scholarly journals Teaching Post-Secondary Students in Ecology and Evolution: Strategies for Early-Career Researchers

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Raby ◽  
Jacqueline M. Chapman ◽  
Robert De Bruijn ◽  
Erika J. Eliason ◽  
Chris K. Elvidge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Students ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Personal Life ◽  
Inclusive Classroom ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Early Career Researchers

Teaching can be a rewarding, yet challenging, experience for early career researchers (ECRs) in fields like ecology and evolution. Much of this challenge arises from the reality that ECRs in ecology and evolution typically receive little, if any, pedagogical training or advice on how to balance teaching, research (which can include extended field work), and other demands on their time. Here, we aim to provide accessible, pragmatic advice for ECRs in ecology and evolution who are given the opportunity to teach (as instructor of record). The advice is based on the authors’ collective experiences teaching in ecology and evolution as ECRs and is meant to help ECRs address two challenges: a) balancing the demands of teaching against one’s research, service, and personal life, and b) being effective in the classroom while doing so. The guidance we provide includes practical steps to take when teaching for the first time, including carefully refining the syllabus (course planning), adopting ‘non-traditional’ teaching methods, and taking advantage of free teaching resources. We also discuss a range of ‘soft skills’ to consider including guarding against imposter syndrome (i.e., self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud), managing expectations, being empathetic, compassionate, authentic, and fostering an inclusive classroom. Lastly, we emphasize the need to focus on developing students’ critical thinking skills, integrating research and teaching where possible, and setting limits on class preparation time to maintain balance with your research and personal life. Collectively, we hope the examples provided herein offer a useful guide to ECRs new to teaching.

scholarly journals EXPLORING STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF COLLABORATION AND CRITICTHINKING SKILLS FOLLOWING AN ESCAPE ROOM EXPERIENCE

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-16
Author(s):  
Frances Hamilton ◽  
Kimberly Hile ◽  
Dana Skelley ◽  
Sarah Roller ◽  
Sandra Lampley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Comparison Analysis ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Collaboration Skills ◽  
Skills Use

Collaboration and critical thinking are 21st century skills employers value. Campus programming offers a space where, through intentional design, post-secondary students may develop critical thinking and collaboration skills. This study investigates survey data collected after a campus program that engaged participants in an escape room experience. Descriptive statistics were utilized to investigate students’ perceptions of collaboration and critical thinking skills use and improvement during the experience. Comparison analysis was employed to explore if the structure of the escape room produced any difference in results. Findings indicate the majority of participants reported being able to practice and improve collaboration and critical thinking skills in the escape room experience. Patterns suggest that the escape room structure may impact participants’ perceptions of collaboration and critical thinking skills. Limitations and recommendations for areas of future research are discussed.

Developing an Assessment Program to Measure Critical Thinking

2015 ◽  
pp. 121-141
Author(s):  
Caulyne N. Barron
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
General Education ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Assessment Program ◽  
Culture Shift ◽  
Culture Of Assessment ◽  
College Programs

This chapter posits that the assessment cycle is a valuable part of the discussion of teaching critical thinking skills in post-secondary settings. Acknowledging that critical thinking is a crucial skill for post-secondary students, the chapter ties accreditation mandates to the need to include robust outcomes assessment measures in college programs that teach critical thinking. The chapter traces one small, nationally-accredited online college's efforts to develop a robust assessment plan to measure how well students met general education and program objectives, particularly those related to critical thinking skills in a business program. The efforts to comply with accreditation standards and to demonstrate a culture of assessment resulted in a culture shift that sought meaningful data about how well the college was educating its students and meeting its mission.

Developing an Assessment Program to Measure Critical Thinking

2020 ◽  
pp. 268-290
Author(s):  
Caulyne N. Barron
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
General Education ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Assessment Program ◽  
Culture Shift ◽  
Culture Of Assessment ◽  
College Programs

This chapter posits that the assessment cycle is a valuable part of the discussion of teaching critical thinking skills in post-secondary settings. Acknowledging that critical thinking is a crucial skill for post-secondary students, the chapter ties accreditation mandates to the need to include robust outcomes assessment measures in college programs that teach critical thinking. The chapter traces one small, nationally-accredited online college's efforts to develop a robust assessment plan to measure how well students met general education and program objectives, particularly those related to critical thinking skills in a business program. The efforts to comply with accreditation standards and to demonstrate a culture of assessment resulted in a culture shift that sought meaningful data about how well the college was educating its students and meeting its mission.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Participation in a Blog for Extra-curricular activities for Developing Students’ Critical thinking skills: A Case of Secondary School Students: فاعلية المشاركة في مدونة إلكترونية للأنشطة غير الصفية في تنمية مهارات التفكير الناقد لدى طالبات الصف الثالث الثانوي بمدينة جدة

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wafa Abed M Al-Harbi, Sanaa Saleh Askool
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Control Group ◽  
School Students ◽  
Extra Curricular Activities ◽  
Experimental Group

