in my major.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

k. I value creativity.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

l. Creativity is important in the fine and performing arts.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

m. Creativity is important in the humanities.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

n. Creativity is important in the natural and physical sciences.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

o. Creativity is important in the social sciences.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

p. It is possible to assess creativity in an academic environment.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

q. The senior project, thesis, or independent study at this college allows students to think creatively or to be creative in ways they would otherwise not be able. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

197

r. This college values my efforts to be creative.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

s. This college provides time for me to be creative. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

t. This college gives me space to be creative.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

u. There is a creative vibe on this campus.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

v. A liberal arts education is conducive to the development of creativity. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

w. The higher education system in the United States is conducive to the development of creativity.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

41.Where does creativity flourish on or around campus? (Consider indoor and outdoor spaces; classroom, performance, study, and living spaces; student, faculty, staff, and administrative spaces on campus.)

42.Are there barriers to creative expression, ideas, or development inside or outside of the classroom on campus? Please explain.

43.How do you think technology facilitates and/or inhibits creativity on campus? 44. To the degree that diversity (in terms of class, race, sex, sexual orientation, and

national origin) exists on this campus, does it contribute to students’ development of creative thinking? If so, how?

198

45.What was your most creative academic experience? What about that

experience tapped your creativity?

46.What words would you use to describe critical thinking? Please check the terms from the list below that come to mind when you think of critical thinking:

comparing reflective evaluating prioritizing discerning interpreting weird free deductive inferring unpredictable querying spontaneous conceptualizing stimulating analytical path-breaking inventive precise imaginative deconstructing visualizing entrepreneurial contrasting experimental novel expressive predicting visionary innovative enterprising artistic resourceful original risk-taking connecting eccentric contextualizing inquisitive challenging categorizing inductive insightful assessing focusing exciting synthesizing other (Please list any other words separated by commas.)

For purposes of this survey, as you respond to the next set of questions, please keep in mind the following working definition of critical thinking:

The word "critical" often refers to negative comments regarding something or someone. But “critical” can also be sued to describe a persistent effort to explore evidence that supports any belief, solution, or conclusion. In other words, it is the ability to analyze, to explain, and to reason logically.

199

47.Using the scale below, for the next set of questions, in general, how much “critical thinking” is involved in each of the activities listed below?

1 = no critical thinking 2 = small degree of critical thinking 3 = fair degree of critical thinking 4 = moderate degree of critical thinking 5 = great degree of critical thinking NA = not applicable

a. Interacting with students and faculty in class

1 2 3 4 5 NA

b. Attending or participating in cultural events on campus

1 2 3 4 5 NA c. Engaging in an extra-curricular or co-curricular activity

1 2 3 4 5 NA

d. Listening to speakers on campus

1 2 3 4 5 NA e. Interacting with other students outside of class

1 2 3 4 5 NA f. Engaging in a hobby

1 2 3 4 5 NA g. Reading material for class

1 2 3 4 5 NA h. Interacting with faculty outside of class

1 2 3 4 5 NA i. Completing projects for class

200

1 2 3 4 5 NA j. Communicating with peers over the internet

1 2 3 4 5 NA k. Writing papers for classes

1 2 3 4 5 NA l. “Surfing” the internet

1 2 3 4 5 NA

48.Please indicate your agreement or disagreement with each statement below using the following scale. If you have no knowledge or no opinion, then leave the statement blank. 1 = disagree strongly

2 = disagree moderately 3 = disagree slightly 4 = undecided 5 = agree to slightly 6 = agree moderately 7 = agree strongly

a. I consider myself a person who thinks critically.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

b. Too little teaching at this college is focused on nurturing students’ ability to think critically.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

c. Faculty can create conditions on this campus in which critical thinking is

more likely to thrive among students.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

d. Faculty on campus model critical thinking. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

201

e. In general, the courses offered on our campus encourage critical thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

f. The extracurricular activities for students on campus encourage critical

thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

g. I value critical thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

h. Critical thinking is valued in my major.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

i. Critical thinking is important in the fine and performing arts.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

j. Critical thinking is important in the humanities.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

k. Critical thinking is important in the natural and physical sciences.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

l. Critical thinking is important in the social sciences.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

m. It is possible to assess critical thinking in an academic environment.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

n. The senior project, thesis, or independent study at this college allows students to think critically in ways they would otherwise not be able. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

o. This college values my efforts to be a critical thinker.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

202

p. A liberal arts education is conducive to the development of critical thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

q. The higher education system in the United States is conducive to the development of critical thinking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

49.Where does critical thinking thrive on or around campus? (Consider indoor and outdoor spaces; classroom, performance, study, and living spaces; student, faculty, staff, and administrative spaces on campus.)

