teaching and learning strategies to promote critical thinking

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Strategies to Increase Critical Thinking Skills in students

Teach Better Team October 2, 2019 Blog , Engage Better , Lesson Plan Better , Personalize Student Learning Better

In This Post:

• The importance of helping students increase critical thinking skills.
• Ways to promote the essential skills needed to analyze and evaluate.
• Strategies to incorporate critical thinking into your instruction.

We ask our teachers to be “future-ready” or say that we are teaching “for jobs that don’t exist yet.” These are powerful statements. At the same time, they give teachers the impression that we have to drastically change what we are doing .

So how do we plan education for an unknown job market or unknown needs?

My answer: We can’t predict the jobs, but whatever they are, students will need to think critically to do them. So, our job is to teach our students HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

Helping Students Become Critical Thinkers

My answer is rooted in the call to empower our students to be critical thinkers. I believe that to be critical thinkers, educators need to provide students with the strategies they need. And we need to ask more than just surface-level questions.

Questions to students must motivate them to dig up background knowledge. They should inspire them to make connections to real-world scenarios. These make the learning more memorable and meaningful.

Critical thinking is a general term. I believe this term means that students effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate content or skills. In this process, they (the students) will discover and present convincing reasons in support of their answers or thinking.

You can look up critical thinking and get many definitions like this one from Wikipedia: “ Critical thinking consists of a mental process of analyzing or evaluating information, particularly statements or propositions that people have offered as true. ”

Essential Skills for Critical Thinking

In my current role as director of curriculum and instruction, I work to promote the use of 21st-century tools and, more importantly, thinking skills. Some essential skills that are the basis for critical thinking are:

• Communication and Information skills
• Thinking and Problem-Solving skills
• Interpersonal and Self- Directional skills
• Collaboration skills

These four bullets are skills students are going to need in any field and in all levels of education. Hence my answer to the question. We need to teach our students to think critically and for themselves.

One of the goals of education is to prepare students to learn through discovery . Providing opportunities to practice being critical thinkers will assist students in analyzing others’ thinking and examining the logic of others.

Understanding others is an essential skill in collaboration and in everyday life. Critical thinking will allow students to do more than just memorize knowledge.

Ask Questions

So how do we do this? One recommendation is for educators to work in-depth questioning strategies into a lesson launch.

Ask thoughtful questions to allow for answers with sound reasoning. Then, word conversations and communication to shape students’ thinking. Quick answers often result in very few words and no eye contact, which are skills we don’t want to promote.

When you are asking students questions and they provide a solution, try some of these to promote further thinking:

• Could you elaborate further on that point?
• Will you express that point in another way?
• Can you give me an illustration?
• Would you give me an example?
• Will you you provide more details?
• Could you be more specific?
• Do we need to consider another point of view?
• Is there another way to look at this question?

Utilizing critical thinking skills could be seen as a change in the paradigm of teaching and learning. Engagement in education will enhance the collaboration among teachers and students. It will also provide a way for students to succeed even if the school system had to start over.

[scroll down to keep reading]

Promoting critical thinking into all aspects of instruction.

Engagement, application, and collaboration are skills that withstand the test of time. I also promote the integration of critical thinking into every aspect of instruction.

In my experience, I’ve found a few ways to make this happen.

Begin lessons/units with a probing question: It shouldn’t be a question you can answer with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ These questions should inspire discovery learning and problem-solving.

Encourage Creativity: I have seen teachers prepare projects before they give it to their students many times. For example, designing snowmen or other “creative” projects. By doing the design work or by cutting all the circles out beforehand, it removes creativity options.

It may help the classroom run more smoothly if every child’s material is already cut out, but then every student’s project looks the same. Students don’t have to think on their own or problem solve.

Not having everything “glue ready” in advance is a good thing. Instead, give students all the supplies needed to create a snowman, and let them do it on their own.

Giving independence will allow students to become critical thinkers because they will have to create their own product with the supplies you give them. This might be an elementary example, but it’s one we can relate to any grade level or project.

Try not to jump to help too fast – let the students work through a productive struggle .

Build in opportunities for students to find connections in learning.  Encouraging students to make connections to a real-life situation and identify patterns is a great way to practice their critical thinking skills. The use of real-world scenarios will increase rigor, relevance, and critical thinking.

A few other techniques to encourage critical thinking are:

• Use analogies
• Promote interaction among students
• Ask open-ended questions
• Allow reflection time
• Use real-life problems
• Allow for thinking practice

Critical thinking prepares students to think for themselves for the rest of their lives. I also believe critical thinkers are less likely to go along with the crowd because they think for themselves.

About Matthew X. Joseph, Ed.D.

