Publications [#159069] of Julie A Reynolds
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- Julie Reynolds, Amanda Curtin, Ahrash Bissell, and Paula Lemons, Improving critical thinking skills through quality practice and metacognition: A classroom exercise that helps students construct meaning from content
(2009) .
(last updated on 2009/06/16)Abstract:
Developing critical thinking skills (such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) is recognized as a major teaching goal, but is often not taught explicitly in science courses. Many instructors assume that students will pick up these skills along the way, but research indicates that this is frequently not the case. Courses that emphasize content knowledge also perpetuate the myth that science is a collection of facts rather than a way of thinking. In contrast, when instructors teach critical thinking skills explicitly and simultaneously with content, students learn to construct meaning from facts. Even when instructors are committed to teaching critical thinking skills, however, effective assignments and efficient assessment tools are rare. In this paper, we present an exercise that teaches students how to use both content knowledge and critical thinking skills to answer scientific questions. We also present the results of a study in which we assessed the effectiveness of the exercise at promoting the development of critical thinking skills, and suggest ways in which this exercise can be adapted to other courses and disciplines.
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