Ideas to Action (i2a)

Using Critical Thinking to Foster Student Learning and Community Engagement

REACH Presentation January 6, 2009

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Today’s Goals

• Explore the core concepts behind Ideas to Action and critical thinking • Learn more about the Paul-Elder model of critical thinking • Consider how these concepts apply to your work with students and with each other in REACH settings (…and in your life!) 2

i2a Staff

Dr. Patty Payette Executive Director Associate Director, Delphi Center Dr. Cathy Bays i2a Specialist for Assessment Dr. Eileen McFall i2a Specialist for Culminating Experiences Dr. Edna Ross i2a Specialist for Critical Thinking Hannah Anthony Program Coordinator 3

Ideas to Action: the basics

 Ideas to Action (i2a): Using Critical Thinking to Foster Student Learning and Community Engagement is our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) .

 Part of our accreditation report to SACS-COC to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to student learning  Our 10-year initiative we created to renew our focus on critical thinking and community engagement and the undergraduate experience.

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Call to action at UofL “Our extensive consultation with all University constituencies yielded a surprisingly strong and clear call for education focused on the

skills and knowledge

needed to deal with

real-world issues and problems

, an education in which

students can see the importance of the parts (the courses) to the whole (their education as citizens and workers)

.” [QEP Report, 2007]

skills and knowledge real-world issues & problems the parts to the whole

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i2a : connecting classroom, campus and community Sharpen our existing focus on building critical thinking skills in the general education program… …..continuing through undergraduate major courses with an emphasis on applying and refining those skills…

…

resulting in a culminating experience, such as a senior thesis, research, service learning project, internship, or capstone project that fosters engagement

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i2a Components:

Culminating Experiences

• Practical application of knowledge and critical thinking skills to address problem solving in “real world” contexts • Course or credit bearing experiences • Examples:       Capstone Courses/Projects Internships Senior Theses Research Projects Service Learning Projects Other Independent Study Projects 7

What is Critical Thinking?

Working in groups of 3-5, you will need to discuss and answer these questions: 1) On the first large sheet of paper, discuss and decide together how you will answer the following: “Critical thinking is ________(fill in the blank with 1-4 words)” 2) On the same sheet below your answer, fill in: “I see or hear critical thinking when students are_____(fill in the blank by completing this sentence)” 3) On a second large sheet of paper, discuss and decide together how you will answer the following: “Critical thinking is not_____(fill in the blank with 1-4 words)” 4) On the same sheet below your answer fill in: “When students are not thinking critically, I notice_________(fill in the blank)” 8

i2a Definition of Critical Thinking

Understanding Concepts Appreciation

Critical thinking is

the intellectually disciplined process

that results in

a guide to belief and action.

(From: Scriven and Paul, 2003) Decisions Synthesize Application 9

A Well-Cultivated Critical Thinker:

 Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely  Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively  Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards  Thinks open mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as needs be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences  Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems 10

Reflection Questions:

1. How does the description of a well-cultivated critical thinker compare with the list of answers to the previous question?

2. What do you see in common with the two?

3. How does this fit with your ideas about what students need to be able to do in college and in the world beyond?

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Critical Thinking Model Adopted for i2a Richard Paul-Linda Elder model



Agreed upon by all reviewers (virtually perfect inter-rater reliability)



Most comprehensive (many ‘models’ merely narratives)



Discipline neutral terminology



Provides a common language/terminology for discussing, modeling and measuring critical thinking that can be readily applied to all disciplines



Has a wealth of discipline specific resource materials

http://www.criticalthinking.org

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Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Model Intellectual Standards

Accuracy Clarity Relevance Logical Sufficiency Precision Depth Significance Fairness Breadth Must be applied Which leads to deeper Purpose Question Point of view Information

Intellectual Traits

Humility Perseverance Autonomy Fair-mindedness Courage Empathy Integrity Confidence in reasoning to

Elements of Reasoning

Inferences Concepts Implications Assumptions to develop 13

8 Elements (Structures) of Reasoning

Whenever we think,

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

We think for a

purpose

Within a

point of view

Based on

assumptions

Leading to

implications and consequences

Using

data, facts and experiences

To make

inferences and judgments

Based on

concepts and theories

To answer a

question or solve a problem

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Elements of Thought Activity Together, let’s identify a common problematic scenario related to critical thinking in a REACH situation.

