Response to Derek Bok on Critical Thinking
Derek Bok, the ex and future president of Harvard, has written a new book about our "Underachieving Colleges" He points out that the lecture method is still the dominant method of teaching and asking students to regurgitate low level facts is the dominant method of testing. There is certainly a role for the lecture method especially when the teacher engages the students with questions during the lecture or establishes a climate in which the students engage the teacher by asking questions. Unfortunately, that is not the nature of most teaching in higher education, high schools or in most corporate training rooms. Although, corporate trainers are miles ahead of public education in using methods that engage the ability of the students to think critically.
Dr. Bok points out that most everyone believes that one of the most important goals of higher education is to develop the ability of students to think critically. Yet, neither the typical lecture or testing for low level content helps students meet this goal. If you were to create a heirarchy of methods that require the ability to think critically, that is the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate ideas, I think the list would look like this from least to most:
1. Showing a film
2. One way lectures:
a. Lecturing in a boring manner without asking questions that require the students to think.
b. Lecturing but asking rhetorical questions that the professor answers themselves (yes, the
plural pronoun "them" is now acceptable with singular nouns - Ask Richard Lederer).
c. Lecturing with power points slides.
d. Lecturing in a way that engages the students interest.
3. Interactive lectures but involving the students by asking questions that require them to
analyze, synthesize or evaluate ideas and facts during the lecture.
4. Problem solving assignements:
a. Giving students assignments that requires them to engage in research that requires
them to think critically to fulfill the assignment.
b. Asking students to analyze case histories and make presentations that allow the teacher to
help them learn to think critically.
c. Giving the students a problem to solve that requires them to think critically to solve the
problem.
5. Having the students participate in a simulation of reality that requires them to analyze data,
make decisions and suffer the consequences of those decisions. And after the participation,
help them analyze the experience in a way that develops their critical thinking.
Yes, this might seem a little self-serving to say that experiential learning and particularly simulations are one of the best methods for developing critical thinking. But I don't think I will get much disagreement from those who have actually used simulations or other experiential methods in the classroom or in a business environment.
Dr. Bok points out that most everyone believes that one of the most important goals of higher education is to develop the ability of students to think critically. Yet, neither the typical lecture or testing for low level content helps students meet this goal. If you were to create a heirarchy of methods that require the ability to think critically, that is the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate ideas, I think the list would look like this from least to most:
1. Showing a film
2. One way lectures:
a. Lecturing in a boring manner without asking questions that require the students to think.
b. Lecturing but asking rhetorical questions that the professor answers themselves (yes, the
plural pronoun "them" is now acceptable with singular nouns - Ask Richard Lederer).
c. Lecturing with power points slides.
d. Lecturing in a way that engages the students interest.
3. Interactive lectures but involving the students by asking questions that require them to
analyze, synthesize or evaluate ideas and facts during the lecture.
4. Problem solving assignements:
a. Giving students assignments that requires them to engage in research that requires
them to think critically to fulfill the assignment.
b. Asking students to analyze case histories and make presentations that allow the teacher to
help them learn to think critically.
c. Giving the students a problem to solve that requires them to think critically to solve the
problem.
5. Having the students participate in a simulation of reality that requires them to analyze data,
make decisions and suffer the consequences of those decisions. And after the participation,
help them analyze the experience in a way that develops their critical thinking.
Yes, this might seem a little self-serving to say that experiential learning and particularly simulations are one of the best methods for developing critical thinking. But I don't think I will get much disagreement from those who have actually used simulations or other experiential methods in the classroom or in a business environment.
posted by webmaster at
10:06 AM
1 Comments:
Hi there, Steve Crawford here in Finland (sometime IIer poster).
I was very sorry to see "showing a film" as number one on this list! I use interculturally oriented films specifically as an immersive tool for my students. Films, somewhat like sims, offer the ability to situate the student at the intersection of cultures (its much cheaper than a plane ticket and better than a lecture). Afterwords we reflect on the film and think critically about the essential elements. I realize that simulations are important as well, but there is no rationale in my opinion for debunking films. Watching films is not a passive, mindless pasttime. Of course it also depends on the film (and the student and the teacher). But lets not start the list with "showing a film". For me it is a key component of my pedagogical tool kit! Thanks, Steve (lecturer and trainer)
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home