Using the same word to mean different things (e.g., using "man" to mean humankind and later to mean man as opposed to "woman")
Allowing Time for Reflection
Teaching students how to use critical thinking skills shifts teaching from a model that largely ignores thinking to an approach that renders it pervasive 43 When content is didactically taught, it is treated as static and students are unlikely to question or think it through. They tend to rely on rote memorization without grasping the logic, supporting evidence and application of what they are trying to memorize. Students who learn through a critical thinking process truly learn content. At every level, students need to learn how to:
Ask questions precisely, define contexts and purposes, pursue relevant information, analyze key concepts, derive sound inferences, generate good reasons, recognize questionable assumptions, trace important implications, and think empathetically within different points of view (p. 20). 44
Critical thinking is difficult and requires overt practice using a variety of learning activities across the dental curriculum. It is also important to recognize the role that reflection plays in its development. Students need time to think about what they are learning and reflect upon that information. However, what they are learning must have an impact on their feelings in order for critical thinking to occur.
Emotions and Critical Thinking
The role of emotion in learning to use critical thinking skills is yet another area that necessitates research inquiry. As Zull suggests, if we want students to retain concepts we must allow them to put things into their own words, verbally and in writing. 45 Give students time to think before speaking and better construct ideas in their own words. Processing information takes time; stating one's thinking correctly also takes time. If a student cannot do this alone, we can give him or her the opportunity to discuss questions with others. Giving students time to reflect is giving them time to make connections.
Zull explains the process that takes place within the brain. First, the sensory cortex receives sensory input or concrete experiences. Next, the back integrative cortex tries to create meaning and images during the human process of reflection. The frontal integrative cortex is responsible for short-term memory and problem solving, making decisions and language, and making judgments and evaluations. This activity is akin to how learners handle abstractions-manipulating images and language to create new mental arrangements. The motor cortex triggers all coordinated and voluntary muscle contractions. This matches with the action that completes the learning cycle-actively testing abstractions and converting ideas into physical actions. The brain visualizes items in small amounts and all information arrives at the same time, producing an outline of objects and features in the visual field. 46 Thus, the brain can fully see great detail and nuance. Converting ideas into images helps students learn. Images enhance recall and aid in discovery. Sometimes the best teaching is just showing the student how.
To ensure that students learn, educators need to limit the amount of information they give. Instructors should limit or condense to three or four pieces the amount of information they want students to process.
The amygdala is responsible for screening experiences. 47 If something is recognized as dangerous, the amygdale will instinctively cause the body to "freeze." When a student first encounters something new, he or she may have a somewhat negative reaction. The instructor needs to find a way for the student to move into a more positive emotional territory. 48 Making suggestions or showing examples can remind the student what he or she already knows, and then the student can hang newly acquired knowledge on that "scaffolding." The support given by the instructor allows the student some level of success. Recognizing his or her success helps the student feel more hope, interest, and curiosity. At this point, the student is able to assume more control of the learning process. Boyd (2002) concurs and states, "emotions ... constantly regulate what we experience as reality." She also points out, "The limbic system plays an important role in processing emotion and memory and therefore appears to be important in the transfer of short-term memory into long-term memory." 49 Engaging students emotionally and actively strengthens memory.
