engaging students to think critically

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Engaging Engaging Students to Students to Think Critically Think Critically David E. Balk David E. Balk Director, Graduate Studies in Director, Graduate Studies in Thanatology Thanatology Brooklyn College Brooklyn College

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Engaging Students to Think Critically. David E. Balk Director, Graduate Studies in Thanatology Brooklyn College. Let Us Begin with the Following Assertion. Our responsibility as teachers is to promote student learning. How do effective teachers promote student learning?. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Engaging Engaging Students to Students to

Think CriticallyThink CriticallyDavid E. BalkDavid E. Balk

Director, Graduate Studies in Director, Graduate Studies in ThanatologyThanatology

Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn College

Page 2: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Let Us Begin with the Let Us Begin with the Following AssertionFollowing Assertion

Our responsibility as teachers is to Our responsibility as teachers is to promote student learning. promote student learning.

Page 3: Engaging Students to Think Critically

How do effective teachers How do effective teachers promote student learning?promote student learning?

By using methods whereby students By using methods whereby students think critically about the subject think critically about the subject matter of the curriculum. matter of the curriculum.

Page 4: Engaging Students to Think Critically

How do effective teachers How do effective teachers promote student learning?promote student learning?

Students think critically when they Students think critically when they become actively involved in the become actively involved in the subject matter, connect ideas from subject matter, connect ideas from various sources, and gain insight by various sources, and gain insight by comparing and contrasting their own comparing and contrasting their own experiences with the course experiences with the course material. material.

Page 5: Engaging Students to Think Critically

How do effective teachers How do effective teachers promote student learning?promote student learning?

The challenge for faculty is to The challenge for faculty is to identify how they will engage identify how they will engage students in active involvement, students in active involvement, connecting ideas, and making use of connecting ideas, and making use of experiential contexts.experiential contexts.

Page 6: Engaging Students to Think Critically

A Foundation and a A Foundation and a Starting PointStarting Point

The Taxonomy of Educational The Taxonomy of Educational ObjectivesObjectives

A cognitive domainA cognitive domain An affective domainAn affective domain

Page 7: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Cognitive Educational Cognitive Educational ObjectivesObjectives

Knowledge of FactsKnowledge of Facts Comprehension of InformationComprehension of Information Application of InformationApplication of Information Analysis of InformationAnalysis of Information Synthesis of InformationSynthesis of Information Evaluation of InformationEvaluation of Information

Page 8: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Knowledge of FactsKnowledge of Facts

Examples: Answering correctly such Examples: Answering correctly such questions as “Who was the 16th questions as “Who was the 16th President of the United States?”, President of the United States?”, “What is the abbreviation for “What is the abbreviation for chlorine?”, “Name the known chlorine?”, “Name the known planets in our solar system, ” and planets in our solar system, ” and “Who wrote the book “Who wrote the book On Death and On Death and DyingDying?” ?”

Page 9: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Comprehension of Comprehension of InformationInformation

Examples: Answering correctly such Examples: Answering correctly such questions as “Tell briefly what questions as “Tell briefly what Lincoln primarily wanted to Lincoln primarily wanted to accomplish in the War Between the accomplish in the War Between the States”, “State in your own words States”, “State in your own words how the planets in our solar system how the planets in our solar system were formed,” and “Tell in your own were formed,” and “Tell in your own words what Kubler-Ross meant by words what Kubler-Ross meant by bargaining.”bargaining.”

Page 10: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Application of Application of InformationInformation

Examples: Answering such Examples: Answering such questions as “How do Lincoln’s ideas questions as “How do Lincoln’s ideas about a house divided apply to about a house divided apply to understanding the battle over civil understanding the battle over civil rights in the United States in the rights in the United States in the 1960s?” and “Use Bowlby’s notions 1960s?” and “Use Bowlby’s notions of phases of mourning to explain of phases of mourning to explain children’s reactions to the divorce of children’s reactions to the divorce of their parents”their parents”

Page 11: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Analysis of InformationAnalysis of Information

Answering such questions as Answering such questions as “Examine Lincoln’s first inaugural “Examine Lincoln’s first inaugural address and see if it forecasts his address and see if it forecasts his determination to keep the Union determination to keep the Union together and to end slavery” and together and to end slavery” and “Interpret the following case study “Interpret the following case study of a terminally ill woman in terms of of a terminally ill woman in terms of Kubler-Ross’s stages of dying.”Kubler-Ross’s stages of dying.”

