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St. Petersburg Online Communicator (SPOC)Professional Development - Critical Thinking Institutes
| 2012 | 2011 | |
-Critical Thinking Retreat |
-Critical Thinking Retreat -Spring Critical Thinking Institute (Dr. Good) -Fall Critical Thinking Institute |
Critical Thinking Retreat 2012
A morning to take a closer look at interdisciplinary teaching, action research, and authentic assessment. Information about and assistance with the CETL Critical Thinking Grants will be included. Date Location Registration Agenda: Full Agenda (pdf) |
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- 9:00 - Welcome
- 9:15 - Critical Thinking Assessment
- 9:45 - Action Research & Authentic Assessment
- 10:15 - Interdisciplinary Teaching
- 10:45 - Instructional Technology
- 11:00 - SPC Research Committee
- 11:30 - CETL Critical Thinking Grant
- 12:00-1:00 - Potluck Lunch
- 1:00-2:00 - Critical Thinking Grant Application Assistance
Spring Critical Thinking Institute & Narrowing the Gulf Conference 2012
St. Petersburg College's Critical Thinking Institute and the Florida Association of Higher Education and Disability (FL-AHEAD) present the 13th Annual Narrowing the Gulf Conference for Unerrepresented Students in Postsecondary Education
Date: Thursday, March 29 & Friday, March 30, 2012
Location: EpiCenter, Directions
Registration:
For non-SPC employees: https://www.spcollege.edu/survey/9411
For SPC employees: Coming Soon!
Agenda: (see Conference Brochure)
Thursday, March 29
- 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration and information table open
- 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Continental breakfast
- 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Opening general session: Keynote address by Dr. Edna Ross
- 9:55 to 10:55 a.m. Breakout session I
- 11:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Breakout session II
- 12:10 to 1:30 p.m. Lunch on your own
- 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Breakout session III
- 2:40 to 3:40 p.m. Breakout session IV
Friday, March 30
- 7:30 a.m. to noon Registration and information desk open
- 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Continental breakfast
- 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Breakout session V
- 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Breakout session VI
- 11 a.m. to noon Closing general session: Keynote address by J. R. Martinez
Opening Keynote Address: Dr. Ross received her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Kent State University. She has been with the University of Louisville since 1984 and is an Associate Professor of Psychology with specializations in learning and cognitive psychology. She co-teaches one of the largest and most popular undergraduate courses at U of L in two sections of Introduction to Psychology with total course enrollments of 600-700 students each semester. Dr. Ross has received several awards for teaching and student involvement from the University of Louisville including the College of Arts and Sciences' Distinguished Teaching Award, the Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning's Faculty Favorite Award, the Black Faculty and Staff Faculty Recognition Award, and the Porter Scholars' Outstanding Faculty Recognition Award. Dr. Ross is regularly honored as a Red and Black Faculty Mentor by an athlete who has maintained a 3.25 culmative gpa and has recognized Dr. Ross as the faculty who has most inspired him or her to excel in the classroom. |
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In addition to her faculty role at the University of Louisville, Dr. Ross has a joint appointment with the Delphi Center for Teaching and learning as the Specialist for Critical Thinking. In this capacity, she serves on the university's re-accreditation QEP team and is responsible for providing faculty development programming and training to university faculty on incorporating critical thinking activities into their courses.
Dr. Ross continually strives to introduce and foster the effective use of instructional technology in her classes and serves as Chair of the University Instructional Technology Committee and the Chair of the College of Arts and Sciences' Technology and Facilities Committee.
Dr. Ross is a regular contributor to the top psychology textbooks in the field and gives several invited talks each year on topics ranging from diversity issues to using instructional technologies to infuse critical thinking skills into the classroom.
Keynote Presentation:
Developing Students' Metacognitive Processes: Improving Student Learning and Critical Thinking Skills in Underrepresented Student Populations
Metacognition has become a new educational 'buzzword,' the development of which promises to assist students in improving their academic performance and honing their critical thinking skills.What is metacognition and how does this concept align with improving student learning and promoting critical thinking? What are factors that enhance effective metacogitive skill development in our students? What are factors that help promote unintentional triggering of stereotype threat and external locus of control--processes that hinder metacognition, especially in underrepresented student groups? During this session, participants will be engaged in clearly defining and discussing the relevance of metacognition in improving student learning outcomes while engaging and working with concepts of metacognition and critical reflection. In addition, faculty will explore the concepts of specific psychological 'triggers' that may work against the development of student-centered, self-regulation strategies.
Concurrent Session:
Tips and Strategies to help students develop and hone their metacognitive and critical thinking skills
This concurrent session is designed to complement the keynote address. This interactive session will assist faculty in incorporating student-centered, self-regulation strategies into their instruction. The session is also designed to help faculty facilitate student awareness of their own learning processes in order to enhance student learning and long-term retention of course content. During this interactive session, participants will be given the opportunity to explore specific strategies designed to infuse metacognitive instruction into their course structures.
