Creating Quality Critical Thinking Assignments

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Creating Quality Critical Thinking Assignments

• TACT
• 2005-2006

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The Logic of the Workshop

• Purpose
• The purpose of the workshop is to improve
  critical thinking in the curriculum areas across
  campus.
• We hope to improve the critical thinking
  abilities of students by helping faculty learn to
  create high quality critical thinking assignments
  that will elicit critical thinking in their
  students.

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Background The Learning Initiative

• The Initiative is meant to take root in each
  classroom, with the goal that every student is
  given every opportunity to fully engage in
  learning. The Initiative's critical thinking
  focus encourages students to actively engage in
  tasks of intellectual complexity and to take
  responsibility for their learning.

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Critical Thinking Outcome

• Students who graduate from Surry Community
  College will think about their thinking in order
  to improve it. They will be able (1) to analyze
  thought (their own and that of others) by
  identifying and examining the elements of
  reasoning, (2) to assess thought by applying
  intellectual standards, and (3) to think
  ethically and fairly by cultivating intellectual
  traits. SCC students will be willing to adjust
  their thinking and behavior based on the results
  of this reasoning.

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Assessment of Artifacts

• The college uses a Critical Thinking Rubric to
  assess the critical thinking abilities of our
  students.
• Part of the institutional portfolio.
• The Assessment Process
• Course selection
• Artifact submission
• CT Assessment committee
• Results disseminated
• Results used to improve

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Assessment of Artifacts

• We are going to use the CT Rubric to assess some
  actual student artifacts.
• We hope this will spark some good ideas that you
  can use to develop CT assignments.
• We also want your input concerning ways to
  improve the process.

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CT Outcome Rubric

• The following elements of reasoning govern the
  critical thinking outcome
• Purpose
• Key question
• Point of view
• Information
• Essential concepts
• Assumptions
• Interpretations, inferences
• Implications, consequences

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CT Outcome Rubric

• The following intellectual standards are also
  applied to student artifacts
• --clarity
• --accuracy
• --precision
• --relevance
• --depth
• --breadth
• --logic
• --significance
• --fairness

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CT Outcome Rubric

• Artifacts are to be evaluated to determine
  whether the student has demonstrated the ability
  to satisfactorily address the elements of
  reasoning and intellectual standards that
  comprise the critical thinking learning outcome.

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Using the Rubrics

• Artifact One
• Use the rubric to assess the students CT.
• Discussion
• Artifact Two
• Use the rubric to assess the students CT.
• Discussion

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What's next? Homework!

• As a result of this workshop and follow-up
  activities, each faculty member will create at
  least one high-quality CT assignment they will
  use in their classes.
• What is a high-quality CT assignment? See the
  Four Criteria for Good Critical Thinking
  Assignments for a description.

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You have help with your homework!

• TACT members will help you with your CT
  assignments.
• As little or as much as you want.
• Any TACT member will work with you on an
  individual basis.
• Email
• Phone call
• Face to face meeting

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You will get feedback!

• When you are ready to submit your project,
  complete the Cover Sheet for CT Assignments.
• Email the assignment and the completed document
  to cthelp_at_surry.edu .
• A team of TACT members will review your
  assignment and give you feedback.
• Ultimately, the projects will be complied into a
  publication which will be used to share our CT
  assignments.