Transcript Preliminary Analyses of Student Use and Usefulness of

Using the Web to Enhance Critical
Thinking About Psychology
Connie Varnhagen
What do we mean by “Critical Thinking”?
• Knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding
thinking, reasoning, and problem solving
• Propensity to apply these knowledge, skills,
and attitudes
Types of Critical Thinking
• Halonen:
° Practical Critical Thinking
• Accurate, objective observation and analysis of everyday
behavior
° Methodological Critical Thinking
• Understanding and interpretation (and application) of the
scientific method
° Theoretical Critical Thinking
• Understanding and application of scientific explanations
of behavior
Promoting Critical Thinking
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Active learning
Self-directed learning
Constructed learning
Problem-based learning
Discussion
Real-world context
Realities in Many Classrooms
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Large classes
Minimal resources
Changing student demographics
Changing student needs
Increased pressures on faculty
Functional Analysis of the Web for
Promoting Critical Thinking
• Disseminate information
° Students can critically evaluate information they
obtain from the Web
• Communication
° Students can sharpen their critical thinking, reading,
and writing skills
• Simulations and demonstrations
° Students can experience different environments
Using the Web to Promote
Practical Critical Thinking
• Use the information dissemination function of
the Web to have students read and critically
evaluate arguments, e.g.,
° Recognize observer expectancy bias in facilitated
communication
• Letter from a mother
• Skeptical site
• Balanced site
Arguments for Observer-Expectancy
• I think that no matter how much everyone wants to believe in facilitated
communication and no matter how great it would be if all autistic
individuals could have the opportunity to communicate ... a lot more
research must go into the idea because I think that facilitated
communication is very much like the case of Clever Hans.
• No matter how much families want to believe it, I seriously believe there
is nothing to support the validity of facilitated communication. Unless
the children can communicate under test conditions (facilitator with no
idea what question is being asked), then I can't bring myself to believe it
works. The mother … is really just hanging on to the hope that her son
is expressing himself at a higher level than
he actually is.
Arguments against Observer-Expectancy
• Honestly it is impossible to determine if the autism experiment is
an example of observer-expectancy bias. But, I do have hope
for all things so it is hope that will make me believe that what
has happened to Lenny is NOT and example of observerexpectancy bias.
• If it is helping the parents then what does it matter if the child is
actually learning? … even though it may or may not work it still
serves a positive purpose. You don't have to believe in miracles
to appreciate the happiness they cause. Fraud or not it still
helps people and should be allowed to continue.
Using the Web to Promote
Practical Critical Thinking
• Use the collaboration function of the Web to
apply principles learned in class to real life,
e.g.,
° Design a Christmas Web site that color blind
people can still enjoy
• These guys did a great job
• This one is interesting
• This one would probably be fine for a color blind person
Using the Web to Promote
Methodological Critical Thinking
• Use the active learning function of the Web to
understand how bias can affect experimental
results, e.g.,
° How can subject expectancy effects bias
questionnaire results?
• Lifestyle questionnaire
Using the Web to Promote
Methodological Critical Thinking
• Use the active learning function of the Web to
distinguish inferences from observations,
e.g.,
° What do you infer if you are more likely to
associate Bush with bad/good than Gore with
good/bad?
• Implicit Association Test
Using the Web to Promote
Theoretical Critical Thinking
• Use the incidental learning function of the
Web to analyze a perspective or theory, e.g.,
° How does Negative Reinforcement University use
negative reinforcement to teach principles of
negative reinforcement?
• Negative Reinforcement University
Using the Web to Promote
Theoretical Critical Thinking
• Use the elaboration learning function of the
Web to compare/contrast theories, e.g.,
° How do Piagetian and information processing
theories differ in their explanations of cognitive
processing?
• Combination of chemicals problem
Summing Up
• Developing critical thinking skills (and the
propensity to use them) is an important goal of
psychology courses
• As resources dwindle, the Web may be used
effectively for promoting critical thinking
° We must understand the type of critical thinking we
are interested in as well as the functionality of the
Web resource we want to use