Teaching students to use CTS during instruction
There is some empirical evidence that a four-year undergraduate experience contributes to modest gains in overall CT. However, there is little scientific evidence that a single course, other than a critical thinking skills course makes a positive measurable difference. 50 Even in the case of a specific CTS course, the evidence is mixed. 51
Recent studies show that limited efforts to infuse critical thinking in instruction can lead to improved scores on the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z, a test that is aimed at a sophisticated audience and measures six common critical thinking skills. 52 Allegrettti and Frederick (1995) reported pre- to post-test gains on the Cornell Z for a group of college seniors (n = 24) who took a capstone integrated psychology and philosophy course. 53 Solon (2001) found that a partial treatment group of psychology students (n = 26) improved their scores on the Cornell Z compared to a group of untreated humanities students (n = 26). The results were statistically significant (beyond .001). In 2003, Solon studied three groups to compare coursework effects and reported that the full treatment group (n = 25) significantly outscored both the partial (n = 25) and non-treatment (n = 25) groups on the Cornell Z test. 54 Solon (2007) reported that a group of introductory psychology students (n = 25) received a moderate infusion of critical thinking skills (10 hours instruction and 20 hours homework). Compared to the non-treatment group (n= 26), the experimental group significantly improved their scores on the Cornell Z test. 55 These findings suggest that even a moderate infusion of critical thinking skills instruction can result in enhanced reasoning skills without requiring a significant investment from the instructor. 56
Collins and Onwuegbuzie reported significant relationships between overall CTS and achievement in a graduate level research methodology course at the midterm (r = .34, p < .01) and final (r = .26, p < .01) stages. 57 Onwuegbuzie compared the CTS of master's and doctoral level students. He reported that doctoral level students (n = 19) obtained statistically higher overall CTS using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test than the masters' degree students (n = 101, t = -3.54, p < .01). The effect size (d = 0.92) associated with this difference was extremely large. 58
Teaching CTS requires instruction that uses higher order taxonomic skills. These skills require student demonstration or teacher usage of behaviors classified as analysis, evaluation, and creation (levels 4, 5, and 6 on Bloom's revised taxonomy). When teaching takes place at higher levels of learning, lower order behaviors such as remembering, understanding, and applying are subsumed within instruction. The following table lists behaviors common at each level of learning and examples of related dental education activities.
Table 6. Revised Bloom's Taxonomy, Sample Verbs, and Related Learning Activities 59
Taxonomic Levels from Highest to Lowest | Sample Verbs | Dental Learning Activity |
Level 6-Creating | Synthesize, organize, deduce, plan, present, arrange, blend, create, devise, rearrange, rewrite | A prosthodontics patient, age 62, has two fixed mandible bridges that have deteriorated over the last two years due to poor hygiene. These bridges now need replacement. You are a recent dental graduate in practice with two senior partners. The senior partners suggest taking impressions and replacing the fixed bridges. You have read the recent literature on dental implants and would offer the patient this option. You also recognize that implants are more appropriate to the patient's needs and that over time they represent a cost savings. However, the senior partners are not really familiar with state of the art information about implants. Develop a plan for responding to the senior partners inwhich you provide an evidence-based rationale for suggesting the use of dental implants. |
Level 5-Evaluating | Critique, defend, interpret, judge, measure, test, select, argue, award, verify | Two patients, aged 18 months and 10 years, have cleft palate. Neither patient has been seen by health professionals or treated for this condition until now. Based on a complete summary of the dental, medical, social, and psychological health of each child, develop a treatment plan using authoritative and credible sources. |
Level 4-Analyzing | Determine, discriminate, form, generalize, categorize, illustrate, select, survey, take apart, transform, classify | A 32-year-old white male arrives at your office and presents with pain and swelling over the "upper right canine tooth" for the past three days. His medical history is remarkable for GERD, for which he takes Prilosec daily, and a penicillin allergy (rash over his torso and fever after taking Keflex). Your exam reveals intraoral and extra oral swelling over tooth #6. A radiograph reveals radiolucency with caries under the crestal bone (nonrestorable). What are your concerns? How would you treat and prescribe? |
Level 3-Applying | Convert, demonstrate, differentiate between, examine, experiment, prepare, produce, record, discover, discuss, explain | After completing textbook readings about the basics of periodontology, explain with images the progression of periodontal disease from the perspective of pathogenesis. Choose lay terms appropriate for use with a patient. |
Level 2-Understanding | Differentiate, fill in, find, group, outline, predict, represent, trace, compare, demonstrate, describe | State four or five reasons that rubber dam isolation is essential during endodontic procedures. |
Level 1-Remembering | Define, distinguish, draw, find, match, read, record, acquire, label, list | From a list of 10 options, choose the five items associated with a periodontic pocket. |
Making Critical Thinking Explicit
Teaching for critical thinking is a rational and intentional act. Typically, instructors cannot suddenly decide to teach CTS and develop an appropriate learning activity. An instructor must have a clear understanding of what CTS is, how it is implemented during instruction, and what strategies should be used during particular classroom and predoctoral clinical learning activities. Developing a repertoire of well-honed CTS activities appropriate to your specific discipline is advisable.
