The impact of an integrated assessment on the critical thinking skills of first-year university students

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 479-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Cloete
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
University Students ◽  
Integrated Assessment ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year University ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Investigating the Impact of Model Eliciting Activities on Development of Critical Thinking

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Frank ◽  
Jake Kaupp ◽  
Ann Chen
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Learning Assessment ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Model Eliciting Activities ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents a portion of a study on how model eliciting activities (MEAs) impact critical thinking development in first year engineering. Model eliciting activities (MEAs) are realistic problems used in the classroom that require learners to document not only their solution to the problems, but also their processes for solving them. Studies have shown MEAs to be valuable in helping students to develop conceptual understanding, knowledge transfer , and generalizable problem--‐solving skills. This study is investigating the impact of the MEA- integrated course on students’ development of critical thinking skills. Ultimately, the team aims to determine whether the MEA-integrated course facilitates students’ critical thinking. During the fall semester of the 2012/2013 academic year three instruments will be used to evaluate the critical thinking skills (CTS) of first year engineering students. These instruments will be used as both a pre--‐ and post--‐test in order to benchmark CTS of the incoming first year students, and determine the effectiveness of MEA instruction on developing student critical thinking ability. These instruments are the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z (Cornell Z), the International Critical Thinking Essay Test (ICTET) and the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA). This paper will present the preliminary findings from analysis of the MEA results and pre and post tests from the study.

Social Media in an Intercultural Writing Context

2015 ◽  
pp. 233-250
Author(s):  
Ma Pilar Milagros García
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Writing Students ◽  
Thinking Processes ◽  
The Impact

The current research study is part of a larger project that aims to analyze ways in which first year intercultural writing students interpret/understand the impact of social media on their composition practices, critical thinking processes and knowledge negotiations processes. In particular, the current chapter attempts to understand how first year intercultural writing students reflect on and assess the ways social media has helped them practice and or/acquire more critical thinking skills.

A Comparison of the Scaffolding Approach and the Cognitive Enrichment Advantage Approach in Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills in First-Year University Freshmen

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-152
Author(s):  
Vernon J. Hurte
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
First Year ◽  
Intervention Phase ◽  
Cognitive Enrichment ◽  
Significant Change ◽  
First Year University

Although there is no universally accepted operational definition of critical thinking, there is agreement that it can be improved through various means of instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a modified, condensed version of the Cognitive Enrichment Advantage (CEA) approach and the Scaffolding approach in enhancing critical thinking skills in first-year university freshman.A modified pre-test/post-test comparison group design was employed in this study. Participants were students enrolled in a freshman seminar course for first-year freshman in a merit-based scholarship program for African American students. The first phase, the Pre-Intervention Phase, included the first of three critical thinking assessment administration sessions to obtain baseline data of all participants’ critical thinking ability. This phase also included a two week period of direct instruction of critical thinking knowledge to all participants. After the pre-intervention phase, matched pairs were randomly assigned to the CEA group and the Scaffolding group, based on scores from the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (W-GCTA) obtained during the second assessment administration session.The Intervention Phase included five weekly, 40-minute teaching sessions for both groups. During the intervention period, both groups completed practice worksheets, providing a step-by-step expert strategy for critical thinking. In the Scaffolding intervention, participants also received pre-determined verbal prompts and cues to support their critical thinking. In the modified CEA intervention, participants were encouraged to create their own personal strategies, based on the metastrategic knowledge (Building Blocks of Thinking & Tools of Learning) introduced during each session. Participants were also encouraged to provide both self-evaluation and evaluation on the contributions of their colleagues. Finally, in the modified CEA intervention, participants developed decontexualized principles for using the Building Blocks and Tools in other settings, encouraging transfer of learning. The Post-Intervention Phase included the final assessment administration session.Results indicate no significant change in critical thinking performance in the CEA group, based on both assessment tools. Results, based on the critical thinking performance assessments, indicated no significant change in the Scaffolding group; however, results, based on the W-GCTA, indicated a significant decrease in critical thinking performance in the Scaffolding group. It was concluded that the modified CEA intervention supported the retention of the participants’ critical thinking skills and facilitated learning transfer, while the Scaffolding intervention did not positively influence the participants’ critical thinking skills. Recommendations for future research and issues related to conducting intervention research are offered.

