Dr. Sharon Buzzard

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Critical Thinking The First Year Pedagogy,
Challenges and Assessment

• Dr. Sharon Buzzard
• buzzards_at_missouri.edu

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Objectives

• How critical thinking is defined and who gets to
  define it-- the challenges in such an endeavor
• How critical thinking was implemented into the
  curriculum of a first-year program and pedagogy
  planned for the teachers
• Examples of classroom materials
• How assessment data was gathered and reviewed
• Success!! Statistical evidence as well as
  student course evaluations
• How the critical thinking model was applied in
  across the curriculum so that students have
  transferrable skills --useful in all classes as
  well as in life-long learning

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How is Critical Thinking Defined?

• Who gets to define it?

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Elements of Thought
www.everyonethinks.org
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Curriculum Redesign in a First-Year Program

• Enrolled approximately 2200
• Sections (50) for exploratory students and major
  specific
• 2 credit-hour non-required class

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University Experience Curricular Goals 

•   
• You will be able to demonstrate critical thinking
  and reading skills.
• You will further your ability to establish
  priorities and manage time.
• You will be able to conduct basic research in the
  University Libraries.
• You will engage in active learning through
  effective classroom strategies/methods . 
• You will be able to assess several career
  options and to make academic plans for them.
• You will be able to develop greater proficiency
  in oral and written communication. 
• You will engage with communities other than your
  own in purposeful learning activities that
  explicitly address your capacity and
  responsibility to contribute to community and
  society. 
•  

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Critical Thinking Guide
1. What is the purpose of the article? Why did
the author write it? 2. What information is
used in this piece? How reliable are these
sources? 3. What questions are raised by the
author in this essay/article? What are some of
the complexities of these questions? Has the
author allowed for them? 4. What point of
view is being represented? Do we need to
consider another perspective? Whose? Why? 5.
Were you convinced? Which of the follow-up
questions in the Intellectual Standards could
add to the critical thinking about this idea?

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Pre- and post-testingThe Process and the
ProcessingCara Buckleys Editorial A
Proposal To Separate Fast Foods and Schools(a
copy of the essay is in your handout packet)
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Statistical Data Shows Success
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Critical Thinking Pre and Post-test
ScoresExploratory University Experience Classes
Points Possible
50 increase from pre to post

• N151

Exploratory UE Classes Students increased their
post-test performance by 50 over pre-test
scores. Post Pre Margin
12 - 8
4 Margin Pre
4 8 .500
Institutional Research concluded ACT scores are
not correlated with change.
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Critical Thinking Pre and Post-test ScoresAll
University Experience Classes
Points Possible
37.5 increase from pre to post
N216
All University Experience Classes All classes
increased post-test performance over pre-test
performance by 37.5. Post Pre Margin

11 8 3 Margin
3 8 .375 Institutional Research
concluded ACT scores are not correlated with
change.
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Student Satisfaction Survey Results
Discussions of learning and thinking were
personally satisfying to me (n 1025).
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How important was it that you learn to think
critically?
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Rate the level of satisfaction University
Experience has helped me think critically.
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1025).
Rate the level of satisfaction University
Experience has helped me know how to ask good
questions.
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Rate the level of importance University
Experience has strengthened my skills in reading
and analysis
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Handouts and Classroom Materials

• Program overview
• Cara Buckleys essay
• CT Guide applied to essay
• Information from Institutional Research
• On POV from our textbook
• Critical thinking about career choices from our
  textbook
• 7. A critical thinking assignment on a research
  article
• Narrative Summary of assessment process and
• data

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Dr. Sharon Buzzard buzzards_at_missouri.edu 217-242
-1409