Critical thinking and information literacy

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Critical thinking and information literacy
Ruth Stubbings University Library Loughborough
University
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About this Session

• At the end of this session participants are
  expected to be able to
• explain what critical thinking is
• discuss how critical thinking skills fit within
  the curriculum
• understand how critical thinking relates to
  information literacy
• discuss techniques for developing critical
  thinking

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What is critical thinking?
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What is critical thinking?

• how would you define critical thinking?

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Stages of critical thinking

• Baxter Magolda and Jenny Moon argue that there
  are 4 stages of critical thinking
• stage of absolute knowing
• transitional stage
• independent knowing
• contextual knowing
• in groups identify at what stage of knowing
  different students are at

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Critical thinking the curriculum
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Why should students think critically?

• in groups of four discuss
• why lecturers want students to think critically
• what lecturers want students to be able to do?
• what skills are needed to think critically?

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Critical thinking and information literacy
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Using quality information

• students need to be able to
• recognise information need
• formulate a search strategy
• search appropriate resources e.g. Library
  catalogue and databases via MetaLib
• select good quality information to use in their
  assignments
• make notes to avoid plagiarism
• present information back to others

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Developing critical thinking skills
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How can you encourage students to think
critically?

• in groups of four discuss
• at least three ways you can encourage students to
  think critically?

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Summary

• critical thinking
• encourages deep learning
• makes teaching more enjoyable
• makes students more employable
• students need
• to be taught how to think critically
• a supportive environment to express their own
  ideas
• time to practice and enhance their critical
  thinking skills

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In the case of good books, the point is not how
many of them you can get through, but rather how
many can get through to you. Mortimer Adler
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Questions?
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Acknowledgement

• This course material was adapted from resources
  originally designed for a Loughborough University
  Professional Development course, Engaging
  students in learning through critical thinking.
  The course was designed and delivered by Carol
  Newbold and Ruth Stubbings.

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My thoughts on the activities
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Critical thinking

• The Oxford English Dictionary defines
• Critical as
• Involving or exercising careful judgement or
  observation
• Thinking as
• Thought, cogitation, meditation, mental action
  or activity

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Critical thinking - definition

• Critical thinking is a capacity to work with
  complex ideas whereby a person can make effective
  provision of evidence to justify a reasonable
  judgement. The evidence, and therefore the
  judgement, will pay appropriate attention to
  context.
• Moon 2005

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Why should students think critically?

• learn through discussion
• deep rather than surface learning
• develop skills required by employers (enhances
  universitys reputation)
• more enjoyable to teach, more fun for lecturer

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What lecturers want students to do

• students need to be able to
• formulate arguments
• use evidence to support their theories
• present information back to others
• essays
• reports
• oral presentations
• avoid plagiarism

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Skills required for thinking critically
Initiative
Questioning
Active
Passive
Imagination
Reading
Feedback
Note taking
Ideas
Assessment
Linear
Self reflection
Mind maps
Gathering information
Presentation of ideas
Reading lists
Catalogue
Databases
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Supporting students 1

• discuss critical thinking with students
• provide non-threatening atmosphere where students
  can express their ideas
• encourage students to practice skills
• use learning materials that students can engage
  with, e.g.
• case studies
• newspaper articles
• production of products

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Supporting Students (2)

• discipline-specific examples of good quality
  critical thinking and attempted thinking showing
  inadequate reasoning/assumptions, etc
• examples of poor quality thinking for comparison
• demonstrate situations where experts disagree

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Supporting Students (3)

• explicit assessment criteria
• exemplars
• appropriate feedback
• central support
• advice sheets, planning sheets
• progress files