Also crucial to the teaching of CTS is an educator announcing to students he or she will teach CTS, how he or she intends to do so, and what will be required of the students as learners. It is important to have an explicit conversation with students about what CTS is, what it looks like, and how educators will model it so students can differentiate the teaching of CTS from lower level learning. Effective teaching of university-age students is characterized by collegial and collaborative processes, not instruction that is ambiguous. In ambiguous instruction, the learner does not know what to expect next or have a clear understanding of what behavioral or skill changes he or she should demonstrate as a result of teacher-student interaction. Teaching explicitly helps ensure that less re-teaching will be necessary. Both teachers and students know their responsibilities as instructors and learners.
Stages of Critical Thinking
Paul and Elder claim that individuals progress through predictable stages of unreflective, challenged, beginning, practicing, advanced, and master thinking. 60 They state that unless educators help students develop an intellectual vocabulary for discussing their thought processes and challenge them to identify the problems in their thinking, the students' cognitive processes will remain invisible to them. The implication for curriculum development: If instructors want students to develop critical thinking skills, then critical thinking must be integrated into the foundations of instruction.
It is also important to recognize that when patient care is task focused, it can obscure the bigger picture and become a barrier to the development of critical thinking skills. Individual personality, background, and position might also limit one's ability to think critically. Additionally, gender, age, religion, and socioeconomic status might influence the development of critical thinking skills. One of the biggest barriers to the development of CTS is our educational system. Although it is important to recognize these attributes as potential barriers, it is more important that dental educators establish the kind of learning environments that will foster the development of CTS.
Case #2-Why Are Mrs. Connor's Teeth Yellow?
Mrs. Connor, a 74-year-old white female, comes to your office as a new patient. She presents you with a complaint that her teeth have become yellowed and unattractive. Her husband died one year prior, and since then she has been drinking 8-10 cups of coffee daily. Her internist diagnosed anemia and high blood cholesterol. She is taking iron and Lipitor. She feels better since she began taking Lipitor, but feels her teeth are too yellow. She recently met a widower who invited her to dinner next week. She is worried about the appearance of her teeth.
Teachers must recognize that not all students will apply critical thinking skills at the same rate they learn these skills. Thus, instructional methods and objectives need to match students' cognitive and experiential abilities while trying to stretch students to their growing edge. 61 Students' capacity for self-directed learning (SDL), which is required to implement reflective judgment, underlies many of the critical thinking skill dispositions. 62 There is evidence that the students who routinely use the "learn by doing" approach to explore problems develop more sophisticated SDL than students in lecture-based curricula. 63 The reflection element of critical thinking is considered essential to clinical judgment. 64 Tanner asserts that using the skills associated with reflective thinking prepares students for ill-structured or ambiguous problems that they are likely to encounter in clinical practice. 65
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a popular instructional strategy for promoting collaboration and reflection and negotiating different and individual constructions of knowledge. Some researchers assert that PBL is best used when problems are unsolvable or when they generate many individual constructions of knowledge that appear valid. 66 However, using only problem-based learning to teach critical thinking skills may not be enough. This instructional strategy does not necessarily equip students with the ability to analyze or critique a given situation or the information with which they are been provided. A variety of instructional strategies that give students the opportunity to think aloud, role play, prioritize alternatives, communicate conclusions effectively, simulate, or defend the logical basis of their thinking is recommended to foster students' ability to use critical thinking.