Dr. Matthew X. Joseph has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 25 years in the field. Experiences such as the Director of Digital Learning and Innovation in Milford Public Schools (MA), elementary school principal in Natick, MA and Attleboro, MA, classroom teacher, and district professional development specialist have provided Matt incredible insights on how to best support teaching and learning. This experience has led to nationally publishing articles and opportunities to speak at multiple state and national events. He is the author of Power of Us: Creating Collaborative Schools and co-author of Modern Mentoring , Reimagining Teacher Mentorship (Due out, fall 2019). His master’s degree is in special education and his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Boston College.

Visit Matthew’s Blog

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Teaching Strategies to Promote Critical Thinking

Janelle cox.

• September 9, 2014

Critical thinking is an essential skill that all students will use in almost every aspect of their lives. From solving problems to making informed decisions, thinking critically is a valuable skill that will help students navigate the world’s complexities. In a post-COVID teaching environment , incorporating teaching strategies that help students think rationally and independently is an excellent way to strengthen students’ abilities and prepare them for any new challenges in the future.

There are several techniques to engage students and help strengthen these skills. Here are some teaching strategies that prove to be effective.

Encourage Students to Question Everything

We are now living in a world where AI ( artificial intelligence ) is slowly making its way into the classrooms. With these innovations, it’s imperative today, more than ever, for students to question everything and understand how to verify information when making an informed decision. AI has the potential to spread misinformation or be biased. Teach students to be careful of what is and is not a reliable source . Discuss credibility and bias and have students look for examples of both trusted content and misinformation. By using different forms of media for this exercise, students will need to use their critical thinking skills to determine the validity of the information.

Activate Student Curiosity

You can activate a student’s curiosity by using the inquiry-based learning model. This approach involves posing questions or problems for students to discover the answers on their own. In this method, students develop questions they want to know the answers to, and their teacher serves as their guide providing support as needed along the way. This approach nurtures curiosity and self-directed learning by encouraging students to think critically and independently. Recent  research  from 2019 supports the assertion that the use of this model significantly enhances students’ critical thinking abilities.

Incorporate Project-Based Learning

Immerse students in real-world problem scenarios by having them partake in project-based learning. Engaging in hands-on projects where students need to collaborate, communicate, analyze information, and find solutions to their challenges is a great way to develop their critical thinking skills. Throughout the project, students must engage in higher-order thinking while gathering their information and making decisions throughout various stages.

This approach pushes students to think critically while they connect to a real-world issue, and it helps them understand the relevance this issue has in their lives. Throughout the project, students will hone their critical thinking skills because PBL is a process that requires reflection and continuous improvement.

Offer Diverse Perspectives

Consider offering students a variety of viewpoints. Sometimes classrooms are filled with students who share similar perspectives on their beliefs and cultural norms. When this happens, it hinders learners from alternative viewpoints or experiences. Exposing students to diverse perspectives will help to broaden their horizons and challenge them to think beyond their perspectives. In addition, being exposed to different viewpoints encourages students to be more open-minded so they are more equipped to develop problem-solving strategies and analytical skills. It also helps them to cultivate empathy which is critical for critical thinking because it helps them appreciate others more and be concerned for them.

To support diverse viewpoints in the classroom, use various primary sources such as documentaries and articles from people who have experienced current events firsthand. Or invite in a few guest speakers who can offer varying perspectives on the same topic. Bring diverse perspectives into the classroom through guest speakers or by watching documentaries from varying experts.

Assign Tasks on Critical Writing

Assign writing tasks that encourage students to organize and articulate their thoughts and defend their position. By doing so, you are offering students the opportunity to demonstrate their critical thinking skills as well as effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas. Whether it’s through a research paper or an essay, students will need to support their claims and show evidence to prove their point of view. Critical writing also requires students to analyze information, scrutinize different perspectives, and question the reliability of sources, all of which contribute to the development of their critical thinking skills.

Promote Collaboration

Collaborative learning is a powerful tool that promotes critical thinking among students. Whether it’s through group discussions, classroom debates , or group projects, peer interaction will help students develop the ability to think critically. For example, a classroom debate will challenge students to articulate their thoughts, defend their viewpoints, and consider opposing viewpoints.

It will also challenge students to have a deep understanding of the subject matter as well as sharpen their communication skills. Any group setting where students can work together and be exposed to the thought processes of their classmates will help them understand that their way of thinking is not the only way. Through peer interaction, students will develop the ability to think critically.

Critical thinking requires consistency and commitment. This means that to make the above teaching strategies effective, they must be used consistently throughout the year. Encourage students to question everything and verify all information and resources. Activate student curiosity by using the inquiry-based learning model. Incorporate a real-world project that students can work on throughout the entire semester or school year. Assign critical writing tasks that require students to analyze information and prove their point of view. Finally, foster peer interaction where students work with their classmates to sharpen their communication skills and gain a deeper understanding of other perspectives.