Page 12: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Synthesis of InformationSynthesis of Information

Examples: “Write a biography of Examples: “Write a biography of Lincoln” or “Devise a model for Lincoln” or “Devise a model for grieving by examining information grieving by examining information from major writers in the field of from major writers in the field of thanatology.”thanatology.”

Page 13: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Evaluation of Evaluation of InformationInformation

Examples: “Assess the impact of the Examples: “Assess the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation as a Emancipation Proclamation as a factor in ending the War between factor in ending the War between the States” and “Judge the value of the States” and “Judge the value of Kubler-Ross’s stages of dying as a Kubler-Ross’s stages of dying as a therapeutic tool for counselors therapeutic tool for counselors working with the bereaved.”working with the bereaved.”

Page 14: Engaging Students to Think Critically

The Link Between the The Link Between the Taxonomy and Critical Taxonomy and Critical

ThinkingThinking And here is my link to critical And here is my link to critical

thinking, the goal I believe college thinking, the goal I believe college teaching is supposed to reach: teaching is supposed to reach:

Critical thinking occurs when Critical thinking occurs when students achieve these more students achieve these more complex cognitive objectives: complex cognitive objectives: application, analysis, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.synthesis, and evaluation.

Page 15: Engaging Students to Think Critically

A Dilemma, Perhaps a A Dilemma, Perhaps a ParadoxParadox

The gap separating many college The gap separating many college teachers’ stated intents to promote teachers’ stated intents to promote critical thinking and their actual critical thinking and their actual performance when assessing student performance when assessing student learning.learning.

Page 16: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Actual Experience Actual Experience Supporting These IdeasSupporting These Ideas

Based on some valuable committee Based on some valuable committee work in which I participated at work in which I participated at Kansas State University when Kansas State University when devising a university-wide change in devising a university-wide change in general education general education

Page 17: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Aye, here’s the rubAye, here’s the rub

It is one thing for a faculty member It is one thing for a faculty member to say attaining certain critical to say attaining certain critical thinking objectives are part of the thinking objectives are part of the curriculum. curriculum.

It is something altogether different It is something altogether different to form a curriculum that challenges to form a curriculum that challenges students to attain those critical students to attain those critical thinking objectives.thinking objectives.

Page 18: Engaging Students to Think Critically

What Did My KSU What Did My KSU Colleagues Teach Me?Colleagues Teach Me?

My KSU colleagues persuaded me of My KSU colleagues persuaded me of the wisdom of requiring faculty to the wisdom of requiring faculty to spell out specifically and clearly in spell out specifically and clearly in their syllabi at least one example of their syllabi at least one example of how they will promote active how they will promote active learning.learning.

Page 19: Engaging Students to Think Critically

What Did My KSU What Did My KSU Colleagues Teach Me?Colleagues Teach Me?

To spell out specifically and clearly To spell out specifically and clearly in their syllabi at least one example in their syllabi at least one example of how they will provide an of how they will provide an opportunity to connect ideasopportunity to connect ideas

Page 20: Engaging Students to Think Critically

What Did My KSU What Did My KSU Colleagues Teach Me?Colleagues Teach Me?

To spell out specifically and clearly To spell out specifically and clearly in their syllabi at least one example in their syllabi at least one example of how they will make use of of how they will make use of experiential context.experiential context.

Page 21: Engaging Students to Think Critically

A Specific Set of Ideas A Specific Set of Ideas Using Reading and WritingUsing Reading and Writing

A way I have endeavored to promote A way I have endeavored to promote critical thinking is through students’ critical thinking is through students’ intensive reading, writing, and intensive reading, writing, and discussion of student papers -- with discussion of student papers -- with timely, concise written feedback timely, concise written feedback from the instructor on each paper. from the instructor on each paper.

Page 22: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Using Reading and Writing Using Reading and Writing to Promote Critical to Promote Critical

ThinkingThinking I always incorporate this approach I always incorporate this approach

in any course I teach.in any course I teach.