Asking students to apply their understanding of dental and medical knowledge to treatment planning and diagnosis is not an example of CTS. However, asking students to determine differential diagnoses of caries and periodontal disease among patients at various stages of lung cancer requires the ability to reason and justify particular treatment plans or demonstrate critical thinking skills. Habits of the students who demonstrate critical thinking are:
(a) | Making logical inferences | |
(b) | Offering opinions with reasons | |
(c) | Evaluating | |
(d) | Grasping principles | |
(e) | Classifying | |
(f) | Making criteria-based judgments | |
(g) | Making evidence-based decisions | |
(h) | Reflexivity |
Case #3-Female with Erythroplakia
Mrs. Jacklin, a 40-year-old female, presents you with a history of SLE and erythroplakia on the left lateral border of the tongue. She states she is experiencing a burning sensation on her tongue. She asks why she is having this discomfort and what she can do to make the sore on her tongue go away. The oral exam shows that Mrs. Jacklin has poor oral hygiene and mild dry mouth (xerostomia) but is otherwise not in danger for oral health concerns.
Critical thinking is not :
(a) | Applying what you have learned in decisionmaking and treatment planning | |
(b) | Keeping students awake, interested, and motivated | |
(c) | Linear or step-by-step thinking |
Critical thinking cannot be taught in a learning environment where the dental educator always lectures, tells students what ought to be undertaken during patient treatment, or shows students how to do a procedure correctly. Some habits of students who do not use critical thinking skills are:
(a) | Disorganization (in thought processing, preparation, and behaviors) | |
(b) | Overly simplistic thinking ("I had enough information. There was no need to ask for additional information.") | |
(c) | Use of unreasonable criteria ("If my belief is sincere, evidence to the contrary is irrelevant.") | |
(d) | Erratic use of facts (Looking only at the area of interest, he offered biased interpretations of the radiographs.) |
Critical thinking skills can be developed with frequent practice and the use of ill-structured problems and situations that require the ability to recall useful knowledge quickly, use pattern recognition, discern pertinent information, think ahead, and anticipate outcomes and problems while remaining composed so that emotions do not hinder decisionmaking skills. However, it is important to recognize CTS do not develop spontaneously or with maturation. Since strong personality components underlie CT dispositions, what happens if students admitted to colleges of dentistry do not already possess these traits?
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Critical thinking is based on the observation and analysis of facts and evidences to return rational, skeptical and unbiased judgments.
This type of thinking involves a series of skills that can be created but also improved, as we will see throughout this article in which we will begin by defining the concept and end with tips to build and improve the skills related to critical thinking.
Critical thinking is a discipline based on the ability of people to observe, elucidate and analyze information, facts and evidences in order to judge or decide if it is right or wrong.
It goes beyond mere curiosity, simple knowledge or analysis of any kind of fact or information.
People who develop this type of outlook are able to logically connect ideas and defend them with weighty opinions that ultimately help them make better decisions.
Building and improving critical thinking skills involves focusing on a number of abilities and capacities .
To begin the critical thinking process all ideas must be open and all options must be understood as much as possible.
Even the dumbest or craziest idea can end up being the gateway to the most intelligent and successful conclusion.
The problem with having an open mind is that it is the most difficult path and often involves a greater challenge and effort. It is well known that the easy thing to do is to go with the obvious and the commonly accepted but this has no place in critical thinking.
By contrast, it is helpful not to make hasty decisions and to weigh the problem in its entirety after a first moment of awareness.
Finally, practicing active listening will help you to receive feedback from others and to understand other points of view that may help you as a reference.
An important point in the critical thinking process is the development of the ability to identify biases and maintain an impartial view in evaluations.
To improve this aspect it is advisable to have tools to be able to identify and recognize the prejudices and biases you have and try to leave them completely aside when thinking about the solution.
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Observation allows you to see each and every detail , no matter how small, subtle or inconsequential they may be or seem to be.
Behind the superficial information hides a universe of data, sources and experiences that help you make the best decision.
One of the pillars of critical thinking is objectivity. This forces you to base your value judgments on established facts that you will have gathered after a correct research process.
At this point in the process you should also be clear about the influencing factors to be taken into account and those that can be left out.
Remember that your research is not only about gathering a good amount of information that puts the maximum number of options, variables or situations on the table.
For the information to be of quality, it must be based on reliable and trustworthy sources.
