Lessons Learned About Teaching and Assessing Critical Thinking

There are different, but related, aspects of critical thinking:

• Systematic, disciplined thinking (e.g., using existing knowledge to solve a problem)
  • what are the relevant facts
  • what is the root cause
  • view from multiple perspectives
  • consider multiple alternatives
  • choose based on criteria
  • consider the consequences
• Insightful thinking (e.g., learning by understanding relationships and synthesizing)
• Skeptical thinking (e.g., critiquing a framework or model)

Lessons Learned

• No assignment or assessment can get at all aspects of critical thinking.
• Not every concept or skill we teach requires critical thinking, although it probably helps the student learn it better if he/she thinks critically about it (for example, by asking such questions as "why do we do it this way?")
• Critical thinking requires a foundation of knowledge. Even thinking critically to learn requires some mental models that can be used to think analogically.
• Students want a litmus test of critical thinking. This is difficult because critical thinking is a continuum.
• Development of a model of critical thinking would probably be helpful to students.
• Students will be motivated to think critically if it results in an improvement in their grades.
• It may not make sense to come up with assessments of critical thinking independent of content – students may not be thinking critically because they don’t have enough knowledge of the subject to do so.
• Students have to be given ample opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking – you can’t just ask for the facts. The instructor must be willing to read through much "thinking out loud" to see evidence of critical thinking.
• They need to be aware of how a lack of critical thinking can adversely affect their decisions/recommendations. In class discussions, you must take the time to point out how they made an incorrect assumption or jumped to a conclusion, etc.
• Students must realize that to ask relevant questions they will probably ask numerous irrelevant ones as well. That’s part of the learning process. Also, not asking questions may lead to incorrect assumptions.
• Necessary components of critical thinking for problem solving – look at consequences, question assumptions, synthesize information/frameworks, consider multiple perspectives (problem definition, alternative solutions, consequences on stakeholders)

Activities that may exercise critical thinking skills:

• create assignments that require students to relate new concepts to existing knowledge
• case analyses
• simulations
• role playing
• critical analysis of articles