All tagged critical thinking
The world will never be the same since we own digital devices. Indeed, the Internet can alter cognitive processes (1), for example, by promoting continuous division of attention - which in turn reduces our ability to maintain concentration on a particular task.
Teaching background knowledge is relatively straightforward with the right level of material and good teaching. But how do educators teach the habits of mind that involve being active and creative in the analysis and application of background knowledge as students are acquiring that knowledge?
Every so often articles like this pop up claiming that critical thinking is a soft skill and is surely not being taught in schools, despite its importance in the workplace and everyday life.
“How do I ace an exam?”… “How can I make learning more meaningful for my students?”… “How do I help my child to study?” are just a few of the many questions asked by students, teachers, and parents. And although these questions are articulated in slightly different ways, they ultimately are trying to understand the same underlying mechanism; that is, how do humans learn? … Fortunately for us, our understanding of learning has advanced significantly because of research in cognitive psychology.
In Cindy’s department, all general education courses are required to have a student learning objective that is assessed during the course. For their introductory psychology courses, they strive to develop critical and creative thinking skills and assess them at multiple time points…
Despite the different definitions, there is a consensus regarding the dimensions of critical thinking and these dimensions have implications for how critical thinking is understood and taught. Critical thinking includes skills and dispositions (1).