Ideas to Action (i2a)
Using Critical Thinking to Foster
Student Learning and Community Engagement
Presentation for Dental Hygiene Faculty
December 11, 2008
1
Introductions
• Dental Hygiene Program i2a facilitators
– Dr. Jill Butters
– Dr. Lee Mayer
• Dental Hygiene Program FLC Participants
Spring 2009
– Susan Collier, R.D.H., M.S.Ed.
– Jacqueline Singleton, R.D.H., M.Ed.
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i2a Staff
Dr. Patty Payette
Executive Director
Dr. Cathy Bays
i2a Specialist for Assessment
Hannah Anthony
Program Coordinator
Dr. Eileen McFall
i2a Specialist for Culminating Experiences
Dr. Edna Ross
i2a Specialist for Critical Thinking
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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
http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction/files/finalreport.pdf
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i2a Timeline
•
•
•
•
2005-2006
– Call for “Big Idea”
2006-2007
– SACS reaccreditation visit (April 2007)
2007-2008
– i2a staff-team formed and housed in the Delphi Center
– Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Model chosen
– Pilot Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on Critical Thinking
– i2a website is launched
– i2a Student Learning Outcomes approved
2008-2009
– i2a Team is complete with CE specialist
– i2a SUN Grants launched
– FLCs on Critical Thinking, Experiential Learning and Culminating Experiences
– i2a Day (April 2009) and i2a Institute (May 2009)
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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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What is Critical Thinking?
Working in groups of 2-3, you will need a flip chart and a marker to:
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 my 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 my students are not thinking critically, I notice_________(fill in the
blank)”
When you are done, put the first sheet on the wall on one side of the room and put the other
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sheet on the opposite wall.
Critical Thinking & Faculty
• Paul, 1996
• College faculty
• 89% indicate critical thinking is a primary
objective of their instruction
– 19% could give a clear explanation of critical
thinking
– 77% had difficulty describing how to balance
content coverage with fostering critical thinking
– 8-9% could articulate how to assess critical
thinking
i2a Definition of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is
the intellectually disciplined process
that results in
a guide to belief and action.
Understanding
Concepts
Appreciation
Decisions
Synthesize
Application
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(From: Scriven and Paul, 2003)
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
Miniature Guide page 2
11
Reflection Questions:
1. How does the description of a well-cultivated
critical thinker (Miniature Guide page 2) 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
Which leads to deeper
Intellectual Traits
Humility
Autonomy
Fair-mindedness
Courage
Must be applied
to
Elements of Reasoning
Purpose
Question
Point of view
Information
Perseverance
Empathy
Integrity
Confidence in reasoning
Inferences
Concepts
Implications
Assumptions
to develop
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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
Miniature Guide pages 3-7
15
16
Miniature Guide, 2008, p. 3-6
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?
Miniature Guide pages 8-10
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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, 28th International Conference on Critical Thinking
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The Essential Intellectual Traits
• Intellectual Humility
• Intellectual Integrity
• Intellectual Courage
• Intellectual Perseverance
• Intellectual Empathy
• Confidence in Reason
• Intellectual Autonomy • Fairmindedness
Miniature Guide pages 13-15
20
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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Universal Intellectual Traits Faculty Exemplars
Nursing 361--Pat Martin
Revised Clinical Evaluation:
Objective 2- Demonstrate professional behavior in the community
Demonstrates Intellectual Integrity
Appearance is neat, clean, and professional at all times during clinical
Dresses appropriately for clinical situations (meetings, interviews with administrators, etc)
Utilizes time effectively and efficiently during clinical hours.
Demonstrates ethical behavior, including the ability to maintain client and community-level
confidentiality.
Submits completed assignments by appropriate due date
Arrives on time for clinical and is present throughout the assigned clinical time
Responds professionally to guidance from clinical instructor.
Adheres to the policies as published in the School of Nursing and U of L handbooks
Demonstrates actions and behaviors that act in the best interest of the client and others
in the community setting.
Displays behavior in the clinical setting that is not judgmental, discriminatory, or
inflammatory.
Collaborates with clients and others in the community setting to provide quality care
Maintains confidentiality in the clinical setting
Displays behaviors that protect the health and safety of clients in the community setting
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Accepts constructive criticism from clinical faculty member
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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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
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Culminating Experience
• Process
– Working with faculty and staff on a protocol
for designating and designing CEs.
– Considering Registrar designation for new
and existing CE courses.
• Spring 2009
– CE Research and Development Project
– FLC on Experiential Learning
Dr. Eileen McFall, i2a Specialist for CE
eileen.mcfall@louisville.edu
25
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
26
i2a Assessment
• Vision
– Process: Systematic, ongoing
– Assess: Critical thinking
Connect learning to the community
– Purpose: Quality enhancement
Accreditation accountability
• Goals
– Value-added to existing measures
– Direct and indirect measures
– Faculty input and participation
• Task Group Subcommittee
– “Big Picture” and “Nuts and Bolts”
– Representation: Diverse faculty, staff, administration
http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction/what/assessment/assessment-methods.html
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Dental Hygiene Case Study for
Critical Thinking
You are the hygienist who will be providing
care for Mr. Smith.
– What treatment plan would you recommend?
– What is your initial reaction to this situation?
– How would you begin to address this problem?
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Dental Hygiene Case Study for
Critical Thinking
Interpretation & Conclusions:
What are the judgments that
will allow me to know if I’ve
been successful?
Point of View: Whose point of
view is important to consider?
Implications & Consequences:
What are the implications of
my proposed solution?
Assumptions: What am I taking
for granted?
Key Question: What
problem am I addressing?
Information: What
information do I need?
Essential Concepts: What
information do I need to apply
to correct the problem?
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Dental Hygiene Case Study for
Critical Thinking
Answer the following questions:
1. Purpose: What am I trying to accomplish?
2. Question: What problem am I addressing?
3. Information: What information do I need to correct the problem?
4. Concepts: What concepts will I use to correct the problem?
5. Assumptions: What am I taking for granted?
6. Consequences: What are the implications of my proposed solution?
7. Point of View: Whose point of view is important to consider?
8. Conclusions: How will I know if I am successful?
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Dental Hygiene Case Study for
Critical Thinking
Clinical Reflection Questions:
1. What do you want to accomplish?
2. What questions will you ask/answer to
achieve your purpose?
3. What information and concepts are
essential to achieve your purpose?
4. How will you know if you have been
successful at accomplishing your purpose?
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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)
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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
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For more information
Please visit:
http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction
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Evaluation
1. How effective was this session at
increasing your knowledge of the i2a
initiative?
A=Not at all effective
B=Somewhat effective
C=Very effective
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Evaluation
2. How effective was this session at
increasing your knowledge of the PaulElder critical thinking model?
A=Not at all effective
B=Somewhat effective
C=Very effective
36
Evaluation
3. What is the likelihood that you will use
these critical thinking components
(Elements, Standards, Traits) in your work
with students?
A=Not at all
B=Somewhat possible
C=Very possible
37
Feedback
Let us know through your i2a facilitators:
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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