Social Media in an Intercultural Writing Context

2014 ◽  
pp. 191-208
Author(s):  
Ma Pilar Milagros García
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Writing Students ◽  
Thinking Processes ◽  
The Impact

The current research study is part of a larger project that aims to analyze ways in which first year intercultural writing students interpret/understand the impact of social media on their composition practices, critical thinking processes and knowledge negotiations processes. In particular, the current chapter attempts to understand how first year intercultural writing students reflect on and assess the ways social media has helped them practice and or/acquire more critical thinking skills.

scholarly journals THE POWER OF PROJECT BASED LEARNING: EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION TO DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 575-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Dimmitt
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
University Students ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Student Survey

Can a project based learning (PBL) pedagogy improve critical thinking skills in first-year university students? This was the research question that drove this action research investigation. The purpose of this study was to find the best practice pedagogy to improve critical thinking skills for college students. A literature review examined the themes of PBL best practices, millennial student learning styles, and critical thinking pedagogy. Methodology included a student survey to better understand the needs for university level, critical thinking skills. The potential effectiveness of a PBL approach to improve the critical thinking needs and challenges of these students was analyzed. The results indicate that a PBL method can provide students with effective techniques for improving self-reliant, critical thinking skills. The paper concludes with recommendations for best PBL practices and strategies for developing independent, critical thinking abilities which are essential for students to be successful in their academic endeavors.

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.

scholarly journals The impact of the integrated assessment on the critical thinking skills of the first-year Extended Curriculum Programme students in the Department of Management Accounting at the Durban University of Technology

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Melanie Bernice Cloete
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Integrated Assessment ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Integrated Assessments ◽  
Experimental Group

Empirical evidence highlighted the problem of underprepared graduates who lack critical thinking skills required in the work environment. Institutions of higher learning have been mandated to provide graduates with these critical thinking skills. However, in order to achieve this mandate, teaching, and, in particular, assessment practices at institutions of higher learning would need to be rethought and transformed. Integrated assessments that mirror real life situations are particularly useful in the development of critical thinking skills. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the integrated assessment conducted with the first-year ECP students in the Department of Management Accounting at the Durban University of Technology has enhanced the critical thinking skills of these students. This descriptive and inferential study employed a quantitative strategy, with a quasi-experimental, pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent group design and it was longitudinal in nature. The target population consisted of two groups: all the first-year students registered on the Extended Curriculum Programme in the Department of Management Accounting in 2014, which was approximately 40 students (experimental group); and all the first-year students registered on the Extended Curriculum Programme in the Department of Financial Accounting in 2014, which was approximately 40 students (control group). All five categories of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal UK edition were administered to both the control and experimental groups in a pre-test and post-test measure. However, only the experimental group was exposed to the integrated assessment. The aim was to measure the change, if any, in the students’ critical thinking skills over a period of time. The findings revealed a statistical significance in the overall post-test scores in favour of the experimental group. The norm group comparisons also revealed that, after the completion of the integrated assessment, the experimental group’s post-test mean scores were higher than the US grade 12 students and were closely matched to the US first year of 4 year colleges. In addition, the experimental group’s pre-and post-test mean scores were closely matched to the SA norm group. These results suggested that the experimental group experienced gains in their critical thinking ability in the post-integrated assessment. It is, therefore, recommended that integrated assessments, which are based on real world problems, should be conducted in the first year and in subsequent years. It is not always possible for universities of technology to offer cooperative education/ in-service training to all students. Contextualized integrated assessments, therefore, bridge this gap by allowing students to experience workplace requirements without physically being in the work environment.

Small Firm Audit Partner Hiring Crisis: A Role Play for Critical Thinking and Negotiation Skills

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
George R. Aldhizer
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Small Firm ◽  
Role Play ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Planning Stage ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Final Agreement ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT This role play requires students to consider the complexities of a small CPA firm urgently attempting to replace the unique industry knowledge and experience possessed by a terminally ill audit partner. In this role play, students assume the position of either an existing partner or a former partner who is considering rejoining the firm. This role play includes two sections. First, in the planning stage, students brainstorm mutually equivalent options that satisfy their critical financial and nonfinancial interests to address the problem of replacing the terminally ill partner in their respective existing partner and former partner teams. Second, students engage in a “table” negotiation with their assigned counterpart to reach an amicable agreement to this firm crisis and participate in a debriefing session and prepare a debriefing document. The small firm context provides a unique opportunity to make contributions to the existing accounting and auditing literature related to enhancing students' critical thinking and negotiation skills. Distinctive small firm role play elements that should enhance critical thinking and negotiation skills include considering contingent agreements that dovetail differences in future legal liability forecasts, and dovetailing differences to take advantage of complementary skill sets to mitigate industry-specific auditor detection risks and related business risks.1 Critical thinking skills also should be strengthened through negotiating a package of interests and related options including the impact of various tradeoffs that are not fully known until the table negotiation commences so that the final agreement does not exceed the firm's non-negotiable budgetary constraints.

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.

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