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Fall Critical Thinking Institute for Teaching & Learning 2011
Date Time Location Review: Full Agenda |
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A new attendance record was set with more than 150 faculty, staff, and students attending the Fall Critical Thinking Institute at the Clearwater Campus September 23. The Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning (CETL) and the Critical Thinking (CT) Initiative co-sponsored the event. The opening session featured faculty of the CETL-CT "bridge" team: Cher Gauweiler, College of Education; Bill Hemme, Mathematics; Ginny Price, Veterinary Technology; and Matthew Bodie, Library. The team was formed to continue the momentum and sustain critical thinking efforts beyond 2012 when the current Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) comes to its conclusion, and they shared strategies outlined at the International Conference for Critical Thinking held in July. These included: exploring inferences and assumptions, identifying fundamental and powerful concepts, and modeling and being explicit. The institute kicked-off with a performance by the MIRA Laptop and Electronic Arts Ensemble under the direction of Fine and Applied Arts Professor Jeff Donovick, followed by a welcome by Clearwater Campus Provost Stan Vittetoe. CETL Lead Faculty Associate, Li-Lee Tunceren, and QEP Director, Janice Thiel presented, as well. The opening session was followed by a variety of break-outs, and the day concluded with sessions aimed at collecting discipline-specific critical thinking strategies.
Institute attendees received a copy of the Aspiring Thinker's Guide from the Foundation for Critical Thinking. Schedule: |
Opening Session:
Clearwater Campus Provost Dr. Stan Vittetoe welcomed attendees and the opening session featured a performance by the MIRA Laptop and Electronic Arts Ensemble (MIRA – LEA) under the direction of Jeff Donovick, Professor, Fine & Applied Arts.
Plenary Session: Matthew Bodie Cher Gauweiler Bill Hemme Ginny Price |
Through music, video, and drama, take a tour through how critical thinking manifests in the college classroom. In this interactive presentation, participants will apply concepts from the critical thinking wheel to explore their inferences and assumptions. In addition, participants will learn how to make critical thinking concepts in their field more explicit for their students. |
Break-Out Sessions:
How do I get them to think?
Gail O. Lancaster, Ph.D. Team Leader, Learning Resources
Professor George M. Greenlee, Economics/Social and Behavioral Sciences
Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T., Faculty Champion Instructor-in-Charge Parks and Leisure Services
Everyone knows that it is imperative for students to think critically, but how, exactly, do we get them to do that? This highly interactive presentation models 10 strategies that engage students and make them eager to think critically about subject content. This will include the Socratic method that helps students arrive at solutions and answers by asking questions that will allow them to use deductive reasoning. You will learn how critical thinking changes teaching and learning in the classroom.
Reading and Writing Critically Across the Curriculum
Diane Reese, Ph.D. (Communications), Sharon Williams, Ph.D. (Communications & Faculty Associate, CETL), and Lillien Tunceren (Communications & Lead Faculty Associate, CETL)
Want to use "immediate" strategies to engage students in reading and writing critically within your discipline? This hands-on session will engage faculty members in any discipline while modeling effective learning strategies as powerful tools to engage students in thinking metacognitively! Come on . . . let's kick it up a notch! "Despite American higher education's success at providing collegiate education for an unprecedented number of people, the vision of equipping ALL students with learning deep enough to meet the challenges of the post-industrial age provides us with a powerful incentive to do our work better." Powerful Partnerships: A Shared Responsibility for Learning
Critical Thinking in the Humanities The Humanities studies the human condition through analytical, critical and/or speculative thinking. This necessitates an interactive critical thinking experience for students. Utilizing the community-oriented aspect of St. Petersburg College, the Academic Roundtable for Humanities has created an interactive Museum field trip project to work with students. |
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Five Alive! A Critical Thinking Pilot Program for Mathematics Five Alive! presents basic critical thinking skills that are especially relevant to mathematics courses via a series of five-minute teaching/learning scenarios, related critical thinking assignments, opportunities for student presentation, and certificate of achievement awards. The program was piloted in MGF 1106 and MGF 1107 during Summer, 2011. Experiences and results will be shared along with thought and ideas for further development. Creative input is welcomed! |
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Incorporating Critical Thinking into a Capstone Course The College of Computer and Information Technology has been implementing critical thinking skills in the college's new Capstone course for the BAS. The course incorporates a team-based approach to problem solving in which students study cases and 1) discover and define the business problems, 2) create and analyze possible solutions, and 3) choose and defend a solution, all the while explaining in detail their reasoning behind every decision. Students also answer reflective questions as part of the project. |
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Undergraduate research: Critical thinking in action Other colleges have selected "undergraduate research" for the focus of their Quality Enhancement Plan. This presentation connects undergraduate research with critical thinking through the use of a major, course-long simulation. |
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Writing Critical Thinking Scenarios with a Twist "What If" This hands-on session allows participants to tweak several critical thinking scenarios by changing and or eliminating a few minor facts and adding the words "what if" therefore, resulting in a new critical thinking scenario. Adding the words "what if" will challenge students to shift their thinking to a higher level of analysis and evaluation and enhance their critical thinking skills. |
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How I Finally Got the Wheel to Turn for my Students This lecture will show my lesson progression using the wheel of the eight elements of reasoning from how I started to how I use it now. Examples of lessons and student work will be presented. Attendees will learn using critical thinking in curriculum design is a continuous process and the student learning outcome is exciting. |
