Don’t Believe Everything About Science Online: Revisiting the Fake Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus in an Introductory Biology College Course

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-163
Author(s):  
Shem Unger ◽  
◽  
Mark Rollins ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
College Course ◽  
Critical Skills

Evaluating the veracity and reliability of online media in science is an integral part of developing critical skills in science. Moreover, the 1st year biology courses should provide an avenue for students to acquire these skills for academic success. This study evaluated whether students (n = 90) exposed to an apparently credible website were able to distinguish whether a species existed as part of two short online activities. Surprisingly, a high number of students did not question the species in the initial activity and assumed it was real. However, most as part of the second assessment did report it was false. Some students failed to recognize the species as fake and thought the species was real even after watching a parody or satirical video on YouTube. All students agreed that critical thinking in science was important and the majority of students gave positive feedback on the activity. Potential explanations for students’ inability to adequately assess information included students completing the assignment quickly and lack of further research. This kind of activity is recommended to expose the 1st year biology majors to critical thinking skills and accurate assessment of online information in science.

scholarly journals A brief history of pharmacy admissions in North America

2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (6) ◽  
pp. 370-375
Author(s):  
Erin Davis ◽  
Richard Braha ◽  
Shannon McAlorum ◽  
Debbie Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Clinical Performance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Bachelor Of Science ◽  
Multiple Mini Interview

The move from a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, both in the United States and in Canada, has been accompanied by a general move towards increased prepharmacy admission requirements and longer pharmacy programs. Historically, the most thoroughly researched pharmacy admissions variables include grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), interviews and critical thinking tests. Most programs now require a combination of academic (GPA ± PCAT) and nonacademic characteristics (e.g., interviews, volunteering, critical thinking tests, essays). This review focuses on GPA and the PCAT as academic admissions measures and the interview (both traditional and the multiple mini-interview) and critical thinking tests as nonacademic measures. There is evidence that prepharmacy GPA, the PCAT and admissions interviews are correlated with academic success in a pharmacy program. Repeating a prepharmacy course is a negative predictor of academic success. The multiple mini-interview and various critical thinking tests have been studied in pharmacy admissions, but the evidence to date does not support their use for predicting success. Several areas require further research, including finding an effective measure of reasoning and critical thinking skills. The relationship between admission test scores and clinical performance also requires further study, as academic achievement in pharmacy programs has been the main measure of success to date.

scholarly journals INDONESIAN STUDENT TEACHERS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN TEXT ANALYSIS WITH CDA APPROACH

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 424-431
Author(s):  
Dwijani Ratnadewi ◽  
Sofi Yunianti
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Communication Analysis ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Political Speeches ◽  
The Impact

Purpose of Study: The present study investigated the impact of critical discourse analysis (CDA) on Indonesian students teachers’ critical thinking skills in their final projects. Methodology: The study analyzed four final projects of student teachers text analysis. It was a qualitative meta-study applying four stages of Brengtsson'scontent analysis. These student teachers analyzed the world leaders’ political speeches and lawyers’ arguments in court using the CDA approach. Results: The result of the analysis indicated that 58.3% of the students got the Proficient Level achievement, spreading from the critical skills of communication, analysis (interpretation) and synthesis. Implications/Applications: The result illustrates that text analysis with CDA devices positively influenced the student teachers’ critical thinking skills. Meanwhile, 75% of them were at low achievement, at the Emergent level, for Reflection (Self-regulating) skills, due to the fact that these students were not accustomed to observing their own analysis.

scholarly journals THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING METHOD TO ENHANCE GRADE 7 STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN LEARNING MATHEMATICS AT SMP HOLLAND VILLAGE MANADO

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Ryan Oktapratama ◽  
Imanuel Adhitya Wulanata Chrismastianto ◽  
Dylmoon Hidayat
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Data Analysis Result

