scholarly journals Assessment of Student Skills for Critiquing Published Primary Scientific Literature Using a Primary Trait Analysis Scale

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-27
Author(s):  
MANUEL F. VARELA ◽  
MARVIN M. F. LUTNESKY ◽  
MARCY P. OSGOOD
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Scientific Paper ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Scientific Validity ◽  
Comprehensive University ◽  
Instructor Evaluation ◽  
Trait Analysis ◽  
Primary Literature ◽  
Analysis Scale ◽  
Specific Paper

Instructor evaluation of progressive student skills in the analysis of primary literature is critical for the development of these skills in young scientists. Students in a senior or graduate-level one-semester course in Immunology at a Masters-level comprehensive university were assessed for abilities (primary traits) to recognize and evaluate the following elements of a scientific paper: Hypothesis and Rationale, Significance, Methods, Results, Critical Thinking and Analysis, and Conclusions. We tested the hypotheses that average recognition scores vary among elements and that scores change with time differently by trait. Recognition scores (scaled 1 to 5), and differences in scores were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) ( n = 10 papers over 103 days). By multiple comparisons testing, we found that recognition scores statistically fell into two groups: high scores (for Hypothesis and Rationale, Significance, Methods, and Conclusions) and low scores (for Results and Critical Thinking and Analysis). Recognition scores only significantly changed with time (increased) for Hypothesis and Rationale and Results. ANCOVA showed that changes in recognition scores for these elements were not significantly different in slope (F 1,16 = 0.254, P = 0.621) but the Results trait was significantly lower in elevation (F 1,17 = 12.456, P = 0.003). Thus, students improved with similar trajectories, but starting and ending with lower Results scores. We conclude that students have greatest difficulty evaluating Results and critically evaluating scientific validity. Our findings show extant student skills, and the significant increase in some traits shows learning. This study demonstrates that students start with variable recognition skills and that student skills may be learned at differential rates. Faculty can use these findings or the primary trait analysis scoring scale to focus on specific paper elements for which they desire to improve recognition.

Describing the Development of a Developmental Psychologist: An Alternative Term Paper Assignment

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Galotti
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Developmental Psychology ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Student Reaction ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Primary Literature ◽  
Term Paper

Each student taking a sophomore/junior level course in developmental psychology is asked to choose a different developmental psychologist and to read as much of that person's published work as is feasible. Students are encouraged to select articles that range over different research areas and different years of publications. They then write a paper describing the target psychologist's work, focusing on the question, “How has this person's work developed?” The assignment in intended to address a number of goals, including the following: (a) to acquaint students with primary literature in developmental psychology, (b) to provoke critical thinking about the concept of development, and (c) to recognize that the progress of an academic career is seldom linear or preordained. Student reaction and implementation suggestions me discussed.

scholarly journals Practice Makes Pretty Good: Assessment of Primary Literature Reading Abilities across Multiple Large-Enrollment Biology Laboratory Courses

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 677-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian K. Sato ◽  
Pavan Kadandale ◽  
Wenliang He ◽  
Paige M. N. Murata ◽  
Yama Latif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biology Education ◽  
Scientific Paper ◽  
Literature Discussion ◽  
Course Performance ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Laboratory Courses ◽  
Literature Reading ◽  
Reading Abilities ◽  
Primary Literature ◽  
Biology Laboratory

Primary literature is essential for scientific communication and is commonly utilized in undergraduate biology education. Despite this, there is often little time spent training our students how to critically analyze a paper. To address this, we introduced a primary literature module in multiple upper-division laboratory courses. In this module, instructors conduct classroom discussions that dissect a paper as researchers do. While previous work has identified classroom interventions that improve primary literature comprehension within a single course, our goal was to determine whether including a scientific paper module in our classes could produce long-term benefits. On the basis of performance in an assessment exam, we found that our module resulted in longitudinal gains, including increased comprehension and critical-thinking abilities in subsequent lab courses. These learning gains were specific to courses utilizing our module, as no longitudinal gains were seen in students who had taken other upper-division labs that lacked extensive primary literature discussion. In addition, we assessed whether performance on our assessment correlated with a variety of factors, including grade point average, course performance, research background, and self-reported confidence in understanding of the article. Furthermore, all of the study conclusions are independent of biology disciplines, as we observe similar trends within each course.

scholarly journals Fostering Critical Thinking Skills in a Master's‐Level Course via in‐Depth Analysis of Primary Literature

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ella Tour ◽  
Christopher Abdullah ◽  
Julian Parris ◽  
Richard Lie ◽  
Amy Guzdar
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Master's Level ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Primary Literature

scholarly journals Outcome Assessment of General Education 21st Century Competency Skills: Close the Loop Efforts in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nhung Thi Tuyet Pham
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
General Education ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Quantitative Literacy ◽  
Comprehensive University ◽  
The University

Over the past several years, various stakeholders have continued to express concerns about the quality of U.S. higher education. Under the accountability and transparency pressures, institutions must provide evidence of student learning, especially the value of general education programs upon graduation. Therefore, a case study at a U.S. comprehensive university was conducted to assess five general education competency skills (written, oral, quantitative literacy, critical thinking and information literacy). To facilitate “close the loop” conversations with faculty and committees, in addition to descriptive analysis, the university disaggregated the assessment data in a non-traditional way by examining the relationship of student factors (race, year and college) and student learning. The researcher used ANCOVA and ANOVA to identify significant differences. Results indicated year and race were related to student outcomes, except for critical thinking skills. The researcher provided suggestions for use of the study’s findings to close the loop in the general education program.