If the information you have to collect is based on the comments and opinions of third parties, try to exercise quality control but without interference.
To do this, ask open-ended questions that bring all the nuances to the table and at the same time serve to sift out possible biases.
With the research process completed, it is time to analyze the sources and information gathered.
At this point, your analytical skills will help you to discard what does not conform to unconventional thinking, to prioritize among the information that is of value, to identify possible trends and to draw your own conclusions.
One of the skills that characterize a person with critical thinking is their ability to recognize patterns and connections between all the pieces of information they handle in their research.
This allows them to draw conclusions of great relevance on which to base their predictions with weighty foundations.
Analytical thinking is sometimes confused with critical thinking. The former only uses facts and data, while the latter incorporates other nuances such as emotions, experiences or opinions.
One of the problems with critical thinking is that it can be developed to infinity and beyond. You can always keep looking for new avenues of investigation and new lines of argument by stretching inference to limits that may not be necessary.
At this point it is important to clarify that inference is the process of drawing conclusions from initial premises or hypotheses.
Knowing when to stop the research and thinking process and move on to the next stage in which you put into practice the actions considered appropriate is necessary.
The information you collect in your research is not top secret material. On the contrary, your knowledge sharing with other people who are involved in the next steps of the process is so important.
Think that your analytical ability to extract the information and your conclusions can serve to guide others .
It is important to note at this point that critical thinking can be aimed at solving a problem but can also be used to simply answer questions or even to identify areas for improvement in certain situations.
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This chapter contains summaries of six articles that are machine generated. The summaries discuss the multitude ways in which the field of critical thinking has been understood and defined. Mostly the summaries included in the chapter project the view that critical thinking is all about certain cognitive abilities belonging to the higher order of thinking. The first summary explains the definition of critical thinking using a meta-level approach; it uses this approach because the problem of defining critical thinking is a meta-problem. The authors argue that the definitions proposed earlier were either subject-specific or skill-specific resulting in definitions that are neither universally applicable nor acceptable. The authors therefore have attempted to propose an approach that has three proper criteria that the definition should satisfy. They are: (1) rely on criteria, (2) self-correcting, and (3) sensitive to context. The summary of the second article on the skills required for the twenty-first-century education is based on the lists of skills proposed by various bodies that are broadly categorized as productive, critical, and creative thinking along with digital skills. The author proposes that the curriculum should incorporate skills that are required as per the current pace of change and the need of the hour.
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Reddy, K.V., Lakshmi, G.S. (2024). Introduction to Critical Thinking Skills. In: Reddy, K.V., Lakshmi, G.S. (eds) Critical Thinking for Professional and Language Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37951-2_1
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Personal perspective: should we always share our critical thinking.
Updated September 5, 2024 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
In a recent post, I discussed social barriers to applying critical thinking . I received interesting feedback on this particular topic and I thought further discussion around this dialogue would be of interest. First and foremost, consider when we should apply critical thinking. As I’ve stated before, it might come as a surprise to readers that someone like me, who places great value on such thought, would suggest that critical thinking doesn’t need to be applied as often as many might think. The reality is that critical thinking is effortful and time-consuming. If we thought critically about every mundane decision we had to make each day, we’d be exhausted before mid-morning. We should only think critically about issues that we care about and that are important to us.
Why would someone even contemplate engaging in critical thinking when they could potentially face negative outcomes for it? It’s because the issue is important to them. But, is that a good enough reason? It depends. For example, I have thought critically about some rather controversial topics (arguably, these are the ones that require the most critical thinking given that what makes them controversial is that so many people care about them, yet have very different views) and I recognise that the conclusions yielded, in light of logic and evidence, may not always be palatable to people in certain contexts. Depending on the situation, I will choose to share my conclusions or choose against them. This, of course, is where we find the fork in the road at the crux of this conversation.
As I mentioned in the aforementioned post, there are arguably two different perspectives on whether or not one should share their critical thinking in environments that might discourage or even punish this thinking, if the conclusions drawn contradict what is deemed acceptable (be it socially, politically, or even legally). First, there is the idealistic, yes, we should always share critical thinking. Second is the practical, ‘know your audience’. Often, staying quiet seems like a practical and prudent move.