The ultimate goal is for students to become independent thinkers who are capable of analyzing and solving their own problems. By modeling and developing student’s critical thinking skills in the classroom we are setting the stage for our student’s growth and success in the future.

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Helping Students Hone Their Critical Thinking Skills

Used consistently, these strategies can help middle and high school teachers guide students to improve much-needed skills.

Critical thinking skills are important in every discipline, at and beyond school. From managing money to choosing which candidates to vote for in elections to making difficult career choices, students need to be prepared to take in, synthesize, and act on new information in a world that is constantly changing.

While critical thinking might seem like an abstract idea that is tough to directly instruct, there are many engaging ways to help students strengthen these skills through active learning.

Make Time for Metacognitive Reflection

Create space for students to both reflect on their ideas and discuss the power of doing so. Show students how they can push back on their own thinking to analyze and question their assumptions. Students might ask themselves, “Why is this the best answer? What information supports my answer? What might someone with a counterargument say?”

Through this reflection, students and teachers (who can model reflecting on their own thinking) gain deeper understandings of their ideas and do a better job articulating their beliefs. In a world that is go-go-go, it is important to help students understand that it is OK to take a breath and think about their ideas before putting them out into the world. And taking time for reflection helps us more thoughtfully consider others’ ideas, too.

Teach Reasoning Skills 

Reasoning skills are another key component of critical thinking, involving the abilities to think logically, evaluate evidence, identify assumptions, and analyze arguments. Students who learn how to use reasoning skills will be better equipped to make informed decisions, form and defend opinions, and solve problems. 

One way to teach reasoning is to use problem-solving activities that require students to apply their skills to practical contexts. For example, give students a real problem to solve, and ask them to use reasoning skills to develop a solution. They can then present their solution and defend their reasoning to the class and engage in discussion about whether and how their thinking changed when listening to peers’ perspectives. 

A great example I have seen involved students identifying an underutilized part of their school and creating a presentation about one way to redesign it. This project allowed students to feel a sense of connection to the problem and come up with creative solutions that could help others at school. For more examples, you might visit PBS’s Design Squad , a resource that brings to life real-world problem-solving.

Ask Open-Ended Questions 

Moving beyond the repetition of facts, critical thinking requires students to take positions and explain their beliefs through research, evidence, and explanations of credibility. 

When we pose open-ended questions, we create space for classroom discourse inclusive of diverse, perhaps opposing, ideas—grounds for rich exchanges that support deep thinking and analysis. 

For example, “How would you approach the problem?” and “Where might you look to find resources to address this issue?” are two open-ended questions that position students to think less about the “right” answer and more about the variety of solutions that might already exist. 

Journaling, whether digitally or physically in a notebook, is another great way to have students answer these open-ended prompts—giving them time to think and organize their thoughts before contributing to a conversation, which can ensure that more voices are heard. 

Once students process in their journal, small group or whole class conversations help bring their ideas to life. Discovering similarities between answers helps reveal to students that they are not alone, which can encourage future participation in constructive civil discourse.

Teach Information Literacy 

Education has moved far past the idea of “Be careful of what is on Wikipedia, because it might not be true.” With AI innovations making their way into classrooms, teachers know that informed readers must question everything. 

Understanding what is and is not a reliable source and knowing how to vet information are important skills for students to build and utilize when making informed decisions. You might start by introducing the idea of bias: Articles, ads, memes, videos, and every other form of media can push an agenda that students may not see on the surface. Discuss credibility, subjectivity, and objectivity, and look at examples and nonexamples of trusted information to prepare students to be well-informed members of a democracy.

One of my favorite lessons is about the Pacific Northwest tree octopus . This project asks students to explore what appears to be a very real website that provides information on this supposedly endangered animal. It is a wonderful, albeit over-the-top, example of how something might look official even when untrue, revealing that we need critical thinking to break down “facts” and determine the validity of the information we consume. 

A fun extension is to have students come up with their own website or newsletter about something going on in school that is untrue. Perhaps a change in dress code that requires everyone to wear their clothes inside out or a change to the lunch menu that will require students to eat brussels sprouts every day. 

Giving students the ability to create their own falsified information can help them better identify it in other contexts. Understanding that information can be “too good to be true” can help them identify future falsehoods. 

Provide Diverse Perspectives 

Consider how to keep the classroom from becoming an echo chamber. If students come from the same community, they may have similar perspectives. And those who have differing perspectives may not feel comfortable sharing them in the face of an opposing majority. 

To support varying viewpoints, bring diverse voices into the classroom as much as possible, especially when discussing current events. Use primary sources: videos from YouTube, essays and articles written by people who experienced current events firsthand, documentaries that dive deeply into topics that require some nuance, and any other resources that provide a varied look at topics. 