50.Are there barriers to critical thinking inside or outside of the classroom on campus? Please explain.

51.How do you think technology facilitates and/or inhibits you to think critically in your life as a student?

52. To the degree that diversity (in terms of class, race, sex, sexual orientation, and

national origin) exists on this campus, does it contribute to students’ development of critical thinking? If so, how?

53.Have there been books, courses, events, or performances etc. that have fostered or enhanced your ability to think critically? What were they?

54. Using the scale below, please rate to what extent the following characteristics exist on your campus:

1 = not at all 2 = very little 3 = little 4 = moderately extensive 5 = much 6 = very much

203

7 = extensively

a. Challenge (the emotional involvement of members in the organization and

its operations and goals)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 b. Freedom (the independence in behavior exerted by the people in the

organization)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 c. Idea Support (the way new ideas are treated)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 d. Trust/Openness (emotional safety in relationships)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

e. Dynamism/Liveliness (the eventfulness in the life of an organization

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 f. Playfulness/Humor (the spontaneity and ease that is displayed)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

g. Debate (the occurrence of encounters and clashes between viewpoints, ideas and differing experiences and knowledge)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

h. Risk Taking (the tolerance of uncertainty exposed in the organization)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

i. Idea Time (the amount of time people can and do use for elaborating new

ideas)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 j. Conflict (the presence of personal and emotional tensions, in contrast to

the idea tensions in the debate dimension)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

k. Supportive Environment (the socio-cultural context that provides opportunities for creativity and encourages as well as rewards such activities)

204

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

l. Working in groups

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 m. Active models of creative thinking and acting

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 n. Assignments that encourage independent problem-solving and risk-taking

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 DEMOGRAPHICS

55.In which of the following major divisions is your major(s)? Please check. If you have not declared a major, please check in which division are you likely to major. If you are a double major in two different divisions, please check both divisions.

_____ Fine and Performing Arts

_____ Humanities

_____ Natural and Life Sciences _____ Social Sciences Please check the fol lowing:

56.Sex: _____ Female _____ Male

57.Check your college year: ______ first year ______ sophomore ______ junior

205

______ senior ______ 5th year or more

58.What is your age: _____

59.Race and ethnicity (check all that apply): _____ American Indian or Alaska Native _____ Asian _____ Black or African American _____ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander _____ White

_____ Some other race _____ Hispanic or Latino

60.Which is your home state in the U.S. or your home country? ________________________

61.Do you have any general comments on creativity or critical thinking or on the survey?

Thank you for participat ing in the Creativity and Critica l Thinking Survey!

Your email address will be entered into a drawing to win your choice of one of

four prizes.

206

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PROJECT PERSONNEL

Project Initiator – Iain Crawford, Vice President for Academic Affairs, The College of Wooster Grant Administrator – Nancy Grace, Professor of English, The College of Wooster Data Analyst – Sarah Murnen, Professor of Psychology, Kenyon College Creative Thinking Group Leader – Simon Gray, Associate Professor of Computer Science, The College of Wooster Critical Thinking Group Leader – Sarah Murnen, Professor of Psychology, Kenyon College Denison University Representative – Kim Coplin, Associate Provost Kenyon College Representative – Sarah Murnen, Professor of Psychology Ohio Wesleyan Representative – Barbara Andereck, Professor of Physics The College of Wooster Representative – Simon Gray, Associate Professor of Computer Science Administrative Coordinator – Sarah Sidor, The College of Wooster Survey Administrator – Theresa Ford, Director of Educational Assessment, The College of Wooster