With that, such prudence might be seen to contradict what many might view as intellectual integrity; but, on the other hand, it can just as easily be argued that inhibiting such response is appropriate—an act of metacognition (thinking about thinking) about a specific metacognitive process (critical thinking). And so, the intellectually appropriate thing would be to make the best decision you can for the preservation of what or who you care about, such as through this 'meta-metacognition'. Perhaps the key is the question of what’s contextually more important, being right or avoiding punishment ? What is to be gained from speaking out? For me, the only situation I would share my critical thinking, in this context, is if my well-being or that of my family was at risk to the extent that such risk surpasses the impact of the punishment.
To reiterate, context is key here; what I do depends on the situation. Sometimes, having a conclusion is all that is needed. If I have thought critically about a topic to determine what is best for me or my family, why would I have to advertise my decision publicly? I don’t. Sure, I may choose to if I’m in discussion with friends, but I’m not required to do so (of course, this might change in situations where we are ‘forced’ to share our thinking, such as in cases where important decisions are being made for us or when we are specifically asked to infer a conclusion—for example, at work). Moreover, I’m less likely to share if I think it’s going to start a fight or annoyance. Why risk the hassle if there’s nothing real to gain? In both cases, self-regulation is useful. Most of the time, we can simultaneously benefit from engaging in critical thinking and keeping it to ourselves.
Consistent with this perspective, an important aspect of critical thinking is being practical. A practical person would not risk punishment unless they have a genuine chance of positively affecting the issue that they care about. An unfortunate by-product of this, in context, is that many critical thinkers remain quiet on controversial topics presented in the media (particularly if their thinking contradicts the status quo of the moral majority and their value signaling ). Even though you may not be imprisoned for your conclusions (that is, in nations where people enjoy free speech), you might risk other negative outcomes. Sure, we are aware of various sides of the argument; but quite often, we only hear the bias and emotion -based perspectives. Passion is distinct from care in consideration of applying such thinking.
We often hear the emotional callouts of those ‘for’ and ‘against’ particular ideas and movements; but less often do we hear the critical thinking. That’s not to say that the thinking isn’t there; rather, it’s less likely to get the focus because of social mechanisms that thrive when emotion is at play—like ‘they who shout loudest’ or the ‘squeaky wheel gets the grease.’ It could well be the case, in terms of controversial topics, that critical thinkers might actually represent a substantially large, though silent population.
I’m cognisant that some people fear that critical thinking is dying. I don’t think this is necessarily the case; rather, it might be that those not engaging in such thinking are getting louder – not because there are growing numbers of people who lack critical thinking , but because we have so many platforms available for people to spread their messages. I’m not saying that this is harmless and that such people can simply be ignored (for example, uninformed populations can vote other uninformed individuals into positions of power and law-making), but at the same time, we should not overestimate the impact of every erroneous statement made publicly. Give people credit – just because one person posts something silly online, doesn’t mean that the majority agrees with them. With that, some errors are more influential than others. Avoid stressing over the ones that don’t affect you. Be concerned about the ones that do and evaluate whether it is in your interest to share your thinking in those situations. Engage critical thinking but be practical; and don’t get baited into discourses with people who haven’t thought critically, are not open-minded to other perspectives, and not willing to change their mind.
Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D., is a lecturer at the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, Ireland.
It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult. A diagnosis often brings relief, but it can also come with as many questions as answers.
Convocation 2024 recap, september 6, 2024.
Columbia College marked the traditional return to academia for the new school year on Thursday, September 5, 2024, with a Convocation ceremony at Cottingham Theatre. All students, faculty, and staff were invited to attend.
The ceremony began with an invocation and prayer offered by Rev. Fadetra Boyd, Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Life at Columbia College.
In his words of welcome, Dr. John H. Dozier remarked that convocation is a centuries-old tradition in higher education that offers Columbia College community members the opportunity to reflect on the purpose of and affirm their collective commitment to education. He reminded attendees that they are not just individuals but members of a community.