Get back together in your groups.

Use the handout to explore students’ Elements of Thought – “Going around the Wheel” 17

Universal Intellectual Standards for Thinking

CLARITY

Could you elaborate?

Could you illustrate what you mean?

Could you give me an example?

ACCURACY

How could we check on that?

How could we find out if that is true?

How could we verify or test that?

PRECISION

Could you be more specific?

Could you give me more details?

Could you be more exact?

RELEVANCE

How does that relate to the problem?

How does that bear on the question?

How does that help us with the issue?

DEPTH

What factors make this difficult?

What are some of the complexities of this question?

What are some of the difficulties we need to deal with?

BREADTH

Do we need to look at this from another perspective?

Do we need to consider another point of view?

Do we need to look at this in other ways?

LOGIC

Does all of this make sense together?

Does your first paragraph fit in with your last one?

Does what you say follow from the evidence?

SIGNIFICANCE

Is this the most important problem to consider?

Is this the central idea to focus on?

Which of these facts are most important?

FAIRNESS

Is my thinking justifiable in context?

Am I taking into account the thinking of others?

Is my purpose fair given the situation?

Am I using my concepts in keeping with educated usage, or am I distorting them to get what I want?

COMPLETENESS

How complete are the facts related to the issue?

How complete is the description?

Is the description of each perspective complete?

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Universal Intellectual Standards for Thinking

Clarity

: Understandable, the meaning can be grasped

Accuracy

: Free from errors or distortions, true

Precision

: Exact to the necessary level of detail

Relevance

: Relating to the matter at hand

Depth

: Containing complexities and interrelationships

Breadth

: Involving multiple viewpoints

Logic

: The parts make sense together, no contradictions

Significance

: Focusing on the important, not trivial

Fairness

: Justifiable, not self-serving (or egocentric) Richard Paul Keynote, 28 th International Conference on Critical Thinking 19

Think, Pair Share

• How could you use these “Standards” questions in your work with students in a REACH-related setting?

• Which question will you start to use and when?

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The Essential Intellectual Traits

• Intellectual Humility • Intellectual Integrity • Intellectual Courage • Intellectual Perseverance • Intellectual Empathy • Confidence in Reason • Intellectual Autonomy • Fairmindedness 21

Why do we need to describe the Intellectual Traits?

• These “Traits” are a way to describe the kinds of habits of mind—the thinking qualities and abilities—that we want to cultivate in our students. • Think back to the qualities we described in the ideal graduate.

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Faculty Perspective

“I think that for decades I have given my students many opportunities to engage in critical thinking, and I have modeled critical thinking in class discussions. But I don’t think I can claim ever to have

taught

critical thinking in a systematic way. The model gives me a way to share a critical thinking vocabulary with students and to chart their progress. I know and can tell my students exactly what I am looking for.”

Spring 2008 Pilot Program Participant, Department of English

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Think, Pair, Share

• Focus on:

Confidence in Reason

-

Review this Trait -Discuss in your own words -How can you talk about this Trait with students?

• Focus on:

Intellectual Perseverance

-

Review this Trait -Discuss in your own words -How can you talk about this Trait with students?

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i2a Engagement Campus-Wide

• i2a informational sessions and workshops • Consultations/projects with faculty or departments (e.g. Speed co-op project) • Collaborations with academic & student affairs staff (e.g. Collaborative Learning Community) • Ongoing campus collaborations (e.g. Signature Partnership Initiative) 25

Next Steps for ‘U’

• Culminating Experiences Research and Development Project (Spring 09) • i2a Institute on Critical Thinking (May 09) • i2a Day (Spring 09) • Faculty Learning Community http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction/flc • Collaborative Learning Community • i2a Supporting Undergraduate iNnovation (SUN) grants http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction/grants 26

Feedback

1. What was helpful about this session?

2. What questions were raised from this session?

3. What do you think are the next steps for you and/or the unit?

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For more information

Please visit: http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction

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