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The Persistence of Casuistry: The Revival of Case-Based Reasoning This session offers a summary of my recent doctoral dissertation research on casuistry (case-based reasoning) as a method of critical thinking. I will explain what casuistry is and why casuistry has fallen in disrepute over the last 350 years. After a brief history of casuistry, I will explain some of the reasons why case-based reason has been discredited. I will also examine the major criticisms of casuistry and review some recent attempts to rehabilitate case-based reasoning. Finally, I will offer an explanation and several examples of how case-based reasoning might be used to increase critical thinking in the classroom. |
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Lights! Camera! Critical Thinking! Effective Strategies for Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills Using Online Video Online Video has come of age and with it has come seemingly endless resources for teaching and learning. Up until the recent past, video WITS Blog: www.spcollege.edu/wits/?page_id=1588 |
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Visual Rhetoric and Literacy: Critical Pedagogy in American Sign Language Instruction Because of the increasing demand for sign language interpreters, a readiness–to–work gap is a concern of interpreter educators who are charged with the task of developing in students the skills of motivation, assertiveness, multi–tasking, rapid information–processing ability and confidence. Given the notion that sign language interpreting skills are evolutionary and require years of refinement, a logical beginning for educators of interpreting students is to refine current course objectives, curricula and methodology to include direct experience with developing critical thinking skills and essential characteristics that are central to the interpreting process, to consumers of interpreting services, to interpreter educators and to institutional administrators. This presentation will focus upon developing student readiness for interpreter training prior to entrance into higher level coursework. The discussion will center upon how instructors can facilitate the development of traits and skills in students that will allow them to assimilate into the culture of the deaf, take responsibility for their education, develop adequate working memory and learn to process languages efficiently. |
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Powerful Partnerships: How Student Life & Leadership Collaborates with Faculty to Engage Critical Thinking in Our Students We will discuss the exciting ways in which Student Life & Leadership works in partnership with faculty to create powerful learning opportunities for our students outside of the classroom. In order to better understand the educational role of Student Life & Leadership, the principles of good practice for Student Affairs will be shared. These principles include engaging students in active learning and forging educational partnerships that advance student learning. We will share, in a fun and informative format, concrete examples and future ideas for challenging our students to thrive inside and beyond the classroom. |
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Discipline-Specific Discussions:
The purpose of these discussions is to determine specific strategies to teach for critical thinking within that discipline. You can review the strategies identified by each group via: spccriticalthinking.posterous.com
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Arts & Humanities |
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Communications |
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Mathematics |
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Science |
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Social & Behavioral Sciences (Human Services, Student Life Skills) |
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Computers & Technology (Engineering Technology) |
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Business, Finance, Management (Parks & Leisure Services, Hospitality & Tourism Management) |
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Law & Public Safety (Emergency Medical Services, Public Safety Administration, Paralegal Studies, Ethics) |
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Health Sciences (Health Information Management, Dental Hygiene, Orthotics & Prosthetics, Physical Therapist Assistant, Respiratory Care Radiography, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Technology, Funeral Services, Veterinary Technology) |
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Education (Early Childhood, Sign Language Interpretation, Library) |
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Spring Critical Thinking Institute & Narrowing the Gulf Conference 2011
The Spring Critical Thinking Institute was held in conjunction with the twelfth annual Narrowing the Gulf Conference on March 31 and April 1 at the EpiCenter. About 180 people attended. Conference Program
Opening Keynote Address: Johnny Good, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus at Beacon College, was the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session. He spoke of his own triumphs as an individual with a learning disability, the difficulties students with learning disabilities face in their pursuit of a quality education and the role that using good critical thinking skills plays in reaching one’s educational goals and potential in life. Later, Dr. Good met with the QEP Faculty Champions focusing on the critical thinking initiative and shared his experience with garnering college-wide implementation of critical thinking strategies. |
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Break-out sessions focused on critical thinking:
| I Like the Way You Think - 10 Simple Ways to Get Students to Think Critically Dr. Meg Delgato Director, Curriculum and Student Success, College of Nursing |
Participants will have the opportunity to investigate ways to help students learn to think critically about content in the classroom. Discussion will include the importance of defining critical thinking and the significance of students as skilled participants in the art of critical thinking. |
10 Ways to Help Students Think Critically |
| Measuring Critical Thinking in Management Soft Skills Courses Drs. Lynn Grinnell & Frank Appunn Professors, College of Business |
Assessing critical thinking in soft skills courses is difficult because there is no single correct answer to soft skills problems. Professors are daunted by the prospect of more rigorous or frequent grading of essay quizzes, online discussions and papers. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a literature review on methods/best practices for assessing these soft skills. The presentation will address assessing online as well as classroom assignments. It would be applicable to business, ethics, government, communication, psychology, and sociology disciplines, among others. |