This study aims to identify the effectiveness of participation in a blog for extra-curricular activities for developing the critical thinking skills of third secondary students in Jeddah. The sample consisted of (100) students from several schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia randomly selected and divided into (50) experimental group, (50) control group. The study used the Semi-experimental method and conducted the Watson and Glaser test for critical thinking. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences (0.05) among the experimental group (individual and cooperative) For the officer in the brother Bar dimensional test critical thinking skills for the benefit of the experimental group because of its effect for the use of a typical blog (single, cooperative).

scholarly journals Teachers’ Capacity of Instruction for Developing Higher – Order Thinking Skills for Upper Secondary Students – A Case Study in Teaching Mathematics in Vietnam

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1.SP) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Ha Thi CAO
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Higher Order Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Model ◽  
Higher Order Thinking Skills ◽  
Teaching And Learning Mathematics

In the social model, in order to live and work in a complex and competitive environment of the 21st century, students must be well-equipped with such important skills and qualifications, of which creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills are very necessary for learners in the future. In this paper, the researcher aims to focus on teachers’ competency of instruction for developing higher-order thinking skills (creativity, critical thinking skills) through teaching and learning Mathematics in Vietnam.

The Erosion of Critical Thinking Development in Post-Secondary Education

2015 ◽  
pp. 68-96
Author(s):  
Michael Robert Hepner
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
College Level ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
History Of ◽  
Definition Of

A quick look at virtually any list of college-level learning outcomes will almost certainly uncover the desire to develop critical thinking skills. While prioritizing the development of critical thinking skills on campuses nationwide is a noble cause, issues quickly arise because the definition of critical thinking varies widely amongst the different disciplines, so this chapter provides a history of the idea of critical thinking in higher education, as well as various critical thinking development strategies and assessment instruments. This chapter also outlines the need for the academe to move from simply mentioning the development of critical thinking skills in various institutional documents to prioritizing such skills through the return of liberal education.

Models and Strategies for Teaching Evolution to Non-Science Majors in a Seminar Format

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 93-108
Author(s):  
Katherine V. Bulinski
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Science Majors ◽  
Teaching Evolution ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
Pedagogical Strategies ◽  
Knowledge Of Evolution ◽  
K 12

A cornerstone of paleontological education is the topic of evolution. While formal evolutionary biology classes made up of lectures and labs are essential for students of biology and paleontology, these classes are closed to most non-science majors because they often require multiple prerequisites. Because of a combination of anti-evolution cultural forces and shortcomings in evolution-based education at the K-12 level, many American college students have not received accurate or effective evolution instruction before entering college. Because a working knowledge of evolution is essential for developing biological scientific literacy, some colleges and universities now offer seminar-style evolution courses designed for non-science majors that can help reverse this trend. Seminars such as these offer students the added opportunity to develop more sophisticated writing, speaking, and critical-thinking skills in the context of evolutionary biology. This chapter highlights two successful course models and two shorter course modules, provides lists of teaching resources, and details a number of different writing and discussion-based pedagogical strategies as they apply to teaching evolution in a seminar setting.

scholarly journals Whither Psychology

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 665-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane F. Halpern
Keyword(s):  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Brain Correlates ◽  
Early Career Psychologists ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Psychological Inquiry ◽  
And Behavior

Contemporary psychology is experiencing tremendous growth in neuroscience, and there is every indication that it will continue to gain in popularity notwithstanding the scarcity of academic positions for newly minted Ph.Ds. Despite the general perception that brain correlates “explain” or “cause” the mind and behavior, these correlates have not yet proven useful in understanding psychological processes, although they offer the possibility of early identification of some disorders. Other recent developments in psychology include increased emphasis on applications and more global representation among researchers and participants. In thinking about the way we want psychology to evolve, psychologists need to pay more than lip service to the idea that complex questions in psychology require multiple levels of analysis with contributions from biological (brain, hormones, and genetics), individual differences and social and cultural perspectives. Early career psychologists who can attain a breadth of knowledge will be well-positioned for a team approach to psychological inquiry. Finally, I offer the belief that an emphasis on enhancing critical thinking skills at all levels of education offers the best hope for the future.

scholarly journals Producing Intellectual Labor In The Classroom: The Utilization Of A Critical Thinking Model To Help Students Take Command Of Their Thinking

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip Crenshaw ◽  
Enoch Hale ◽  
Sallie L. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Real World Problem ◽  
Intellectual Labor ◽  
Critical Thinking Instruction ◽  
Instruction And Learning

A review of the literature reveals that although the teaching of critical thinking skills is a significant aim of post-secondary pedagogy, much ambiguity exists regarding the topic. In fact, due to the lack of faculty familiarity with the concept compounded by student resistance to put forth the intellectual labor to take charge of their own thinking, matriculates are mainly exposed to didactic instruction that does not prepare them with real-world problem solving skills. This manuscript addresses these problems in the following way. First, it outlines a foundational conception of critical thinking as articulated by the Foundation for Critical Thinking. In doing so, it comments on the importance of student-centered instruction as key to fostering critical thinking skills and dispositions in the classroom. Second, it canvasses an example of what critical thinking instruction and learning can look like.

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