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Ben Finch
Dr. Brad Frailicks
EDP 1350.002
10 December 2024
Educational Psychology Final Exam
Section I
1)
Critical thinking was defined in 2012 by Paul & Elder stating, “[it is] the disciplined art of
ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances”.
Although this captures the spirit of critical thinking, a more robust definition of my own is,
“Critical thinking is a reflective type of thinking, requiring advanced evaluation, which helps one
decide what to believe”. Regardless of the difference in our definitions, they both share a
common theme: using one’s best thinking & evaluation to navigate challenges effectively.
Critical thinking will affect one’s life whether or not the setting is academic. In an academic
setting, basic knowledge of a subject is a prerequisite for critical thinking, which, once
employed, should cause one to ask some reflective questions regarding the subject. From
analyzing complex concepts to questioning assumptions, critical thinking can spark powerful
connections and enhanced learning, leaving a more meaningful impression on the learner’s
mind. Outside of college, critical thinking affects one’s everyday life in a multitude of ways.
Whether it’s buying a house or creating a thoughtful budget, critical thinking plays a large role
in both the big and little decisions in life. It gives one the ability to make informed decisions
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while weighing the risks. Secondarily, improved communication skills could be a product of
critical thinking. Actively reflecting on someone’s dissimilar opinion is a vital ability to guide one
through all relationships in life. Overall, critical thinking is a highly important skill for learning
and fostering strong relationships.
2)
Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised) is a hierarchical system that separates learning objectives
into different levels of complexity, ranging from basic knowledge to advanced evaluation. Basic
objectives include questions like “What is technology?”, while more advanced objectives
include questions like “How do these technological concepts shape the way we learn?”. The
hierarchy consists of the following, ranging from most basic to most advanced: Remember,
Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create. A student cannot create something effectively
without completing the preceding objectives. The taxonomy gives instructors and teachers a
system of methods to help students understand learning, while also deepening the learning.
The beauty of the taxonomy lies in the fact that any student can tailor their learning experience
to their own needs. Through using a mental checklist of each level of the taxonomy, students
can easily recognize which level of their learning in that subject is lacking and needs more
attention. This process requires critical thinking, inherently, as the learner is forced to reflect on
their own understanding of the material. In my own academic journey, I find Bloom’s Taxonomy
highly useful in all my classes but, specifically, Finance. The class requires the learner to utilize
financial formulas in many ways, requiring the formula to be solved for different variables and
complex solutions. Overall, it just feels like there are too many ways to get the correct answer,
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all varying in difficulty. When I go through the mental checklist that Bloom’s Taxonomy
provides, I often find that I should have spent more time evaluating each method of solving a
problem. I find myself trying to “Create” plans for solving problems, when I should have taken a
step back and “Evaluated” which method was most effective for the challenge at hand.
Section II
3)
Weinstein’s Model of Strategic Learning is traditionally made up of 3 components: skill, will,
and self-regulation. For the sake of this explanation, “Skill” can be broken down into two
components: Physical “Skill” and mental “Knowledge”. Starting with “Knowledge”, it is focused
on the learner’s understanding of the academic task, their knowledge regarding learning
strategies, and maybe most importantly, knowledge about themself as a learner. This is all
necessary context for learning strategically. Moving onto “Skill”, this has to do with how to
employ the knowledge necessary to complete the task. For example, knowing the steps for
note-taking or reading comprehension is not the same thing as skillfully doing it. Next, “Will”
has to do with desire and motivation when learning. If someone is not committed to achieving
the goal, they fail to exhibit the proper “Will” to do so. Lastly, “Self-regulation” involves one’s
ability to manage their own behaviors in accordance with completing the task. This could look
like listening to a certain genre of music while studying, because you know it aids your focus.
Also, knowing when and who to ask for help is included in “Self-regulation”. The component of
Weinstein’s model that I find most impactful is the “Will” component. I believe that, in my own
life, my will is a prerequisite for gaining all other components. Sometimes I fail to gain the will
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to listen in class or to cook and eat a proper meal before I study. Without doing these things, I
will miss out on gaining knowledge from that lecture (and probably skill), as well as failing to
execute the self-regulation that I know is necessary for success. By conjuring up will through
different motivations, I know that I will see improvement in not only my academics, but all
other aspects of my life.
4)
There are many learning strategies one can employ, both inside and outside of the
classroom, to mitigate anxiety and procrastination. I will offer 4 strategies, 2 inside-class and 2
outside-class. Starting with strategies to use inside class, I would recommend utilizing academic
listening and creating outlines for note-taking purposes. Beginning with academic listening, it is
having the ability to comprehend complex information that is spoken orally. Just like training in
the gym to build physical strength, academic listening strengthens one’s attention to be
especially useful in a classroom setting. This is not an easy task, depending on the information
and lecture length, but nonetheless, it is a very important skill. Focusing on fighting the urge to
mentally “check out”, academic listening requires the learner to constantly restate their
intention of learning in their own head. Creating mental connections through critical thinking
and reflection can aid in academic listening. Another useful strategy for in-class success is
creating outlines for notes. This involves the learner writing the main over-arching topic of the
lecture, with sub-topics below the main topic. Also, details can be filled in below sub-topics.
This is a useful tool which works in tandem with academic listening. As one jots down quick
topics and details, more and more of the oral lecture will imprint on the mind. Moving onto
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strategies to be used outside the classroom, I have chosen to suggest academic reading and
study groups. Academic reading is reading with the intent to truly understand, rather than just
scanning words on a page for quick information. A common structure for academic reading
includes a 3-phase method: forethought phase, performance phase, and reflection phase. The
forethought phase involves analyzing the task before embarking on it. Once the learner
understands what they are going to read and why, then begins the performance phase. This
consists of the actual attentive reading. The hard part is constantly regulating one’s own
understanding as progress is made through reading. Lastly, the reflection phase is when the
learner begins to summarize everything in their head, evaluating if goals from the forethought
phase were met. Moving onto the study group strategy, study groups can be an effective way of
learning outside the classroom. Usually, three people altogether is the best size for an efficient
study group. A healthy competitive environment improves everyone’s learning. Activities like
civil debate and quizzing each other on test questions are a recipe for an engaging, purposeful
learning experience. All in all, these four strategies are just a few of the many different methods
that can be used to improve learning quality in a writing-intensive history class.
Section III
5)
In my dream life 10 years from now, I would like to own a house and have a family of my own.
Although I’m not sure which city or, even, state I want to live in, I know I want to have at least a
couple acres of land, all within 15 minutes of the essentials (hospital, grocery store, kids’
school, etc.). Being next to a motorsport racetrack would be really cool too! I’d like to vacation
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in mountainous areas like the Rocky Mountains or Appalachian Mountains. On a different note,
I want to continue my jiu-jitsu journey and eventually get my black belt. I’d like to become a
very impactful jiu-jitsu instructor, which requires serious development of leadership skills. A
couple SMART goals I could set for myself include a short-term goal, a medium-term goal, and a
long-term goal. Starting with a short-term SMART goal, I want to graduate from my Texas State
University Undergraduate program with a GPA of 3.5 and at least 2 CIS certificates. For my
medium-term SMART goal, I want to get a degree from a Master's program in Information
Systems with an automotive-related job lined up. Lastly, my long-term SMART goal consists of
owning a house and having a family of my own, for whom I can steadily provide, within 15 years
from now. Life sometimes throws you in directions you wouldn’t expect, but the intention
behind these goals is to have a set direction I can always find my way back to. Overall, I am
optimistic about my life, and I believe I can excel in all of my endeavors.