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| When it Counts - Critical Thinking in a Moral Context David Monroe QEC Faculty Chair & Professor of Applied Ethics |
This session will focus on the relevance and importance of critical thinking in the context of ethical decision-making. In the course of this discussion, Dr. Monroe will elaborate on the model of moral reasoning taught in SPC's Applied Ethics courses and suggest that we encourage and foster such thinking in our students across curricula. The aim, of course, is helping our students prepare to think when it counts. |
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| Teaching is Not a Solitary Process Larry Goldsmith, Instructor-in-Charge, Parks and Leisure Services |
The presentation highlights the magnitude of accomplishments that can be achieved only when talented people bring together their synergy and creativity. Resources and tools available to faculty for bringing creative thinking to the classroom will be explored. This session will outline an intervention designed to train students on how to assume ownership of the customer's experience. Learn how to use interventions and resources to teach your students how to make higher level decisions by applying critical thinking. |
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| Incorporating Authentic Assessment in the Classroom Dr. Jesse Coraggio Director, Academic Effectiveness & Assessment and Dr. Carol Weideman, Mathematics Professor |
Is there an alignment between your classroom instruction and assessment? Are your students taught practical applications of material and then assessed using a multiple choice test? This presentation will review various types of classroom assessment practices with a specific focus on the creation and implementation of authentic assessment. |
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| Combating Aliens with Critical Thinking: Using Your Critical Thinking Skills Dr. Michael Earle Social Science Professor & Dr. Janice Thiel Director, Quality Enhancement Plan |
Many people who have grown tired of exotic pets have dumped them in the Everglades, and with no natural predators, these "aliens" have become a danger to native species. In this session you will put your critical thinking skills to work combating this dilemma by participating in an activity involving the six core elements: communication, analysis, problem-solving, evaluation, synthesis, and reflection. Come prepared to share your strategies for teaching for critical thinking. |
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| Strategies to Get Students to Think Critically Dr. Gail Lancaster Clearwater Campus Librarian |
How do you create a classroom environment that is conducive to critical thinking? How do you tweak your assignments so that students are given opportunities to think critically? How do you frame essential questions so that students think critically about the content? These questions and more will be addressed in this interactive presentation |
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| Critical Thinking: Trial and Error Dr. Cynthia Grey & Ginny Price Veterinary Technology |
Learn about critical thinking measurements and interventions. Presenters will discuss the outcomes of different methods for teaching critical thinking. Finally, they will share measurements they have used to identify success. |
Price Presentation |
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Critical Thinking Retreat 2011
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The third annual retreat for faculty focusing on critical thinking was held on Friday, January 28 at the Natural Habitat Park & Environmental Center at the Seminole Campus. The event was attended by 25 faculty members and staff, and included a Faculty Champion Sharing Session featuring Cynthia Grey, Steven Hardt, Larry Goldsmith, and Ginny Price. David Monroe, faculty for the Applied Ethics Program, presented on the importance of critical thinking for SPC students. Gail Lancaster, Faculty Chair of the Quality Enhancement Committee, reviewed the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and provided an overview of the first step in the SoTL process – the Literature Review. Events like the Critical Thinking Retreat and Institutes help bring SPC closer to fulfilling the initiatives of the Quality Enhancement Plan aimed at improving learning for our students. |
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Critical Thinking |
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Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Gail Lancaster Librarian and QEC Faculty Chair |
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Repiratory Care Steven Hardt Faculty |
Message from Kay Burniston... |
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Fall Critical Thinking Institute 2010
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Critical Thinking Institute for Teaching and Learning Co-Sponsored by Web and Instructional Technology Services Keynote Speaker: Dr. Dean Kohrs Date: Friday, September 24, 2010 Review the Agenda and topics for the Faculty Champion Sharing Session |
St. Petersburg College marked its third annual Fall Critical Thinking Institute by more than doubling attendance from the event held two years ago, and by increasing attendance 30 percent from last year. Besides enjoying a steady rise to 130 participants, this year’s institute, held at the Caruth Health Education Center (HEC) on September 24, boasted other “firsts,” including the addition of a keynote presentation by SPJC graduate, SPC adjunct, national speaker, and Hacking College author, Dr. Dean Kohrs. Comments received from the event evaluation about Dr. Kohrs included, “Central to his message was an effort to engage the audience, to loosen old patterns of thinking, to strike a chord of excitement,” and, “Enjoyable, useful in dealing with today's student population, and very timely in this age of technological gadgets.” All who responded to the evaluation indicated they plan to attend future institutes; the next being the Narrowing the Gulf Conference on March 31 and April 1. There was an infusion of telecommunications technology and instructional technology-focused break-out sessions thanks to co-sponsorship with the Web and Instructional Technology Services Department. And, the newly-formed Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning partnered to provide additional break-out sessions on critical thinking. Faculty Champions, many from the allied health fields housed at HEC were on-hand to share how they are teaching for critical thinking.
