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Developing Students' Critical Thinking Skills—Strategies for the Classroom
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:
- Clarify their desired learning outcomes for critical thinking
- Learn how and why an important student characteristic—cognitive development—affects student critical thinking performance
- Use Steps for Better Thinking (Lynch & Wolcott, IDEA Paper #37) as a taxonomy for designing developmentally appropriate coursework
- Explore ways to scaffold improved student critical thinking performance, such as:
- Written assignments
- Classroom discussions
- Group activities
- Student self-evaluations
- Practice modifying/creating more effective coursework activities
The workshop is of interest to individual professors as well as curriculum committee members and administrators.
The minimum amount of time required for this workshop is 1.5 hours; longer workshops will allow greater participation and opportunities for participants to practice designing assignments for their own courses.