Page 23: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Logistics to This Group Logistics to This Group WorkWork

Four to five students comprise a Four to five students comprise a group. group.

Page 24: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Logistics to This Group Logistics to This Group WorkWork

The students’ review papers are 4-6 The students’ review papers are 4-6 pages long (typed, double-spaced, pages long (typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins). 12-point font, 1” margins).

Page 25: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Logistics to This Group Logistics to This Group WorkWork

Each person reads aloud his/her Each person reads aloud his/her paper while the other group paper while the other group members follow along with their own members follow along with their own copies. copies.

Page 26: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Logistics to This Group Logistics to This Group WorkWork

Once the students have read their Once the students have read their papers, the groups do three things:papers, the groups do three things:

Discuss the summaries and identify Discuss the summaries and identify what could be done to strengthen what could be done to strengthen each summary as a clear and reliable each summary as a clear and reliable presentation of the personal account.presentation of the personal account.

Discuss the questions and the various Discuss the questions and the various answers given.answers given.

Complete in writing a discussion Complete in writing a discussion worksheet worksheet

Page 27: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Six Points to a Discussion Six Points to a Discussion WorksheetWorksheet

Point 1: What are the strengths in Point 1: What are the strengths in each person’s review and what are each person’s review and what are some ways each student can some ways each student can improve his/her review to provide a improve his/her review to provide a clear and reliable presentation of clear and reliable presentation of the personal account?the personal account?

Page 28: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Six Points to a Discussion Six Points to a Discussion WorksheetWorksheet

Point 2: What were the various Point 2: What were the various points discussed about the personal points discussed about the personal account?account?

Page 29: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Six Points to a Discussion Six Points to a Discussion WorksheetWorksheet

Point 3: What personal Point 3: What personal experiences and observations of experiences and observations of group members were mentioned as group members were mentioned as experiences and observations that experiences and observations that confirm or call into question the confirm or call into question the personal account?personal account?

Page 30: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Six Points to a Discussion Six Points to a Discussion WorksheetWorksheet

Point 4: What are areas on which Point 4: What are areas on which people reach consensus?people reach consensus?

Page 31: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Six Points to a Discussion Six Points to a Discussion WorksheetWorksheet

Point 5: What are areas on which Point 5: What are areas on which people disagree?people disagree?

Page 32: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Six Points to a Discussion Six Points to a Discussion WorksheetWorksheet

Point 6: How could the personal Point 6: How could the personal account be strengthened as an account be strengthened as an introduction to one or more topics introduction to one or more topics about this course?about this course?

Page 33: Engaging Students to Think Critically

One More Point about a One More Point about a Discussion WorksheetDiscussion Worksheet

Discussion worksheets are graded Discussion worksheets are graded and each person in the group gets and each person in the group gets the grade for the worksheet.the grade for the worksheet.

Page 34: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Another Issue about Another Issue about Group WorkGroup Work

ParasitesParasites

Page 35: Engaging Students to Think Critically

An Answer I Have FoundAn Answer I Have Found

Student assessment of group Student assessment of group members’ performance.members’ performance.

A copy of a group assessment form A copy of a group assessment form is included with your materials.is included with your materials.

Page 36: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Traditional Means to Pull Traditional Means to Pull Off Such a Radical Off Such a Radical

EndeavorEndeavor Tradition provides the means to Tradition provides the means to

make your course one that engages make your course one that engages students to think critically: Your students to think critically: Your syllabus syllabus

Page 37: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Some ExamplesSome Examples

I have included two syllabi I have I have included two syllabi I have used with undergraduates: one at used with undergraduates: one at Oklahoma State University and one Oklahoma State University and one at Brooklyn College.at Brooklyn College.

Page 38: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks

My talk is aimed at structuring a My talk is aimed at structuring a course to promote critical thinking.course to promote critical thinking.

Some of these very ideas can be Some of these very ideas can be taken as a means to develop and taken as a means to develop and carry out evaluation of an carry out evaluation of an educational program or assessment educational program or assessment of a course.of a course.

But that is another workshop.But that is another workshop.

Page 39: Engaging Students to Think Critically

Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks

Thank you for your attention.Thank you for your attention.