Opening Session
Provost's Welcome - Dr. Phil Nicotera & |
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| President's Address - Dr. Bill Law | |
| Sharing Session Overview - Mary Hanlon, B.A., PTA Presentation |
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WITS Presentation - Nancy Munce & Alan Shapiro |
Break-Out Sessions
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The Value of Reflection to Critical Thinking and Learning This presentation uses a "lesson within a lesson" approach to learning on two levels: identifying learning activities that will encourage students to transfer learning to new situations, and using structured experiential activities and debriefings to encourage students to think critically. |
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Briefing a Case: An Essential Task for Paralegal The process of the case briefing is an essential task in the legal profession. It facilitates critical thinking skills across the Paralegal Studies curriculum. Thus far, the incorporation of this reusable learning activity into the classes has proved to be excellent for development of the student's critical thinking skills. Come view how this process was developed and incorporated as an effective learning tool. |
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Using Technology to Communicate Feedback to Learners An important piece of critical thinking is the reevaluating that happens as learners receive feedback on concepts and products. A potential barrier for that feedback for online faculty is not having the tools to create effective and efficient feedback. Giving timely, quality feedback enhances the chances for success and satisfaction for the learner. You will be exposed to a variety of ways you can use online tools to provide more effective and efficient feedback to students. Presentation: prezi.com/secure/96f5770ccbca178c5f54689314aa5ff8e8a481af/ |
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Taking the Grrr out of Groupwork Instructional success is dependent on generating student interaction. Interdependent collaboration actively engages students, stimulates higher-order thinking and helps students clarify ideas through discussion and debate. In this session, participants will learn how to use group structures in conjunction with online collaborative tools that help foster interaction among students. Presentation: prezi.com/secure/96fbc4b7283f32f1d5cf8b42e4aeb2d2c45c3f14/ |
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Harnessing the Power of Mobile Technology in Your Classroom With each new generation of learners come new attitudes, new challenges and new technologies. So, what's the tool du jour? Cell phones. 80 percent of Americans own them. Many instructors loathe them because of their potential disruptiveness the classroom. You will learn how to turn these often irritating devices into positive tools of student engagement and active learning. Handout |
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Sharing Session Faculty Champions and their Academic Roundtable members will describe the critical thinking strategies they are currently employing with their students. There will be a timed rotation from table-to-table to enable you to quickly glean the main concepts from multiple disciplines/programs in brief “speed-dating” fashion. For more specific details about the critical thinking initiative, please attend the “Embarking…” session at the end of the day. |
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Embarking on the Critical Thinking Initiative in 2011 If you are from a discipline that has not yet participated in the critical thinking initiative, this session is for you because your program is on-deck to begin in January. Others are also welcome to attend this brief information session. |
Dr. Dean Kohrs is the author of Hacking College. He has a PhD in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. He has taught at Community Colleges, Liberal Arts Colleges and State Research Universities. Dr. Kohrs spends most of his days as a national speaker and consultant addressing globalization, student and institutional success. Our campuses and our students are saturated with various iGadgets. But, can our students use these technologies to communicate effectively, solve problems, and think critically? Perhaps more importantly, can they critically think about these technologies and the cultural shifts they are creating? Is SPC developing a broad institutional pedagogy that engages students to inquire about these issues? Since their creation, a chief mission of colleges and universities has been to shape graduates with a more sophisticated and empowered means of navigating the cultural landscape. “Internet everywhere” now dominates the cultural landscape. The success of our students and institution is significantly tied to their ability to navigate this emerging cultural landscape. |
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The Critical Thinking Institute utilized *Twitter to enhance communication amongst attendees. Participants posted and followed Critical Thinking Institute tweets by using the **hashtag #CTI0910. Participants contributed to the conversation via text message by sending a text to 87884 and starting the message with @wif34088 (Standard text messaging rates apply). In order to view messages sent via Twitter AND text, go to this page http://it.spcollege.edu/it/blog/?p=396. *What's Twitter? - Learn more and sign up for a free account at: twitter.com **What's a hashtag? - Twitter lets you use hashtags as search terms to start and/or follow a conversation. If you're having a conversation on Twitter with another person about #avocados, simply include the hashtag #avocados in your message. Other people interested in #avocados can jump in. You can also use that hashtag to review the conversation later. |
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The QEP Team, Dr. Dean Kohrs, and the Instructional Design Technologists (formally, Instructional Technologists) discussed plans for the upcoming institute. (via SPOC on 6/14/10) |
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Dr. Milton Cox - April 14-15, 2010
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Dr. Milton Cox is a national speaker and an expert in the field of learning communities, tying in directly to our critical thinking initiative which employs Academic Roundtables to improve the learning experience for our students. He will address the usefulness of faculty learning communities for solving problems and strategies to encourage active-learner-centered teaching, an important approach to promote critical thinking in the classroom. Dr. Cox is Associate Director of the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He founded and directs the Lilly Conference on College Teaching, is founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, and facilitates the Hesburgh Award-winning Teaching Scholars faculty learning community. Dr. Cox is project director of a FIPSE grant establishing faculty learning community programs on other campuses and is co-editor of the book Building Faculty Learning Communities (Jossey-Bass). He incorporates the use of student learning portfolios and Howard Gardner's concept of multiple intelligences in his mathematics classes. He is recipient of the C.C. MacDuffee Award for distinguished service to Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honorary, and a certificate of special achievement from the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education in recognition and appreciation of notable contributions to the profession of faculty, instructional, and organizational development. Dr. Cox gave two presentations at the Seminole Campus Conference Center, located in close proximity to the library, Directions An Introduction to Faculty Learning Communities: Utilizing FLCs to Solve Problems and Seize Opportunities Strategies, Practices, and Evidence to Encourage and Facilitate Active-Learner-Centered Teaching |
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Spring Critical Thinking Institute & Narrowing the Gulf Conference 2010
The Spring Critical Thinking Institute was held in conjunction with the eleventh annual Narrowing the Gulf Conference on March 18 and 19 at the EpiCenter. Approximately 170 attended from SPC and other institutions throughout Florida including FSU, HCC, Miami Dade College, UCF, USF, and Valencia Community College. Attendees also came from as far away as California, Canada, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, and New Jersey.
