Stepping it Up: Combining TBL and Critical Thinking Strategies

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Stepping it Up Combining TBL and Critical
Thinking Strategies
Harry Meeuwsen University of Texas at el Paso
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Outline

• Why explicit instruction in Critical Thinking?
• How I apply Team Based Learning
• Critical thinking definitions
• Structure of Critical Thinking Strategies
• David Perkins
• Paul Elder
• Wolcott Lynch
• Commonalities in the models
• Application and integration of Critical Thinking
• Student reflections
• Summary

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Critical Thinking is...

• the examination and test of propositions of any
  kind which are offered for acceptance, in order
  to find out whether they correspond to reality or
  not (William Graham Sumner, 1906)
• the intellectually disciplined process of
  actively and skillfully conceptualizing,
  applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
  evaluating information gathered from, or
  generated by, observation, experience,
  reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a
  guide to belief and action. In its exemplary
  form, it is based on universal intellectual
  values that transcend subject matter divisions
  clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency,
  relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth,
  breadth, and fairness. (Scriven Paul, 2007)

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Why Teach Critical Thinking in TBL ?

• Critical Thinking as a formal strategy does not
  appear automatically when using TBL
• Our undergraduate students possess poor thinking
  strategies
• Most problems in movement education are
  open-ended problems that contain many
  uncertainties and multiple solutions
• TBL is an excellent strategy to teach Critical
  Thinking
• Students engage each other in permanent teams
• Creates greater trust and better give-and-take
  discussions
• Can easily incorporate assignments that
• Use open ended problems (Lynch, Wolcott, Huber,
  2000)
• Cannot be described completely and contain
  uncertainties
• Have more than one possible solution
• Generate controversy, even among experts
• Need to be addressed repeatedly over time as
  conditions change
• Are better solved using a critical thinking
  strategy
• Provide repeated opportunities to practice
• Progressively increase the complexity of the
  thought process

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Perkins (1984) Model

• Five Basic Questions
• What is the purpose of the issue?
• How is it structured and organized?
• What is an example or model case?
• What statements and reasons are used to explain
  and/or evaluate it?
• How do we know it has achieved its purpose/has an
  impact?

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Paul Elder (1996)(see http//www.criticalthinki
ng.org/)

• The Elements of Reasoning
• All reasoning has a PURPOSE
• All reasoning is an attempt to FIGURE SOMETHING
  OUT, TO SETTLE SOME QUESTION, TO SOLVE SOME
  PROBLEM.
• All reasoning is based on ASSUMPTIONS
• All reasoning is done from some POINT OF VIEW

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Paul Elder (1996) continued

• All reasoning is based on DATA, INFORMATION and
  EVIDENCE
• All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped
  by, CONCEPTS and IDEAS
• All reasoning contains INFERENCES or
  INTERPRETATIONS by which we draw CONCLUSIONS and
  give meaning to data
• All reasoning leads somewhere or has IMPLICATIONS
  and CONSEQUENCES

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Lynch, Wolcott, Huber (2000)(see
http//www.wolcottlynch.com/)

• Components similar to Paul Elders model
• Is progressive uses steps to attain better
  thinking (see handout)
• Is developmental uses performance patterns to
  describe developmental level
• Creates a taxonomy of 2 dimensions
• Steps (foundation 4)
• Performance Patterns (5)

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Developmental Performance Patterns

• Performance Pattern 0
• Confused Fact-Finder
• Performance Pattern 1
• Biased Jumper
• Performance Pattern 2
• Perpetual Analyzer
• Performance Pattern 3
• Pragmatic Performer
• Performance Pattern 4
• Strategic Re-Visioner

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Common Components

• Clarify nature of the problem
• Identify the key question(s) and uncertainties
• Identify and assess the quality and relevance of
  information
• Recognize personal and others biases
• Identify assumptions (self and others)
• Identify various points of view that may underlie
  disagreements
• Use inferences or evaluation strategy to draw
  conclusions
• Assess the implications of conclusions
• Implement solution, assess consequences, and
  revise solution when needed

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Integrating TBL and CT My attempt

• Ticket To Class 1 and In-Class Assignment 1 (see
  handout)
• Connections to Critical Thinking
• Use of multimedia (video clips are great hooks)
• Throwing and Catching Video clip
• Attempted basketball fake

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Progressively Demand More

• Pull through from initial exposure to summative
  assignment
• Summative Assignment Unit 2 Ticket To Class 3
  and In-Class Assignment 3 (see handout)
• Summative Assignment Unit 4Ticket To Class 12
  and In-Class Assignment 12 (see handout)
• Connections to Critical Thinking
• Critical Thinking based rubric
• Outcomes
• Students reflections (see handout)

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Conclusions

• TBL is an excellent strategy to teach critical
  thinking but
• Same problem specific choice simultaneous
  presentation engages them in discussion but do
  not help students learn a critical thinking
  strategy
• Teaching a formal critical thinking model
  benefits life-long learning they are
  discipline-independent
• Students can learn how to think if the design of
  the assignment explicitly forces them to do so
  repeatedly
• Without explicit instruction on CT most students
  will not learn how to think things through
  systematically
• Moving up one pattern (Wolcott Lynch) in one
  semester is attainable
• Caution Level of thinking is context, mood
  dependent
• Content attainment is secondary to broader goals
  but benefits greatly

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Summary

• How I apply Team Based Learning
• Critical thinking definitions and models
• Application and integration of Critical Thinking
  in homework and in-class assignments
• Student reflections