Using a Critical Thinking Approach When Teaching IT and
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Transcript Using a Critical Thinking Approach When Teaching IT and
Why Johnny Can't Compute:
Integrating Critical Thinking Into a
Computer Literacy Course
Dr. Diane Chaddock
Joe Vitanza
Southwestern Michigan College
Session Structure
Big picture
Dispelling the myth of the digital native
Clarify the essence of computer literacy
Clarify the essence of critical thinking
Examine why computer literacy courses are well suited
to teaching critical thinking concepts
Start to examine teaching and learning strategies
The Digital Native
Marc Prensky coined the term “digital native” in his
work Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants published in
2001.
Steve Kolowich - the
myth of the digital
native
What Exactly is “Computer Literacy”?
Computer Proficiency vs. Computer Literacy
Computer Proficiency - repetitive tasks - often based
on-rote memorization
Computer Literacy - allows students to extend their
knowledge by having an ability to adapt new situation
and problems – critical thinking.
Background Information at SMC
Computer Literacy initiative – approach and
challenges
What we’ve learned
o External Assessment – Certiport IC3 exams
o Incoming students entering with less computer
skills than expected
o Exposed weaknesses in critical thinking skills
Background Information at SMC (cont.)
Initial corrections
Current research study
o Experimental study to
see if infusing critical
thinking into the
computer literacy
course could improve
computer literacy and
critical thinking
outcomes versus a
control group
Critical Thinking
How important are critical thinking skills for college
students?
How important is teaching critical thinking within your
degree/program competencies?
How important is the development of students’ critical
thinking within your courses?
How well do your instructional strategies instill critical
thinking strategies within your students?
The facts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
89% of university faculty claimed critical thinking to
be a primary objective of their instruction:
Only 19% could define critical thinking
77% had little, limited or no conception of how to reconcile
content coverage with the fostering of critical thinking
Only a very small minority could clearly explain the meanings of
basic terms in critical thinking
Defining Critical Thinking
There isn’t any one definition of
critical thinking – it
encompasses a collection of
ideals and the associated
strategies for reaching them
What are these ideals, and what
are some strategies for reaching
them?
Definition of Critical Thinking
“Critical thinking is thinking about thinking
while you’re thinking in order to make
that thinking better.”
~ Richard Paul
Defining a 21st Century Education
By Craig D. Jerald for the
Center for Public Education
argues that the traditional
curriculum is not enough
Schools must provide
students with a broader set
of “21st century skills” to
thrive in a rapidly evolving,
technology-saturated world.
Some Educational Practices that Discourage
Critical Thinking
The student’s role is to be a passive recipient of knowledge.
The student’s role is to memorize and regurgitate information
(they do not understand).
The teacher’s role is to “dispense” knowledge.
How do we foster critical thinking in classrooms?
Know your content.
Know what constitutes critical thinking.
Rethink your content as a MODE of thinking .
Design teaching as experiences based in questioning,
problem solving, and thinking.
THE most important things…
YOU must decide what is most important in YOUR course.
Teaching for critical thinking will take more time to
prepare.
Less time is available to spoon-feed facts to the students.
You must hold students accountable for their learning.
You must overtly teach the critical thinking skills.
Lecture-based Learning
“The lecture format of learning is a venerable and popular
approach to content delivery in higher education;
however, it frequently does not encourage active learning
or critical thinking on the part of students.” (Duron,
Limbach, & Waugh, 2006)
The key is to use an
“engaged lecture” format.
Active Learning
Active learning can make the course more enjoyable for
both teachers and students.
For this to happen, educators must give up the belief that
students cannot learn the subject at hand unless the
teacher covers it.
Students really do not
understand content until they
actively do something with it
and reflect on the meaning
of what they are doing.
The Flipped Classroom
While there is no one model, the core idea is to flip the
common instructional approach
Instruction that used to occur in class is now accessed at home,
in advance of class.
Class becomes the place to work through problems, advance
concepts, and engage in collaborative learning.
Instruction can be rethought to best maximize the scarcest
learning resource—time.
"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.“ ~
Socrates
Socratic Questioning
− Teaching With Questions!
Socrates' (469 BC - 399 BC) most important
contribution to Western thought may be his
Socratic Method − which solves a problem
by breaking it down into a series of
questions, the answers to which gradually
lead to the problem solution.
Thinking Begins with a Question, not an Answer.
Socratic Questioning
− Teaching With Questions!
When you have a problem, you probably ask yourself,
"what do I need to know to solve this problem?"
This is critical thinking! Your students MUST LEARN to
do the same thing.
Elements of the Experimental Group
A special syllabus
A “student understanding” form
Instructors give students a thorough orientation to the
course, emphasizing how it will be taught, how they will
be assessed, and what they should be striving to achieve.
Instructors explain to the students,
when orienting them to the class,
what will happen on a typical class
day (and why)
Elements of the Experimental Group
Explain that class time will be a time in which the students
will PRACTICE thinking (within the content) using the
fundamental concepts and principles of the field
Systematically question students using a Socratic approach
Design instruction so that students engage in routine
practice in internalizing and applying the concepts they are
learning
Use engaged lecture
Use tactics that encourage active
learning
Model skilled thinking for students
The Foundation for Critical Thinking
http://www.criticalthinking.org
Questions?