<p class="abstrak">Critical thinking is one of the most important issues in education. However, based on field observation results it is found that students have low critical thinking skills. One reason is that learning activities in the classroom do not foster students’ critical thinking skills. The purpose of this research study to enhance students’ critical skills by implementing the <em>Problem-based Learning </em>(PBL) method. The research subjects were 29 grade 7 students in a junior high school in Manado. The research method used was Classroom Action Research (CAR), conducted from September 12 to November 3, 2017. The instruments used were diagnostic tests, pre-tests and post-tests, observation sheets, student interviews, checklists by observers and students, and the researcher’s reflection journal. Data results were analyzed using the descriptive qualitative method. The results showed that the implementation of the PBL method was able to enhance students’ critical thinking skills in learning math with the achievement percentage of students who passed the KKM for pre-test and post-test based on the overall data analysis result from cycle one to two showing an enhancement of 22% on the first indicator, 9% on the third indicator, and 2% on the fourth indicator. The second indicator showed no enhancement amd there was a decrease of 8% on the fifth indicator. Therefore, the PBL method is effective in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills through each stage of the method in the learning process.</p><p class="abstrak"><strong>BAHASA INDONESIA ABSTRACT: </strong>Kemampuan berpikir kritis adalah salah satu hal terpenting dalam dunia pendidikan. Namun, berdasarkan observasi di lapangan ditemukan bahwa siswa memiliki keterampilan berpikir kritis yang rendah. Salah satu penyebabnya adalah aktivitas pembelajaran di kelas tidak melatih keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa menggunakan metode <em>Problem-based Learning </em>(PBL). Subyek penelitian adalah 29 siswa kelas VII di suatu SMP di Manado. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK), dilakukan dari September sampai dengan November 2017. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah <em>diagnostic test</em>, <em>pre-test</em> dan <em>post-test</em>, lembar observasi, wawancara siswa, <em>checklist</em>oleh pengamat dan siswa, dan jurnal refleksi peneliti. Analisis data hasil penelitian menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan metode PBL mampu meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa dalam pembelajaran matematika dengan peningkatan indikator satu sebesar 22%, indikator tiga sebesar 9%, dan indikator empat sebesar 2%. Adapun untuk indikator dua tidak mengalami peningkatan dan indikator lima mengalami penurunan sebesar 8%. Dengan demikian, metode PBL terbukti efektif meningkatkan keterampilan berpikir kritis siswa melalui setiap tahapan metode dalam proses pembelajaran.</p><div><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /></div>

scholarly journals Item Analysis of a Critical Thinking Skills Test on PLC Programming for Prospective Teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-252
Author(s):  
Puput Wanarti Rusimamto ◽  
Munoto Munoto ◽  
Muchlas Samani ◽  
Lilik Anifah
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Test Theory ◽  
Classical Test ◽  
Test Instrument ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Plc Programming

This study aimed at developing a test instrument to asses prospective vocational teachers’ critical thinking skills on Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming. This research and development study produced the test instrument that had been trialled to 68 Indonesian electrical engineering education prospective teachers at Universitas Negeri Surabaya. The method used was Research and Development by referring to the revised Bloom method and the adjusted Facione model. The instrument consisted of 40 items that were further analyzed using a classical test and item response approaches. Students' responses were analyzed using the computer program of a Test Analysis Program and ConQest. The item difficulty of classical test theory was represented by p value revealed based on prospective teachers’ correct answers. Parameter b referred to location parameter that conveyed the position of the item’s characteristic curve in relation to the ability scales. The benefit of this study was it can measure the level of critical skills, especially on the subject of PLC programming. The existing instruments only measure PLC programming skills in general but have not yet specifically reached the measurement of critical skills level.

scholarly journals Management by Textbook

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 774-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Errington ◽  
David Bubna-Litic
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Skills Gap ◽  
Successful Management ◽  
Student Epistemology ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Development Of Students

Critical thinking is widely regarded as a crucial capability for competent management and also for any leadership role in society. In this article, we ask, “How do textbooks play a role in the weakness of many management graduates’ critical thinking skills?” Management teachers can find plentiful advice about best teaching practices, yet the critical skills gap remains. We argue that the nature and use of management textbooks intersect and interact with students’ epistemology to support a culture of surface learning, resulting in a failure to develop critical thinking skills. Textbooks reinforce underdeveloped student epistemology through limitations of content and position students as passive recipients of an authoritative version of oversimplified knowledge. In our survey of 30 successful management textbooks, we found the majority of popular management textbooks potentially inhibit, or only weakly support, the development of students’ capacity for critical thinking. The article concludes with suggestions for improving textbooks and textbook choice or considering alternatives.

Using Iterative Group Presentations in an Introductory Biology Course to Enhance Student Engagement and Critical Thinking

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 450-454
Author(s):  
Anna Aguilera ◽  
Jesse Schreier ◽  
Cassandra Saitow
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Group Presentation ◽  
Group Presentations ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Control Section ◽  
Introductory Biology Course ◽  
Class Presentation

In this study, we examined two types of group presentation assignments for use in a large, introductory biology course. Students were placed into groups of 6 to 8 members, and tasked with researching a topic and preparing a 10-minute in-class presentation. The assignments varied by course section; in the control section, each group's topics were selected to complement the course topic, whereas in the iterative sections, each group's topic would derive from the previous group's presentation. Students’ critical thinking skills were assessed before and after the semester's presentations, and exit surveys were conducted. Results show that students in the iterative group performed better than control on exam questions, and overall interest in biology was high in both groups as a result of the presentations. Overall, performing group presentations in an iterative style enhanced learning by mimicking the scientific process of inquiry and discovery.

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