I like to use the Smithsonian “OurStory” page , which shares a wide variety of stories from people in the United States. The page on Japanese American internment camps is very powerful because of its first-person perspectives. 

Practice Makes Perfect 

To make the above strategies and thinking routines a consistent part of your classroom, spread them out—and build upon them—over the course of the school year. You might challenge students with information and/or examples that require them to use their critical thinking skills; work these skills explicitly into lessons, projects, rubrics, and self-assessments; or have students practice identifying misinformation or unsupported arguments.

Critical thinking is not learned in isolation. It needs to be explored in English language arts, social studies, science, physical education, math. Every discipline requires students to take a careful look at something and find the best solution. Often, these skills are taken for granted, viewed as a by-product of a good education, but true critical thinking doesn’t just happen. It requires consistency and commitment.

In a moment when information and misinformation abound, and students must parse reams of information, it is imperative that we support and model critical thinking in the classroom to support the development of well-informed citizens.

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Integrating Critical Thinking Into the Classroom

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(This is the second post in a three-part series. You can see Part One here .)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What is critical thinking and how can we integrate it into the classroom?

Part One ‘s guests were Dara Laws Savage, Patrick Brown, Meg Riordan, Ph.D., and Dr. PJ Caposey. Dara, Patrick, and Meg were also guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show . You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

Today, Dr. Kulvarn Atwal, Elena Quagliarello, Dr. Donna Wilson, and Diane Dahl share their recommendations.

‘Learning Conversations’

Dr. Kulvarn Atwal is currently the executive head teacher of two large primary schools in the London borough of Redbridge. Dr. Atwal is the author of The Thinking School: Developing a Dynamic Learning Community , published by John Catt Educational. Follow him on Twitter @Thinkingschool2 :

In many classrooms I visit, students’ primary focus is on what they are expected to do and how it will be measured. It seems that we are becoming successful at producing students who are able to jump through hoops and pass tests. But are we producing children that are positive about teaching and learning and can think critically and creatively? Consider your classroom environment and the extent to which you employ strategies that develop students’ critical-thinking skills and their self-esteem as learners.

Development of self-esteem

One of the most significant factors that impacts students’ engagement and achievement in learning in your classroom is their self-esteem. In this context, self-esteem can be viewed to be the difference between how they perceive themselves as a learner (perceived self) and what they consider to be the ideal learner (ideal self). This ideal self may reflect the child that is associated or seen to be the smartest in the class. Your aim must be to raise students’ self-esteem. To do this, you have to demonstrate that effort, not ability, leads to success. Your language and interactions in the classroom, therefore, have to be aspirational—that if children persist with something, they will achieve.

Use of evaluative praise

Ensure that when you are praising students, you are making explicit links to a child’s critical thinking and/or development. This will enable them to build their understanding of what factors are supporting them in their learning. For example, often when we give feedback to students, we may simply say, “Well done” or “Good answer.” However, are the students actually aware of what they did well or what was good about their answer? Make sure you make explicit what the student has done well and where that links to prior learning. How do you value students’ critical thinking—do you praise their thinking and demonstrate how it helps them improve their learning?

Learning conversations to encourage deeper thinking

We often feel as teachers that we have to provide feedback to every students’ response, but this can limit children’s thinking. Encourage students in your class to engage in learning conversations with each other. Give as many opportunities as possible to students to build on the responses of others. Facilitate chains of dialogue by inviting students to give feedback to each other. The teacher’s role is, therefore, to facilitate this dialogue and select each individual student to give feedback to others. It may also mean that you do not always need to respond at all to a student’s answer.

Teacher modelling own thinking

We cannot expect students to develop critical-thinking skills if we aren’t modeling those thinking skills for them. Share your creativity, imagination, and thinking skills with the students and you will nurture creative, imaginative critical thinkers. Model the language you want students to learn and think about. Share what you feel about the learning activities your students are participating in as well as the thinking you are engaging in. Your own thinking and learning will add to the discussions in the classroom and encourage students to share their own thinking.

Metacognitive questioning

Consider the extent to which your questioning encourages students to think about their thinking, and therefore, learn about learning! Through asking metacognitive questions, you will enable your students to have a better understanding of the learning process, as well as their own self-reflections as learners. Example questions may include:

• Why did you choose to do it that way?
• When you find something tricky, what helps you?
• How do you know when you have really learned something?

‘Adventures of Discovery’

Elena Quagliarello is the senior editor of education for Scholastic News , a current events magazine for students in grades 3–6. She graduated from Rutgers University, where she studied English and earned her master’s degree in elementary education. She is a certified K–12 teacher and previously taught middle school English/language arts for five years:

Critical thinking blasts through the surface level of a topic. It reaches beyond the who and the what and launches students on a learning journey that ultimately unlocks a deeper level of understanding. Teaching students how to think critically helps them turn information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. In the classroom, critical thinking teaches students how to ask and answer the questions needed to read the world. Whether it’s a story, news article, photo, video, advertisement, or another form of media, students can use the following critical-thinking strategies to dig beyond the surface and uncover a wealth of knowledge.

A Layered Learning Approach

Begin by having students read a story, article, or analyze a piece of media. Then have them excavate and explore its various layers of meaning. First, ask students to think about the literal meaning of what they just read. For example, if students read an article about the desegregation of public schools during the 1950s, they should be able to answer questions such as: Who was involved? What happened? Where did it happen? Which details are important? This is the first layer of critical thinking: reading comprehension. Do students understand the passage at its most basic level?

Ask the Tough Questions

The next layer delves deeper and starts to uncover the author’s purpose and craft. Teach students to ask the tough questions: What information is included? What or who is left out? How does word choice influence the reader? What perspective is represented? What values or people are marginalized? These questions force students to critically analyze the choices behind the final product. In today’s age of fast-paced, easily accessible information, it is essential to teach students how to critically examine the information they consume. The goal is to equip students with the mindset to ask these questions on their own.

Strike Gold

The deepest layer of critical thinking comes from having students take a step back to think about the big picture. This level of thinking is no longer focused on the text itself but rather its real-world implications. Students explore questions such as: Why does this matter? What lesson have I learned? How can this lesson be applied to other situations? Students truly engage in critical thinking when they are able to reflect on their thinking and apply their knowledge to a new situation. This step has the power to transform knowledge into wisdom.

Adventures of Discovery

There are vast ways to spark critical thinking in the classroom. Here are a few other ideas:

• Critical Expressionism: In this expanded response to reading from a critical stance, students are encouraged to respond through forms of artistic interpretations, dramatizations, singing, sketching, designing projects, or other multimodal responses. For example, students might read an article and then create a podcast about it or read a story and then act it out.
• Transmediations: This activity requires students to take an article or story and transform it into something new. For example, they might turn a news article into a cartoon or turn a story into a poem. Alternatively, students may rewrite a story by changing some of its elements, such as the setting or time period.
• Words Into Action: In this type of activity, students are encouraged to take action and bring about change. Students might read an article about endangered orangutans and the effects of habitat loss caused by deforestation and be inspired to check the labels on products for palm oil. They might then write a letter asking companies how they make sure the palm oil they use doesn’t hurt rain forests.
• Socratic Seminars: In this student-led discussion strategy, students pose thought-provoking questions to each other about a topic. They listen closely to each other’s comments and think critically about different perspectives.
• Classroom Debates: Aside from sparking a lively conversation, classroom debates naturally embed critical-thinking skills by asking students to formulate and support their own opinions and consider and respond to opposing viewpoints.

Critical thinking has the power to launch students on unforgettable learning experiences while helping them develop new habits of thought, reflection, and inquiry. Developing these skills prepares students to examine issues of power and promote transformative change in the world around them.

‘Quote Analysis’

Dr. Donna Wilson is a psychologist and the author of 20 books, including Developing Growth Mindsets , Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains , and Five Big Ideas for Effective Teaching (2 nd Edition). She is an international speaker who has worked in Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Europe, Jamaica, and throughout the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Wilson can be reached at [email protected] ; visit her website at www.brainsmart.org .

Diane Dahl has been a teacher for 13 years, having taught grades 2-4 throughout her career. Mrs. Dahl currently teaches 3rd and 4th grade GT-ELAR/SS in Lovejoy ISD in Fairview, Texas. Follow her on Twitter at @DahlD, and visit her website at www.fortheloveofteaching.net :

A growing body of research over the past several decades indicates that teaching students how to be better thinkers is a great way to support them to be more successful at school and beyond. In the book, Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains , Dr. Wilson shares research and many motivational strategies, activities, and lesson ideas that assist students to think at higher levels. Five key strategies from the book are as follows:

• Facilitate conversation about why it is important to think critically at school and in other contexts of life. Ideally, every student will have a contribution to make to the discussion over time.
• Begin teaching thinking skills early in the school year and as a daily part of class.
• As this instruction begins, introduce students to the concept of brain plasticity and how their brilliant brains change during thinking and learning. This can be highly motivational for students who do not yet believe they are good thinkers!
• Explicitly teach students how to use the thinking skills.
• Facilitate student understanding of how the thinking skills they are learning relate to their lives at school and in other contexts.

Below are two lessons that support critical thinking, which can be defined as the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.

Mrs. Dahl prepares her 3rd and 4th grade classes for a year of critical thinking using quote analysis .

During Native American studies, her 4 th grade analyzes a Tuscarora quote: “Man has responsibility, not power.” Since students already know how the Native Americans’ land had been stolen, it doesn’t take much for them to make the logical leaps. Critical-thought prompts take their thinking even deeper, especially at the beginning of the year when many need scaffolding. Some prompts include:

• … from the point of view of the Native Americans?
• … from the point of view of the settlers?
• How do you think your life might change over time as a result?
• Can you relate this quote to anything else in history?

Analyzing a topic from occupational points of view is an incredibly powerful critical-thinking tool. After learning about the Mexican-American War, Mrs. Dahl’s students worked in groups to choose an occupation with which to analyze the war. The chosen occupations were: anthropologist, mathematician, historian, archaeologist, cartographer, and economist. Then each individual within each group chose a different critical-thinking skill to focus on. Finally, they worked together to decide how their occupation would view the war using each skill.

For example, here is what each student in the economist group wrote:

• When U.S.A. invaded Mexico for land and won, Mexico ended up losing income from the settlements of Jose de Escandon. The U.S.A. thought that they were gaining possible tradable land, while Mexico thought that they were losing precious land and resources.
• Whenever Texas joined the states, their GDP skyrocketed. Then they went to war and spent money on supplies. When the war was resolving, Texas sold some of their land to New Mexico for $10 million. This allowed Texas to pay off their debt to the U.S., improving their relationship.
• A detail that converged into the Mexican-American War was that Mexico and the U.S. disagreed on the Texas border. With the resulting treaty, Texas ended up gaining more land and economic resources.
• Texas gained land from Mexico since both countries disagreed on borders. Texas sold land to New Mexico, which made Texas more economically structured and allowed them to pay off their debt.

This was the first time that students had ever used the occupations technique. Mrs. Dahl was astonished at how many times the kids used these critical skills in other areas moving forward.

Thanks to Dr. Auwal, Elena, Dr. Wilson, and Diane for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

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The Will to Teach

Critical Thinking in the Classroom: A Guide for Teachers

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, teaching students the skill of critical thinking has become a priority. This powerful tool empowers students to evaluate information, make reasoned judgments, and approach problems from a fresh perspective. In this article, we’ll explore the significance of critical thinking and provide effective strategies to nurture this skill in your students.

Why is Fostering Critical Thinking Important?

Strategies to cultivate critical thinking, real-world example, concluding thoughts.

Critical thinking is a key skill that goes far beyond the four walls of a classroom. It equips students to better understand and interact with the world around them. Here are some reasons why fostering critical thinking is important:

• Making Informed Decisions:  Critical thinking enables students to evaluate the pros and cons of a situation, helping them make informed and rational decisions.
• Developing Analytical Skills:  Critical thinking involves analyzing information from different angles, which enhances analytical skills.
• Promoting Independence:  Critical thinking fosters independence by encouraging students to form their own opinions based on their analysis, rather than relying on others.

Creating an environment that encourages critical thinking can be accomplished in various ways. Here are some effective strategies:

• Socratic Questioning:  This method involves asking thought-provoking questions that encourage students to think deeply about a topic. For example, instead of asking, “What is the capital of France?” you might ask, “Why do you think Paris became the capital of France?”
• Debates and Discussions:  Debates and open-ended discussions allow students to explore different viewpoints and challenge their own beliefs. For example, a debate on a current event can engage students in critical analysis of the situation.
• Teaching Metacognition:  Teaching students to think about their own thinking can enhance their critical thinking skills. This can be achieved through activities such as reflective writing or journaling.
• Problem-Solving Activities:  As with developing problem-solving skills , activities that require students to find solutions to complex problems can also foster critical thinking.

As a school leader, I’ve seen the transformative power of critical thinking. During a school competition, I observed a team of students tasked with proposing a solution to reduce our school’s environmental impact. Instead of jumping to obvious solutions, they critically evaluated multiple options, considering the feasibility, cost, and potential impact of each. They ultimately proposed a comprehensive plan that involved water conservation, waste reduction, and energy efficiency measures. This demonstrated their ability to critically analyze a problem and develop an effective solution.

Critical thinking is an essential skill for students in the 21st century. It equips them to understand and navigate the world in a thoughtful and informed manner. As a teacher, incorporating strategies to foster critical thinking in your classroom can make a lasting impact on your students’ educational journey and life beyond school.

1. What is critical thinking? Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment.

2. Why is critical thinking important for students? Critical thinking helps students make informed decisions, develop analytical skills, and promotes independence.

3. What are some strategies to cultivate critical thinking in students? Strategies can include Socratic questioning, debates and discussions, teaching metacognition, and problem-solving activities.

4. How can I assess my students’ critical thinking skills? You can assess critical thinking skills through essays, presentations, discussions, and problem-solving tasks that require thoughtful analysis.

5. Can critical thinking be taught? Yes, critical thinking can be taught and nurtured through specific teaching strategies and a supportive learning environment.

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How To Promote Critical Thinking In Your Classroom

Promoting Thinking

November 25, 2006, by The Critical Thinking Co. Staff

Modeling of critical thinking skills by instructors is crucial for teaching critical thinking successfully. By making your own thought processes explicit in class - explaining your reasoning, evaluating evidence for a claim, probing the credibility of a source, or even describing what has puzzled or confused you - you provide a powerful example to students, particularly if you invite them to join in; e.g., "Can you see where we're headed with this?" "I can't think of other explanations; can you?" "This idea/principle struck me as difficult or confusing at first, but here's how I figured it out." You can encourage students to emulate this by using them in demonstrations, asking them to "think out loud" in order for classmates to observe how they reason through a problem.

Develop the habit of asking questions that require students to think critically, and tell students that you really expect them to give answers! In particular, Socratic questioning encourages students to develop and clarify their thinking: e.g., "Would your answer hold in all cases?" "How would you respond to a counter-example or counter-argument?" "Explain how you arrived at that answer?"

This is another skill that students can learn from your example, and can use in working with each other. Providing regular opportunities for pair or small group discussions after major points or demonstrations during lectures is also important: this allows students to process the new material, connect it to previously learned topics, and practice asking questions that promote further critical thinking. Obviously, conveying genuine respect for student input is essential. Communicating the message that you value and support student contributions and efforts to think critically increases confidence, and motivates students to continue building their thinking skills. An essential component of this process is the creation of a climate where students feel comfortable with exploring the process of reasoning through a problem without being "punished" for getting the wrong answer.

Researchers have found consistently that interaction among students, in the form of well-structured group discussions plays a central role in stimulating critical thinking. Discussing course material and its applications allows students to formulate and test hypotheses, practice asking thought-provoking questions, hear other perspectives, analyze claims, evaluate evidence, and explain and justify their reasoning. As they become more sophisticated and fluent in thinking critically, students can observe and critique each others' reasoning skills.

25 Of The Best Resources For Teaching Critical Thinking

From rubrics and presentations to apps, definitions, and frameworks, here are 25 of the best resources for critical thinking.

25 Of The Best Resources For Teaching Critical Thinking

by TeachThought Staff

As an organization, critical thinking is at the core of what we do, from essays and lists to models and teacher training. 

For this post, we’ve gathered various critical thinking resources. As you’ll notice, conversation is a fundamental part of critical thinking. Why? The ability to identify a line of reasoning, analyze, evaluate, and respond to it accurately and thoughtfully is among the most common opportunities for critical thinking for students in everyday life. Who is saying what? What’s valid and what’s not? How should I respond?

This varied and purposely broad collection includes resources for teaching critical thinking, from books and videos to graphics and models, rubrics, and taxonomies to presentations and debate communities.

See also   10 Team-Building Games That Promote Critical Thinking

1. The TeachThought Taxonomy for Understanding , a taxonomy of thinking tasks broken up into 6 categories, with 6 tasks per category

2. 60 Critical Thinking Strategies For Learning by Terry Heick

3. It’s difficult to create a collection of critical thinking resources without talking about failures in thinking, so here’s A Logical Fallacies Primer via Wikipedia .

4. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Test (this link keeps moving around so I’ve removed it for now; if you can’t find it, let me know ).

5.  6 Hats Thinking  is a model for divergent thinking.

6. 6 Strategies for Teac h ing With Bloom’s Taxonomy  

7. An Intro To Critical Thinking , a 10-minute video from wireless philosophy that takes given premises, and walks the viewer through valid and erroneous conclusions

8.  Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers  by Terry Heick

9. 20 Types Of Questions For Teaching Critical Thinking

10. A Collection Of Bloom’s Taxonomy Posters

11. 6 Facets of Understanding   by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

12. A Comprehensive Visual Codex Of Cognitive Biases

13. Helping Students Ask Better Questions

14. Examples Of Socratic Seminar-Style Questions (including stems) from changingminds.org

15. 20 Questions To Guide Inquiry-Based Learning , a 4-step process to guide learning through inquiry and thought

16. Socratic Seminar Guidelines by Grant Wiggins

17. How To Bring Socratic Seminars Into Your Classroom , a 7-minute video by the Teaching Channel

18. How To Teach With The Socratic Seminar Paideia Style, a PDF document by the Paideia that overviews

19. Using The QFT Model To Guide Inquiry & Thought

20. Create Debate , a website that hosts debates

20. Intelligence Squared is a Oxford-style debate ‘show’ hosted by NPR

21. Ways To Help Students Think For Themselves   by Terry Heick

22. A Rubric To Assess Critical Thinking  (they have several free rubrics, but you have to register for a free account to gain access)

23. 25 Critical Thinking Apps For Extended Student Thought

24. Debate.org  is a ‘debate’ community that promotes topic-driven discussion and critical thought

25. A Collection Of Research On Critical Thinking by criticalthinking.org

TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in education through the growth of outstanding teachers.

