A Compass During the Storm: Offering Students Critical Rigor for Polarizing Times

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Wender ◽  
Valerie J. D’Erman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Learning Objective ◽  
First Year

ABSTRACT Teaching and learning in higher education is occurring, unavoidably, within the broader civic context of today’s extraordinarily polarizing political times. We seek to help students situate themselves with respect to and, above all, thoughtfully assess others’ as well as their own perspectives on issues of profound contention, without contributing to exacerbated polarization ourselves. Specifically, we offer students in our first-year exploratory political science course a vital tool—critical rigor—for navigating but not being inundated by the storm. This article discusses our experiences in teaching the course titled, “The Worlds of Politics,” as we attempt to help students deeply engage in cognitive processes of critical thinking and analysis, without undue infringement from their own—and least of all our own—personal political biases. Our focal learning objective is the cultivation of critical-thinking skills that promote students’ drawing of distinctions between advocacy and analysis, as well as their discerning civic engagement.

scholarly journals CONCEPTS ONLY PLEASE! INNOVATING A FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING COURSE

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth N. McKay ◽  
Samar Mohamed ◽  
Lyndia Stacey
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
The Impact

MSCI 100, a first year course dedicated to Management Engineering, introduces the main concepts of this discipline to students in their first term. The course’s main goals are introducing core principles that students will apply throughout their undergraduate studies and also preparing them for their first co-operative education term. In Fall 2015, this course was pedagogically redesigned based on authentic self-directed learning, accommodating different learners, and providing students with opportunities to develop professional skills (especially teamwork, project planning, time management and critical thinking).The course was designed holistically with emphasis on integrating concepts and communicating the course plan to students. Although engineering design was an inherent part of the course, there were no memory-driven tests and no math. The course’s learning outcomes were instead formulated around students’ understanding of improving effectiveness and efficiency in various facets of business through the development of their professional skills.There were numerous teaching innovations from the perspective of a first year engineering course. The essence of many course deliverables was for students to experience constructive failure-recovery cycles. This allowed them to learn from their mistakes as they completed case study challenges, hands-on activities, unique assessments and a final team project requiring integration of knowledge and skills. These activities were supported by various groups on campus.A panel of educators was formed near the end of the term so students could reflect on their learning process and be provided with the educators' feedback.. Moreover, the results from the course evaluations indicated that the restructuring of MSCI 100 was largely successful. Most students were able to fully grasp fundamental concepts and apply critical thinking skills. In this paper, we share reasons for redesigning the course, our experience in delivery and assessment, the impact of different teaching and learning methods and finally feedback on switching to in-depth, student-centered learning.

Deepening critical thinking skills through civic engagement in Malaysian higher education

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 121-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyedali Ahrari ◽  
Bahaman Abu Samah ◽  
Md Salleh Hj Bin Hassan ◽  
Nor Wahiza Abdul Wahat ◽  
Zeinab Zaremohzzabieh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills

Fostering Critical Thinking Skills in European and Asian Higher Education Institutions

2021 ◽  
pp. 138-150
Author(s):  
Svetlana Antonova ◽  
Tatyana Pletyago ◽  
Anna Ostapenko
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
University Education ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Professional Activities

There is a demand for transformation in higher education. Undergraduates need to be taught critical thinking, an essential skill that should be central to the mission of all educational institutions. Critical thinking is a key focus of academic interest among researchers in the field of pedagogy and methodology. Despite this, there is still a lack of sufficient information on approaches, methods, techniques, and means of incorporating critical thinking skills in the classroom environment at the tertiary education level. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the hands-on experiences of some European and Asian universities in promoting critical thinking education using a range of academic models. The review shows that critical thinking has already been integrated into many major tertiary education programmes in both European and Asian universities. Further, majority of the academic models implemented are transferable and flexible. The results confirm that in terms of content, methods, and technologies, university education is focusing on cultivating the higher order skills necessary for innovative professional activities in modern world.

scholarly journals Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills in Nursing Higher Education in Preparation for the Industrial Revolution 4.0

2021 ◽  
pp. 793-804
Author(s):  
Argi Virgona Bangun ◽  
Andria Pragholapati
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Nursing Education ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Human Potential ◽  
Educational Strategies

Nursing higher education will challenge the dynamics of the work environment in the Industrial Revolution Era 4.0 and they will compete with digital technology. Critical thinking skills as one of the basic competencies must support higher education in preparation for the industrial revolution 4.0. Exploring thinking skills makes nursing students will be trained in their punishment and analysis skills according to their knowledge. Critical thinking skills not only guide students to develop continuing skills, but also help nursing students to be motivated to create innovation in college. The aims of this review is to learn the critical skills needed in higher education to prepare for the industrial revolution 4.0 based on literature understanding. There are 6 (six) important things about Critical Thinking in nursing education in the Industrial Revolution Era 4.0, namely Definition of Critical Thinking, Why do we need to focus on critical thinking in higher education, Why is critical thinking needed in industry 4.0 preparation, Industry Innovation 4.0 and human potential to overcome environmental problems, Critical Thinking in Nursing Education, and Educational Strategies for Developing Critical Thinking in Nursing. These critical thinking skills are suitable for equipping students in higher education before they enter different workplaces. Educational strategies in developing critical thinking skills by supporting the use of questions, small group activities, role plays, debates, use of case studies, journals, simulations, puzzles, problem solving and writing assignments. Nursing students who think critically in line with creative thinking and innovation will be useful to survive in the dynamics of the industrial revolution 4.0 and beyond in the world of the future.     Keywords: Critical Thinking, Nursing Higher Education, Industrial Revolution 4.0

