Student Journeys and Tools in Critical Thinking:

1
Student Journeys and Tools in Critical Thinking

• Developing critical thinking in public health
  education

Palo Almond Liz Porter 3rd April 2008
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Aim Critique the students journey in developing
and using critical thinking skills and the tools
required to achieve this

• Objectives
• Track a students journey from pre-entry to L3 or
  L4 programmes
• Development of students critical reasoning in a
  public health context
• Teaching expertise to develop and assess critical
  thinking
• Tools to teach and assess critical thinking
• Supporting student
• Summarise key points

3
What is critical thinking?

• At the University of Southampton we define it as
• A process whereby students activate their prior
  knowledge and build on existing conceptual
  knowledge frameworks (Kaufman 2003, Wood 2003)
• We find this leads to students adopting a deep
  approach to learning (Hammond and Collins 1991,
  Spencer and Jordan 1999)

4
Critical thinking for us is

• a process of thinking and internalisation of
  information (process of understanding)
• analysis and reflection on information
  comparison, contrasting, strengths, weakness,
  strength of argument (test of validity, and
  integrity of information)
• synthesis of this information with other
  information
• Acceptance of original information or reframing
  and reforming of information into knowledge and
  its application to the context eg public health

5
Brookfield (1990)

• Critical thinking involves
• Identifying challenges and assumptions
  (underlying the problem, issue, or fact)
• Challenging the importance of context (challenge
  established practice)
• Imagining and exploring alternatives (explore all
  options)
• Reflective scepticism (questioning validity)

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Pre-Course The Application process

• involves looking for indicators of existing
  critical thinking eg have a diploma, degree or no
  academic qualifications
• Prospective students complete an essay as part of
  the application process
• Programme team and employer review the essay for
  the ability to analyse and critique at L3 or L4

7
Acceptance onto the programme

• Sent a pre-course reading list carefully
  selected examples of seminal works which are
  thought to provoke critical thinking related to
  public health practice
• Sent a study skills activity booklets
  self-diagnostic guide and identify your
  learning needs and build new learning skills

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Induction at the start of the programme (1)

• Explain L3 or L4 criteria focusing particularly
  on what critical thinking is
• How to use this criteria to write essays and
  explain how this is also used to mark essays
• How to read and use literature in writing essays
• Use their pre-course essay to discuss writing
  style, breadth and type of literature used, level
  of critical analysis and discussion

9
Induction at the start of the programme (2)

• Explanation of programme and the tools that will
  enable the development of critical thinking
  (programme specification, module guides, teaching
  and assessment tools, organisation of the
  programme has built in time for thinking)
• Explanation of learning outcomes prompts for
  type of thinking activities
• Student support framework (academic, flexible
  learning opportunities, learning differences
  unit, student learning advisors, mentors,
  pastoral, counselling)

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Tools the student will be exposed to during their
journey through the programme

• SCPHN Units Steinaker and Bell (1977) Social
  Policy Policy analysis frameworks eg Buse et al.
  (2005), Maxwell (1985)
• Strategic Leadership PESTEL analysis, SMART,
  SWOT (Sutherland and Canwell 2004, Johnson et al.
  2005)
• Public Health Practitioners Knows How and Shows
  How Faculty of PH
• Epidemiology Units critiquing tools to develop
  methodical and systematic thinking eg Critical
  Appraisal Skills Programme
• Partnership and Collaborative Working Almond and
  Cowley (2008) and Arnstein (1969)
  

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Teaching in Partnership The teachers role in
developing and maintaining the students critical
thinking skills

• Maintaining and developing our own critical
  thinking skills engaging in research,
  publishing, participating in research groups,
  curriculum development, reviewing for journals,
  attending conferences
• Developing competence and confidence to engage in
  open and honest discussion with students and
  allow them the freedom to express their views
• Teaching expertise student centred, research led
  education eg we present several theories of needs
  assessment and then facilitate a debate and
  discussion of these. Processes involved were
  described earlier on slide 6

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Summary

• Tracked a students journey in maintaining and
  developing critical thinking
• Range of tools to stimulate critical thinking
• Contribution a teacher makes to students
  critical thinking
• Comprehensive student support framework as per
  slide 9

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Question

• Would you agree the teacher needs to have the
  expertise and particular qualities to promote
  critical thinking?
• Is it essential to have a robust and
  comprehensive framework in order to develop
  critical thinking for the practice of public
  health