The IDEA Center

with Susan K. Wolcott

Every semester we develop our syllabi around the knowledge and skills we hope students will master during our courses. Unfortunately, students often run into problems meeting our expectations, and we sometimes struggle to understand the reasons behind their difficulties. We often complain that students don’t seem to be as prepared or motivated as students in the “old days.” How can we improve our students’ learning?

with Susan K. Wolcott

Professors in all disciplines agree that important educational outcomes include the development of critical thinking skills. However, professors often struggle to understand the mental processes that underlie skill development and to design coursework that efficiently fosters improved student thinking.

This workshop helps participants explore innovative and practical ways to enhance their students' critical thinking skills. Participants will:

with Craig E. Nelson

Option 1 (Time 4 to 7 hours):

with Barbara J. Millis

with Susan K. Wolcott

Virtually all college programs state that critical thinking is a desired learning outcome. Yet, educators often struggle to identify ways to reliably assess critical thinking outcomes and to “close the assessment loop” — i.e., use assessment results to improve student critical thinking skills.

with Charles Bonwell

All instructors want students to become proficient at thinking logically, solving problems and making decisions. To facilitate these goals, this session focuses on ideas and tools for creating learning environments that foster thinking skills for students in all disciplines. Specific topics will include: