Developing and using critical thinking
assessments
Creating and using online critical
thinking activities and reusable learning
objects (RLOs)
What is Student Learning?
St. Petersburg College, with a
goal toward improving student learning, has submitted our QEPto
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). SPC is
in agreement with SACS that student learning, "include[s]
changes in students' knowledge,
skills, behaviors, and/or values that may be attributable to the
collegiate experience.
Highlights from the Quality Enhancement Planning
process: SPC has used some cutting-edge methods for engaging broad-based
involvement in the creation of the Quality Enhancement Plan. We've
made extensive use of the Collaborative Lab to explore needs, interests,
and possible topics for the QEP.
The original Collaborative Lab (Click on the photo to take
video tour of current facility)
Collaborative lab results: SPC's QEP Topic is Critical Thinking. After numerous collaborative
labs, including an all-faculty lab, the focus that surfaced was
“improving student learning in critical thinking via active and
collaborative learning techniques.”
The All-Faculty Collaborative Lab to narrow the focus of the QEP was
introduced with a video that evoked recollections of keynote speaker at
the previous Faculty Professional Development Day.
In this and prior collaborative labs, many different constituent
groups identified various techniques based on sound research in
learning theories, such as active and collaborative learning,
to improve student learning. When one of our QEC members asked the pertinent question, 'but WHAT
are you going to improve using active and collaborative methods and
learning theories', a team analyzing the results of the all-faculty
lab found that Critical Thinking was the predominant
recurring theme; hence, our focus was identified.
After
surveying all faculty, the consensus definition of Critical Thinking
adopted by the Quality Enhancement Committee is:
CRITICAL THINKING is the
active and systematic process of
Communication
Problem-solving
Evaluation
Analysis
Synthesis
Reflection
both individually
and in community to
Foster understanding
Support sound
decision-making and
Guide action
This definition was developed from analysis of survey responses from SPC
faculty responding to several proposed definitions based on QEC members'
interaction with Critical Thinking experts and a review of
the Critical Thinking literature.
Too abstract? See some practical, concrete
examples of critical
thinking that might help students see the value of improving
critical thinking skills.
To preview the
"SACS
Certified" training for career staff and non-academic A&P, click
here; however, to get credit for completing the training, you
have to attend one of the "SACS Certified" training session listed
above, or complete the online version when it is activated (after
the campus sessions). Faculty and academic A&P will attend the
SACS Certified session at Professional Development Day, September
18th. Remember, all employees must complete the training
before September 25th.