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Dr. Barry S. Stein, who is the chairperson and professor of psychology at Tennessee Technological University conducted the keynote presentation. Dr. Stein is also the principal investigator on the NSF funded Center for Assessment and Improvement of Learning at TTU. The center has received continued funding from the National Science Foundation for the development and national dissemination of a unique instrument to assess critical thinking that directly involves faculty in the evaluation of students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills. This instrument is currently used by a broad range of institutions across the U.S. as part of broader efforts to improve student learning. Dr. Stein received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University (1977) in cognitive psychology and has authored and coauthored numerous articles on learning, problem solving, and critical thinking throughout his career. He is coauthor of the Ideal Problem Solver: A Guide for Improving Thinking, Learning and Creativity. Dr. Stein is a frequent speaker at national conferences on assessment and accreditation. The presentation examined the importance of critical thinking in higher education and in our general society. It also highlighted the importance of these skills for under-represented groups (e.g., minorities and individuals with disabilities). The presentation discussed the need to assess and improve these skills, and the kinds of learning activities that have been found to positively affect these skills. The presentation also examined the importance of infusing the development of these skills throughout the curriculum. Dr. Stein's PowerPoint presentation |
Following his keynote, Dr. Stein met with the QEP Faculty Champions focused on the critical thinking initiative, sharing his insights about assessing critical thinking and fielding questions about strategies for improving critical thinking skills. The conference also featured a track of critical thinking breakout sessions, including: “Perceptions of Critical Thinking – Is Critical Thinking Important to Employers and Employees,” “Improving Student Critical Thinking Skills Using Google Tools,” “Top 10 Classroom Strategies to Get Your Students to Think,” and “Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking." Conference Program
Break-out sessions focused on critical thinking:
| A Rubric for Moral Reasoning: Critical Thinking in Ethics Applied 6.0 David Monroe Ethics Department |
This session will present and elaborate on the rubric for moral decision-making described in Ethics Applied 6.0, the textbook for St. Petersburg College’s Applied Ethics courses. This method of moral reasoning can be a powerful tool in helping students face ethical challenges, as it makes available to them a systematic model of critical thinking. | Handout |
| Perceptions of Critical Thinking - is Critical thinking important to employers and employees - an EMS Example Dr. Dave Sullivan Program Director/Coordinator, EMS/CME |
Critical thinking has evolved and is becoming a standard of care. A 2009 doctoral dissertation sought to explore what EMS employers and employees thought about critical thinking and whether EMS education programs adequately prepared students to think critically. The ability to think critically has become a highly desirable skill and students desire student-centered activities that will teach them to navigate the real-world situations they will encounter in the workplace. This presentation reviews the dissertation’s key points and provides participants with practical approaches to teaching critical thinking skills. |
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| Engaging Students with Power Point Presentations Richard Mercadante Professor, Communications |
This presentation will explore new research and innovative ideas for engaging students with PowerPoint. After examining the common abuses of PowerPoint, practical tips will be offered to enhance student engagement. | |
| Symposium on Developing an Instructional Portfolio Dr. Bonnie Jefferis Professor, Communications Dr. Sarah Moseley Professor of Nursing, RN to BSN Program |
St. Petersburg College has undertaken an initiative to enhance student learning by improving students’ ability to think critically. Groups of faculty have formed Academic Roundtables that employ the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning model to determine what teaching methodologies are successful at improving critical thinking. In this session, selected faculty will present their projects designed to increase students’ critical thinking, and will suggest ways in which other faculty/classes/disciplines can use this information in their own classes. |
Instructional Portfolios |
| Top 10 Classroom Strategies to Get Your Students to Think Dr. Gail Lancaster Faculty Chair & St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus Librarian Dr. Janice Thiel Director, Quality Enhancement Plan |
Teaching for critical thinking can be a challenge. This presentation will teach techniques known to foster critical thinking, including engaged lecturing, modeling thinking and effective questioning. Lancaster and Thiel will model techniques throughout the session and encourage active participation. Comparable strategies for teaching online will be included. | |
| Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking Dr. Meg Delgato Director, Curriculum and Student Success, College of Nursing |
This presentation is based on content from the highly popular text “Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking” by Browne and Keeley (2009). Participants will have the chance to experience ways to bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. Participants will also learn about Browne and Keeley’s model that teaches students to respond to alternative points of view and develop a solid foundation for making personal choices about what to accept and reject. | Books with Accompanying Resources Online |
| Mastering the Art of Writing Objective Test Items Dr. Jesse Coraggio Director, Academic Effectiveness & Assessment |
Looking to improve your test item-writing skills? Concerned about your multiple-choice test questions and whether your students are learning the content or are just good test takers? The presentation will explain how to create effective multiple-choice test questions. The presentation will provide item-writing guidelines as well as best practices to prevent students from just guessing the correct answers. | Presentation |
| Utilizing Graphic Organizers to Infuse Critical Thinking into Content Areas Dr. Nancy Watkins College of Education |
The presentation will address various ways to utilize graphic organizers to teach critical thinking in content areas. | OneStop on SPC Network: \\onestop\spjc_pc\appsa-z\Critcal Thinking Infusion |
| Improving Student Critical Thinking Skills Using Google Tools Karen Hesting Instructional Technologist, Clearwater Campus & EpiCenter Nancy Munce Instructional Technologist, St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus |
When most people hear the word “Google” they immediately think of a search engine. Google, however, is much more. Session participants will learn how Google tools can be implemented to support a variety of critical thinking instructional strategies. This session will focus on technologies for online and blended courses. | Handout |
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Retreat for Academic Roundtables 2010
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The second annual retreat for Academic Roundtables (ARTs) focusing on critical thinking was held on Friday, January 29 at the Civitan Beach Club on Redington Shores Beach. The event was attended by 33 faculty members and staff, and included a Faculty Champion Sharing Session featuring Bonnie Jefferis, Christy Powers, Cathy King, Sarah Moseley, Holly Hoopes, and Chad Mairn. Magaly Tymms, Coordinator of Academic Programs, Research and Reports, presented the SPC-developed Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC) and results from the scoring workshop held in November. Janice Thiel, Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan and Gail Lancaster, Faculty Chair of the Quality Enhancement Committee, reviewed the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), which is the guiding model that the ARTs follow to compile Instructional Portfolios to document their efforts to improve their students' ability to think critically. Faculty new to the critical thinking initiative were provided guidance on how to conduct the Literature Review, which is the first step of the SoTL process. And, musical entertainment during the potluck luncheon was provided by Greg Rabelo and Martha Campbell. |
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Fall Critical Thinking Institute 2009
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Institute Draws Over 100 The Fall Critical Thinking Institute held at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus on Friday, October 9, 2009 was attended by over 100 faculty and staff. The opening General Session featured a warm welcome from Provost Karen Kaufman White, followed by an enlightening presentation by QEP Faculty Chair Gail Lancaster on the value of critical thinking. The General Session also included a Faculty Champion panel discussion moderated by SGA President Leja Apple. Faculty Champions, Holly Hoopes, Sarah Moseley, Cathy King, Chad Mairn, and Bonnie Jefferis outlined their endeavors to improve learning, and they relayed their insights about teaching for critical thinking. Questions were fielded from the audience. |
Later in the morning, participants chose from a variety of presentations to attend during the two 45-minute break-out sessions. The topics included: Library Support, Nursing’s Perspective, Critical Thinking Assessment Test, Graphic Organizers, Jing, Paralegal Case Briefing, Text Books & Critical Thinking, Google Documents, and the Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking in Ethics. An optional information session was offered to the disciplines slated to begin the critical thinking initiative in January. If you missed this event, consider attending the break-out session that will present institute highlights at the upcoming Professional Development Day on October 23. View the original Fall Critical Thinking Institute Agenda or review the topics and handouts below:
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Why Critical Thinking? Dr. Gail Lancaster Faculty Chair & St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus Librarian |
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Faculty Champion Panel Discussion Panel: |
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SPC Libraries – Supporting Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum with Library Resources and Services |
Direct link to download library toolbar |
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THINKING! It is Critical to Your Health – from Nursing's Perspective! |
Nursing Presentation |
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Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT): Overview and Panel Discussion Panel: |
CAT Presentation |
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Utilizing Graphic Organizers to Teach Critical Thinking in the Content Areas Dr. Nancy Watkins College of Education |
OneStop on SPC Network: |
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Creating RLOs using Jing |
Jing Welcome Guide |
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Briefing a Case: An Essential Task for Paralegals Dr. Christy A. Powers Paralegal Studies Instructor (via video facilitated by Dr. Susan Demers) |
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Critically Thinking about Critical Thinking Exercises Gail Lancaster Faculty Chair & St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus Librarian |
Sample Questions |
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Using Google Documents to Enhance Online Discourse and Collaboration Ann McNicol College of Education |
Google Docs Presentation |
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An Application of the Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC) to the Ethics Critical Thinking Application Paper (CTAP) Dr. Lee A. Miller and David Monroe Ethics Department |
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Dental Hygiene |
Embarking on the Critical Thinking Initiative in 2010 |
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Spring Critical Thinking Institute & Narrowing the Gulf Conference 2009
The Tenth Annual Narrowing the Gulf Conference, with a focus on critical thinking was held at the EpiCenter on March 26 and 27. Dr. David Sousa, author of How the Brain Learns, was one of the keynote speakers. Dr. Sousa also conducted two workshops on critical thinking. The conference hosted a number of discipline-specific workshops facilitated by people who are experts in critical thinking in their fields. View the conference brochure for more information.