“We are given the chance to learn, grow, and contribute to the world around us,” said Dozier in his remarks.
He also poignantly reminded students, faculty, and staff that in this particular year and political season, students will have the opportunity to understand the value of a liberal arts education through the practice of critical thinking while exercising respectful, compassionate care with one another.
“If we don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we will fall to the level of our training,” said Dozier, as he encouraged attendees to renew their deep commitment to practicing who they are as Columbia College Koalas.
Following Dr. Dozier, Dr. Kristine Barnett, Provost, also welcomed those in attendance, as well as 11 new faculty members to campus. She then led the students in reciting Columbia College’s Honor Pledge.
Maddi Rabon, a senior and executive officer of the College’s student government association, then introduced Dr. Cornell Sneed, Assistant Professor of Sports Management, who joined Columbia College’s faculty in 2023 and also earned the College’s 2024 Student Choice Award.
Dr. Sneed’s remarks included thoughts about his own academic journey, the importance of finding mentors, and urged students to draw on their own resilience.
“The same resiliency that brought you here will keep you here,” Sneed said.
After attendees sang Columbia College’s Alma Mater, led by Dr. Diana Amos, Associate Professor of Music, Rev. Boyd offered a benediction, and faculty members recessed from Cottingham Theatre, marking a significant start to a successful academic year ahead.
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Assistant editor Daniel Leonard shares a few interesting applications of ChatGPT that teachers have adopted to drive critical thinking and deeper analysis.
OpenAI’s large language model chatbot, ChatGPT , took the world by storm when it was launched in November 2022—and, nearly two years later, teachers are still finding creative, new ways to use the tool in their classrooms.
There continues to be much debate: While some educators are concerned that the chatbot stifles learning by automatically outputting responses with no thought required on the part of the user, others are more optimistic about the tool. In fact, we’ve heard from a number of teachers who are using ChatGPT for critical thinking activities that help their students hone their analytical skills—and reckon with the limitations of the tool itself—in a fun and engaging way.
History teachers , for example, are getting ChatGPT to role-play as historical figures, from Cleopatra to Einstein. Their students interact with these digital imitations of figures from history, asking them questions and learning more about their lives. Then, students are asked to cross-reference ChatGPT’s output (which is often error-prone) with reliable external sources, fact-checking the AI and better understanding its tendency to “hallucinate” answers.
There are a multitude of ways to use the tool in English language arts (ELA), too. While some English teachers are trying out chatbots (of fictional characters) or using ChatGPT in writing lessons , others are having the tool output text that can be compared with famous works of literature—like Shakespeare’s sonnets or Lincoln’s speeches—so that students can better analyze the unique tone and style of various writers (and see how ChatGPT’s own tone tends to be quite bland in comparison).
Edutopia’s assistant editor Daniel Leonard walks through these teacher-tested ChatGPT use cases—showcasing some prompts to try out, the kinds of responses educators can expect to receive, and how to use them to drive critical thinking in the classroom.
To read about other creative ways teachers are leveraging AI tools in the classroom—from image generators to language apps—check out Leonard’s feature for Edutopia, “ 9 Tips for Using AI for Learning (and Fun!) .”
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Learn how to use critical thinking in your writing and get help from a team of professional writers. Find out the definition, benefits and tips of critical thinking, and order your paper online with low prices and fast delivery.
Learn what critical thinking skills are, why they're important, and how to develop and apply them in your workplace and everyday life. Explore examples of common critical thinking skills, such as identification of biases, research, open-mindedness, analysis, and problem-solving.
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Learn the concept, dimensions, and benefits of critical thinking, a self-directed, self-disciplined, and self-monitored process of analyzing and evaluating thinking. Explore the interactive model of the elements of reasoning and intellectual standards, and find resources for different domains and levels of education.
Critical thinking is the discipline of rigorously and skillfully using information, experience, observation, and reasoning to guide your decisions, actions, and beliefs. You'll need to actively question every step of your thinking process to do it well. Collecting, analyzing and evaluating information is an important skill in life, and a highly ...
