Transcript Critical Thinking in Global Issues

Critical Thinking in Global Issues
Harlan Schottenstein and Phyllis Duryee
Agenda
A Framework for Critical Thinking in Global Issues
Examples of Global Issues That Promote Critical Thinking
Feedback Techniques That Encourage Students to Use Critical
Thinking
Discussion and Questions
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Define Critical Thinking
Critical thinking promotes knowing how to distinguish between
facts and assertions.
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Facts
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Assertions
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Opinions
Doing Research
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Research in Global Issues
must reliable and valid.
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Reliability of research is
based on trust determined
by authorship and source.
Critical Appraisal of Information on the Web
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Students are poor at determining credibility based on whether
purpose of web site is to inform or promote.
Evaluating a web site is more complicated and requires
greater processing of information than just a surface
appraisal of the source (Hogan, N. and Varnhagen, C.)
Finding and Checking Sources
Who is providing the source?
What is the source?
What is the validity of the source?
Resource:
library.franklin.edu
What do students learn in Global Issues?
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They learn to detect inconsistencies and
common mistakes
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They learn to solve problems
systematically.
We ask students to:
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Support their thinking with research
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Restrict their claims to those which are supported by research
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Search for information that opposes that point of view
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Walk in someone else’s shoes
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Play Devil’s Advocate
We ask students NOT to:
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Use polarized thinking: all back and white
Overgeneralize
Ignore the big picture
Stereotyping
We tend to think of the world through the lens
of our own experiences. We want to stay in our
comfort zone of familiarity. Students do a
cultural interview which breaks down the
stereotypes.
Some research on student facilitation and
critical thinking
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Three types of facilitation techniques for asynchronous online
discussion (Paulsen, 1995)
1. Organizational : Keeps discussion on track and encourages
regular participation.
2. Social: Reinforces good discussion behavior.
3. Intellectual: Questions, challenges ideas, examples, and use
of rational reasoning
Effectiveness of techniques for developing
critical thinking (Lim, Cheung, Hew, 2011)
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Top 30% utilized Intellectual and Social Techniques
Bottom 30% utilized Organizational and Social Techniques
Conclusion: Students need to be prepared for technique that
can promote higher levels of critical thinking in online
discussions.
Story of Stuff Assignment
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Requires students to watch a video which is
emotionally convincing
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Requires students to do research that supports
and/or refutes the claims
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Make a judgment about the validity of the claims of
the author
Feedback for students:
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Examples of feedback that may promote deeper critical
thinking:
Did the passing of a law fix everything, or did it
start to fix the problem? I know it’s an important
step, but usually problems don’t go away as soon as
a law is passed. What were some of the issues it
addressed specifically? How effective has this law
been at reaching its goals?
• I’d like to see a little more support for what you say
about… There is nothing wrong with your claim, but
you don’t back it up with examples.
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Feedback for students:
• What
was the impact of x? You need
more analysis here.
• My concern is that you use only three
sources for your paper and one of them
is not an appropriate academic source.
• When you use the phrase ‘seem to’, it
makes you sound less reliable. Use
some examples here or specific
evidence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALWwK7Vz4gY
Bibliography
Fernandez-Morera, D. (2011) How Do You Know That? A Guide to Critical
Thinking About Global Issues. MA : John Wiley & Sons, 2012
Hall, E. T. (1976) Beyond Culture. New York: Anchor Books
Hogan, N. and Varnhagen, C. (2012) Critical appraisal of information on the
web in practice: Undergraduate students’ knowledge, reported use
and behavior. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technologies. Vol.
38 (1)
Leonard, A. (2008) Story of Stuff .
Retrieved from: www.story of stuff.org
Lim Sze Chung, R., Cheng, W.S. and Hew, K.F. (2011) Critical thinking in
asynchronous online discussion: An investigation of student
facilitation techniques. New Horizons in Education. Vol. 59, No. 1