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Retreat for Academic Roundtables 2009
The first annual retreat for Academic Round Tables (ARTs) focusing on critical thinking was held on Friday, January 30 at the Civitan Beach Club on Redington Shores Beach. The event was attended by 35 faculty members and staff, and featured presentations by Gail Lancaster, Carol Weideman, Lynn Grinnell, Jesse Coraggio, and Janice Thiel on “Learning Communities,” “Assessment,” “Instructional Portfolios,” “Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC),” and “Faculty Champion Guide” respectively.
During the morning session, Faculty Champions and ART members from Early Childhood, the College of Education, Ethics, and Student Life Skills reflected on the past year’s efforts and began drafting a Portfolio Report. Faculty Champions and ART members from Business Technologies, the College of Nursing, Communication, Library, and Paralegal spent the afternoon session gearing up for the year ahead, particularly the completion of an Instructional Portfolio for their discipline.
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Fall Critical Thinking Institute 2008
The Fall Critical Thinking Institute held at the Downtown Center on November 14 was a successful event, by all accounts. Ninety faculty and staff registered for the event, which included twelve break-out sessions on topics ranging from conference reports and critical thinking activities presented by Faculty Champions, to hands-on technology workshops conducted by Instructional Technologists, to working subcommittee meetings.
Yvonne Ulmer, Executive Officer of the Downtown Center, ushered in the General Session, providing an overview of the Downtown Center with its 55 full-time and adjunct instructors, 1,500 students, and excess of 100 classes each term. The Downtown Center is the home of the Florida Orchestra, Florida International Museum, and the historic Palladium.
Anne Cooper announced the recent transition of QEP director, and expressed appreciation for Lynn Grinnell and her excellent work during the inaugural year of implementation. Dr. Cooper introduced Janice Thiel as the new Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan. Drs. Grinnell and Thiel are working closely together on a regular basis to ensure a smooth transition.
The remainder of the General Session provided an opportunity for each of the Faculty Champions to outline her/his break-out session so that attendees could choose a topic of interest to learn more about. Jesse Coraggio, the Director for Institutional Research and Effectiveness, gave a summary of the Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC), which he later instructed in more detail during his break-out session.
Most participants opted to join in the luncheon at Grille 121, a short walk from the Downtown Center, where they enjoyed a delicious, yet reasonably priced entree. Afterwards, members of the various subcommittees reconvened at the Downtown Center to finish off the afternoon. For example, the Student Success Subcommittee focused on the Instructional Portfolio which is the culminating deliverable of each Academic Round Table (ART), and the mechanism which will relay all that was accomplished by the ART to improve the ability of students to think critically.
When asked what was the most important or valuable thing learned at the Fall Critical Thinking Institute, one participant said, "Talking about specific techniques that will be useful in creating a lesson plan, activities for instruction, and improving current lessons to document critical thinking practices."
Fall Critical Thinking Institute Agenda
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Summer Critical Thinking Institute 2008
In the summer, SPC held a CTI "retreat" with in-house assessment and technology experts, which was filled to the 80-seat capacity. In addition, the fifteen full-time and adjunct faculty members and QEP staff involved in the CAT scoring session (see Student Success Initiative, above) determined overwhelmingly that the experience was an outstanding professional development activity and the QEP team recommended to QEP senior leadership that it be considered a professional development activity in line with CTIs. Finally, SPC developed ten "courselets," short, online modules providing instruction and examples for a variety of instructional strategies shown in research to develop students' ability to think critically.
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Spring Critical Thinking Institute 2008
We were very excited to bring two world-class speakers to SPC for the first Critical Thinking Institute this Spring. The Critical Thinking Institute consists of a series of workshops for faculty and staff on (1) critical thinking, (2) teaching for critical thinking, (3) assessing critical thinking, and (4) using technology for critical thinking. For notes from the sessions, go to the Critical Thinking Community Group on the ANGEL Training server.
The first two workshops will be conducted by Dr. L. Dee Fink, author of Creating Significant Learning Experiences and frequent presenter at the SACS Summer Institute, and Dr. Gerald Nosich, author of Learning to Think Things Through and primary presenter for the Foundation for Critical Thinking. Both are nationally-known experts in their field.
- Dr. Dee Fink came to SPC Friday, February, 22nd. Dr. Fink conducted a six-hour faculty workshop on infusing critical thinking throughout courses by Creating Significant Learning Experiences. This workshop was held in the Institute of Government Conference Center (in the Library annex) at Seminole.
- Dr. Nosich offered two professional development opportunities on Friday, April 4th: first, a 1 ½ hour presentation on Critical Thinking Theory at 8:00 a.m. in the Seminole Digitorium,open to all faculty and staff, and second, a hands-on faculty workshop on Teaching for Critical Thinking from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Institute of Government Conference Center (in the Library annex) at Seminole.