Critical thinking is a process of analyzing, assessing, synthesizing, evaluating and reflecting on information to solve problems or make decisions. It involves both analytical and creative thinking, and requires skills such as interpreting, analyzing, connecting, integrating, evaluating, reasoning, deducing, inferring, and generating.
Learn how to improve your critical thinking skills with a stage theory developed by psychologists Elder and Paul. The theory identifies six levels of progression from unreflective to master thinker, and provides tips and examples for each stage.
Learn three critical thinking models (proximate vs. root cause, cognitive bias, and Hanlon's Razor) and how they can help you make better decisions and understand the world. Also, discover the essential critical thinking skills and their benefits for personal and professional growth.
Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that helps you move beyond remembering and recalling information and move deeper into application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and creation. The higher the level, the less critical thinking it requires, according to the web page.
Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information and form a judgment. It involves being aware of biases and assumptions, and applying consistent standards when evaluating sources. Learn how to think critically with questions and examples.
Learn how to identify, examine, and assess the structure, credibility, relevance, and logic of arguments using these three skills. This article explains the definition, components, and ...
Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is a widely accepted educational goal. Its definition is contested, but the competing definitions can be understood as differing conceptions of the same basic concept: careful thinking directed to a goal. Conceptions differ with respect to the scope of such thinking, the type of goal, the criteria and norms ...
The Paul-Elder framework for critical thinking has three components: elements of thought, intellectual standards, and intellectual traits. The elements of thought are the basis for gathering information and include purpose, assumptions, point of view, data, concepts, inferences, implications, and conclusions.
Learn what critical thinking is and why it's essential for making better decisions and understanding the world. Explore 41+ examples and fun exercises to practice your skills, such as Socratic questioning, mind mapping, and six thinking hats.
Learn what characteristics define critical thinkers and how to cultivate them in yourself and others. Explore the roles of curiosity, compassion, mindfulness, problem solving, and decisiveness in critical thinking.
Here are five strategies to boost your critical thinking skills. The world can feel very polarised and confusing at times. Here are five strategies to boost your critical thinking skills.
Learn what critical thinking is and why employers value it. Discover the six main skills you can develop to analyze information and make rational decisions, such as analytical thinking, communication, creativity and problem-solving.
Learn what critical thinking is, how it can be taught, and what instructional strategies can foster it. Critical thinking involves self-regulatory judgment, analysis, inference, and evaluation of information and arguments.
Learn what critical thinking skills are and how to improve them for your career. Find out the top five skills, such as analysis, communication, inference, observation and problem-solving, and see examples of each skill in action.
Critical thinking is based on the observation and analysis of facts and evidences to return rational, skeptical and unbiased judgments. This type of thinking involves a series of skills that can be created but also improved, as we will see throughout this article in which we will begin by defining the concept and end with tips to build and improve the skills related to critical thinking.
In Table 2, we observe students from both the comparison and treatment groups possess similar levels of critical thinking skills among the Before variables. For example, the mean score for Evidence for the comparison (treatment) group is 2.82 (2.88), for Explain it is 2.45 (2.71), for Influence it is 3.00 (2.94), and for Conclusion it is 2.45 ...
The first summary explains the definition of critical thinking using a meta-level approach; it uses this approach because the problem of defining critical thinking is a meta-problem. The authors argue that the definitions proposed earlier were either subject-specific or skill-specific resulting in definitions that are neither universally ...
Engage critical thinking but be practical; and don't get baited into discourses with people who haven't thought critically, are not open-minded to other perspectives, and not willing to change ...
He also poignantly reminded students, faculty, and staff that in this particular year and political season, students will have the opportunity to understand the value of a liberal arts education through the practice of critical thinking while exercising respectful, compassionate care with one another."If we don't rise to the level of our ...
There continues to be much debate: While some educators are concerned that the chatbot stifles learning by automatically outputting responses with no thought required on the part of the user, others are more optimistic about the tool. In fact, we've heard from a number of teachers who are using ChatGPT for critical thinking activities that help their students hone their analytical skills ...