A Problem Imagine you are in charge of airport security at an international airport in Florida. An American Airlines counterclerk calls to inform you that a person scheduled to get on Flight 1304 to Dallas has refused to board the plane, claiming that she is psychic and she senses that there is a bomb on board. You meet with the psychic and recognize her from the Larry King and Montel Williams shows. You vaguely remember her claiming to have used her psychic ability to solve several important continue...

Critical thinking means correct thinking in the pursuit of relevant and reliable knowledge about the world. Another way to describe it is reasonable, reflective, responsible, and skillful thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do. A person who thinks critically can ask appropriate questions, gather relevant information, efficiently and creatively sort through this information, reason logically from this information, and come to reliable and trustworthy conclusions about the continue...

Summary of various research made in UNM College of Nursing according to this structure: Source / What was researched / Findings. http://hsc.unm.edu/…research.pdf continue...

The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effects of holding group-dynamic sessions in clinical training on critical thinking skills of baccalaureate nursing students. All 60 senior students were selected and randomly divided into two equal groups. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and four forms of clinical reports based on nursing process. For students in the experimental group, selected topics on family health were discussed over 8-10 continue...

Insight Assessment is committed to the international advancement of critical thinking. Our pioneering work in the measurement of critical thinking skills and habits of mind is the foundation for our full range of critical thinking skills test and critical thinking disposition measurement instruments. http://www.insightassessment.com/home.html continue...

Within the William and Mary curriculum units, specific teaching models are used to strengthen students’ critical thinking skills. Each of the models is used within the context of a particular unit of study. Each of the models is flexible and may be adapted to use in many classroom lessons. The models may be downloaded for classroom use, maintaining the Center for Gifted Education logo on any copies that are made. Literature Web Hamburger Model for Persuasive Writing Vocabulary continue...

MELTABRC is another example of a useful critical thinking tool. It was developed by the English faculty at Seaton High School in South Australia to be used in evaluating information sources, but it could just as easily be applied by a student to their own thinking and their own conclusions and products: M—What are the author’s/presenter’s Main points? E—What Evidence or Examples does the author/presenter provide? LT—What Language/Techniques does the author/presenter use in his or continue...

One example of a critical thinking tool that can be applied to any topic, including a student’s own beliefs, comes from the Coalition of Essential Schools. Assessment within coalition schools is partially by exhibition, and as students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through their exhibition they are expected to make use of the following habits of mind: • Point of View—From what point of view is the topic being approached? • Evidence—What evidence is being used to continue...

Taken together, these studies seem to suggest that we should: • Explicitly teach critical thinking skills across the curriculum. • Ensure all teachers have training in pedagogy related to critical thinking. • Create situations where students can explore issues and topics critically through collaborative group work. • Find ways to foster deliberate open-minded thinking and a need for cognition. • Find ways to help students become aware of their own beliefs as well as their own continue...

One of the key skills underpinning much of critical thinking is the ability to reason independently of one’s prior beliefs and opinions. A number of studies have shown that we are able to critically evaluate conclusions that are inconsistent with our own much more easily than we can evaluate those which are consistent with our own. Researchers at the University of Toronto pushed this line of thinking further. They wanted to see whether it might not be more than just our prior beliefs and continue...