VALIDITY OF LEARNING TOOLS TO MEASURE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS OF MADRASAH TSANAWIYAH STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44
Author(s):  
Nurul Hidayati ◽  
Elly Yustina ◽  
Sri Hendra Suryani ◽  
Juli Eka Nugraheni
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Learning Models ◽  
Teaching Process ◽  
Validation Criteria ◽  
Final Score ◽  
The Subject

The success of a teaching process cannot be separated from the learning tools used, one of the requirements is that the learning tools must be valid. The success of a teaching process is measured by the extent to which students can master the subject matter presented by the teacher. A learning model is needed that can make it easier to develop critical thinking skills so that a truly valid learning tool is obtained to measure the potential and skills that exist in students. Among the learning models that emphasize the process of seeking and finding is the inquiry model. This study aims to prepare in measuring critical thinking skills of Madrasah Tsanawiyah students. The Learning Toolkit has been validated by 3 experts and will then be averaged to find the final score. The values obtained will be entered into the validation criteria table based on the validation criteria table and the results are that the tools made are very valid and can be used in the teaching and learning process because previously the tools made have been revised several times. Keywords: validity, learning tools, critical thinking skills AbstrakKeberhasilan suatu proses pengajaran tidak terlepas dari perangkat pembelajaran yang digunakan, salah satu persyaratan adalah perangkat pembelajaran harus valid. Keberhasilan suatu proses pengajaran diukur dari sejauh mana siswa dapat menguasai materi pelajaran yang disampaikan guru. Diperlukan suatu model pembelajaran yang dapat memudahkan dalam mengembangkan perangkat keterampilan berpikir kritis sehingga didapatkan suatu perangkat pembelajaran yang benar-benar valid untuk mengukur potensi dan keterampilan yang ada pada diri siswa. Diantara model pembelajaran yang menekankan kepada proses mencari dan menemukan adalah model inkuiri. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempersiapkan dalam mengukur keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa Madrasasah Tsanawiyah. Perangkat Pembelajaran sudah divalidasi oleh 3 orang ahli kemudian akan dirata-ratakan untuk mencari nilai akhir. Nilai yang didapat akan dimasukkan ke dalam tabel kriteria validasi diberdasarkan tabel kriteria validasi dan hasilnya perangkat yang dibuat termasuk sangat valid dan dapat digunakan dalam proses belajar mengajar karena sebelumnya perangkat yang dibuat sudah dilakukan beberapa kali revisi.  Kata kunci: kevalidan, perangkat pembelajaran, keterampilan berpikir kritis

Watching TV News

2015 ◽  
pp. 271-290
Author(s):  
Joseph Albert Cernik
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Television News ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Tv News ◽  
Watching Tv ◽  
Vanderbilt University

This chapter focuses on the shortcomings of learning about complex policy issues from television news. The chapter uses the Vanderbilt University Television News Archive website to examine issues raised and not raised by television news, as well as the duration of time spent on issues by news shows. Examining the limitations of television news' ability to present and address complex public policy issues serves as a means to focus on critical thinking in the higher education setting. Two public policy issues are explored in this chapter, Constitutional interpretation and the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as ObamaCare, as the means to show how limited television news is regarding presenting the often frustrating aspects of complex policy issues. Several methods used by the author to help students apply critical thinking skills are discussed. The results of these methods are also addressed.

Empirical Representations in Multimedia Materials

2005 ◽  
pp. 158-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Kawachi
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Transactional Distance ◽  
Learning Contexts

A multimedia construct for learning based on the Theory of Transactional Distance has been developed consisting of four stages of decreasing transactional distance. This model has been applied in various teaching and learning contexts, on- and off-line, and its validation was investigated. Results confirmed in practice the four distinct sequential stages. Difficulties were discovered in navigating through the collaborative second and third stages, consistent with findings from related studies on acquiring critical thinking skills. Specific areas for attention were identified to promote learning using multimedia.

Deepening of Critical Thinking Skills through the Use of Civic Engagement

2017 ◽  
pp. 252-272
Author(s):  
Marcia F. Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
School Systems ◽  
Modern Education ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Societal Needs

Critical thinking is an underlying goal of modern education. It is also a needed skill for effectively navigating life in modern society. It is frequently however, not taught in school systems. Students are therefore left at a disadvantage. Civil engagement is the process by which people work together for the betterment of society. A pertinent skill of civic engagement is critical thinking. This chapter proposes a model for bringing civic engagement and critical thinking together to meet both educational and societal needs. This model provides effective strategies for teaching civic engagement outside of the classroom.

scholarly journals Place of Critical Thinking in EFL

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Irfan Tosuncuoglu
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Great Role ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Mathematics History ◽  
Vital Component ◽  
Shed Light

Developing the ability to think critically is vital component of real, meaningful teaching and learning. Critical thinking helps us solve problems, make decisions and reach our goals. Thinking is not a passive but an active process. If students’ critical thinking skills are activated, for example while writing, very successful results can be attained. It can be said that critical thinking can be considered in two respects: to achieve a goal and to make a decision. As for teaching, there is very little evidence that students at universities acquire the skills of critical thinking in their learning and teaching activities. In accordance with its important place of in learning and teaching periods, it has been a concept recently highlighted in the field of EFL, like in many other fields of education such as mathematics, history and geography. The skill of critical thinking plays a great role and it has been accepted as an important step in every area of teaching and learning, particularly nowadays due to developments cognition and intelligence. So, in order to understand the awareness of the students for critical thinking, an experiment was performed in the fall of AY 2017-18, with 79 students in Karabuk University, Turkey. In this study, the significance of critical thinking and result of the experiments were discussed in detail, it also shed light on the students’ perceptions of it.

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