scholarly journals Critical Thinking Dispositions of Undergraduate College Students in A Comprehensive University of Mainland China

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 224
Author(s):  
Huarong Ma
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Chinese Version ◽  
Comprehensive University ◽  
Thinking Dispositions ◽  
Critical Thinking Dispositions ◽  
Undergraduate College Students ◽  
Cognitive Maturity

This study was undertaken to assess the critical thinking dispositions of undergraduate college students in a comprehensive university of mainland China and examine the roles of gender and major in the subjects’ critical thinking dispositions. An adapted Chinese version of the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI) was used to survey 534 undergraduate students. Statistics revealed that over 3/4 of the subjects were negative in their dispositions to think critically, and no more than 1/4 of them were positive. All the subscale mean scores were between 30-35, indicating an ambivalent attitude to critical thinking. Meanwhile, the subjects were stronger in systematicity, truth-seeking, and self-confidence than in analyticity, inquisitiveness, and cognitive maturity. Besides, males got significantly higher scores in overall critical thinking dispositions, truth-seeking, cognitive maturity, open-mindedness, and justice-orientedness, an added subscale in the Chinese version of CCTDI. Finally, science-engineering students achieved a non-significant higher overall mean score than non-science-engineering students. They also scored higher in seven out of the eight subscales, but the differences were only significant in open-mindedness and justice-orientedness. 

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF LEARNING MODELS AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS TOWARD MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT BY CONTROLLING STUDENTS’ NUMERIC APTITUDE

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
NI Nyoman Kawiwati
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Mathematics Achievement ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Conventional Model ◽  
Learning Achievement

This research is to determine the effect of learning model and critical thinking skills toward mathematics learning achievement of class XI IPA students in senior high school in Gianyar by controlling students’ numeric aptitude. This research used treatment by level 2x2 design and analysis of covariance. The sample was 80 people using multistage random sampling. The results by controlling numeric aptitude are: students learning achievement taught using PAIKEM model is higher than those taught in conventional model. There is an interaction effect between learning model and critical thinking skills toward students’ mathematics achievement. Given high critical thinking skills, students taught using PAIKEM models displayed higher results compared to those in conventional learning who were best in a lower critical thinking skills. Finally, based on the results, it can be recommended to SMA Mathematics teachers to increase students’ Mathematics achievement by using PAIKEM model accurately and to see of students critical thinking skills.

scholarly journals Critical thinking ability of 3rd year radiography students

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 381-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Pieterse ◽  
Heather Lawrence ◽  
Hesta Friedrich-Nel
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Comprehensive University ◽  
Critical Thinking Ability ◽  
Clinical Scenarios ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Thinking Ability ◽  
The Status

Background: Developing the critical thinking skills of student radiographers is imperative in an era of rapidly advancing technology. The status of the students' ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills needed to be explored for the Department of Radiography at a comprehensive university to determine if a more explicit curriculum was needed to facilitate these skills.Aim: The aim of this article is to present results of a study conducted to determine the critical thinking ability of 3rd year radiography students at a Comprehensive University in South Africa.Method: The research study used a descriptive exploratory design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data was collected by scoring the participants ability to think critically when answering clinical scenarios posed in the form of vignettes given to the students under assessment conditions. The qualitative data was generated by in-depth field notes made inductively by the researcher.Results: The findings of this study indicated that the majority of participants demonstrated a minimal ability to think critically.Conclusion: The study results imply that in order to improve critical thinking skills of student radiographers, there is a need for curriculum adjustment, to nurture and encourage these skills. It is recommended that facilitators adopt methods to integrate these skills in the curriculum.

scholarly journals INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND COLLABORATIVE METHODS ON JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING OUTCOMES IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-52
Author(s):  
Olubukola Oyediji ◽  
Eugenia Okwilagwe
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Collaborative Task ◽  
Junior Secondary ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
Social Studies Achievement

Learner-centred methods of teaching are rarely used in most Nigerian classrooms. Pedagogic practices at the basic level of education encourage teacher-dominated methods that do not allow for students’ active participation and inculcation of behavioural changes that reflect the outcomes of learning Social studies. As a paradigm shift, the main effects of treatments (Self-directed learning, Collaborative task method and a combination of the two methods), gender and achievement motivation on the combined dependent variables of achievement in Social studies and critical thinking were investigated. Three hypotheses stated were tested at the 0.05 level of significance. A pre-test post-test non-randomised control group design was adopted in which treatments were crossed with two levels of achievement motivation and gender respectively. 223 males and 136 female students were randomly selected from 12 junior secondary schools in Oyo State. Three instruments: Academic Achievement Motivation Inventory (α = 0.83), Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (α = 0.87) and Social Studies Achievement Test (r = 0.80) were used to collect data from the participants. Using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA), Self-directed learning proved to be most significant in improving the learning of Social studies concepts, followed by a combination of Self-directed learning and Collaborative task methods while the Collaborative task method was the least effective. Gender and achievement motivation had significant effects on students’ achievement and not on critical thinking. The findings have implications for the teaching of Social studies in Nigeria. If the rationale of instruction is to enhance the acquisition of cognitive learning outcome with the teacher acting as a facilitator, then the Self-directed learning is most beneficial to students followed by a combination of Self-directed learning and Collaborative task method. When students are actively involved in the teaching-learning process, their academic achievement is more enhanced, especially when a conducive environment is provided. Key words: achievement motivation, collaborative task method, critical thinking, self-directed learning, social studies achievement.

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