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How to promote critical thinking in the classroom.

A comprehensive guide for educators on enhancing critical thinking skills among students through innovative classroom techniques.

Empower Your Students with Critical Thinking Skills

In the evolving landscape of education, fostering critical thinking in the classroom has become paramount. As educators, it's essential to cultivate an environment where students can analyze information critically, engage in meaningful debate, and approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset. This article explores practical strategies to enhance critical thinking skills, leveraging the power of inquiry-based learning and open-ended questioning.

Asking open-ended questions is a cornerstone of promoting critical thinking. By challenging students with questions that require more than a yes or no answer, educators can stimulate deeper thought and encourage students to explore multiple perspectives. Integrating these questions into lesson plans can transform the classroom into a dynamic space for intellectual exploration.

Debate is another powerful tool in the critical thinking arsenal. Structured debates on relevant topics not only sharpen students' argumentation skills but also teach them to consider and respect different viewpoints. This form of student-centered learning fosters a sense of ownership over the learning process, making education a collaborative and engaging experience.

Inquiry-based learning activities are designed to put students in the driver's seat of their educational journey. By posing questions, problems, or scenarios, teachers can guide students through a process of discovery that encourages critical analysis and independent thought. This approach not only boosts critical thinking but also aligns with the natural curiosity and creativity of learners.

Utilizing AI teaching assistants, like those offered by Planit Teachers, can further enhance critical thinking in the classroom. These innovative platforms provide tools such as Lesson Plan Generators and AI Marking Assistants, which free up valuable time for educators to focus on developing student-centered learning experiences that promote critical thinking.

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By automating the grading process, AI Teacher Marking frees up valuable time for educators, allowing them to focus more on student engagement and personalized teaching.

AI Teacher Marking revolutionizes workflow efficiency for educators. The tool's capability to quickly process and grade student submissions in bulk significantly reduces the time spent on manual marking.

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10 Innovative Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Are you looking for innovative ways to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom? As an educator, you know the importance of developing strong critical thinking skills in your students. In today’s complex and ever-changing world, critical thinking is a vital skill that can make the difference between success and failure.

Critical Thinking Lessons and Activities

Now you may be wondering how to promote critical thinking in the classroom or how to develop critical thinking skills in the students. Well, to help you out, we’ve put together 10 surprising strategies to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom, complete with real-world examples and actionable strategies.

Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

These strategies are designed to promote active learning, inquiry-based learning, and Bloom’s Taxonomy levels of analysis, evaluation, and interpretation. Here they are:

1. Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning is an effective way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. By encouraging your students to work together to solve complex problems, you can help them develop skills in analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

For example, you could divide your students into small groups and give them a problem to solve. Each group can then present their solution to the class and the class can evaluate and critique each solution. This not only encourages critical thinking, but it also promotes teamwork and communication skills.

If you are looking for examples of critical thinking in the classroom, then read our article 11 activities that promote critical thinking skills in the classroom .

2. Questioning

Asking open-ended questions is another effective way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. Open-ended questions encourage your students to think deeply about a topic and consider different perspectives.

Read our article: 10 Best Educational Games for Kids That will Shape Their Future

For example, if you’re teaching a lesson on climate change, you could ask your students questions such as “What are the causes of climate change?” and “What are the potential consequences of climate change?” These questions encourage your students to analyze information and think critically about the topic.

3. Active Listening

Encouraging active listening is another way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. When students actively listen to each other, they consider different perspectives and analyze information more deeply.

Think Like a Detective – A Kid’s Guide to Critical Thinking

For example, you could ask your students to work in pairs and have each student share their opinion on a topic. The other student must actively listen and ask follow-up questions to better understand their partner’s perspective. This activity promotes critical thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

4. Case Studies

Using case studies is another effective way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. Case studies allow your students to apply critical thinking skills to real-world situations.

For example, if you’re teaching a lesson on business ethics , you could present a case study on a company that faced an ethical dilemma. Your students can then analyze the case study and identify potential solutions. This activity promotes critical thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

Organizing debates is another effective way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. Debates encourage your students to analyze and evaluate different viewpoints on a topic.

For example, if you’re teaching a lesson on gun control, you could organize a debate where half of the class argues for gun control and the other half argues against it. This activity promotes critical thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

Read our article: Engaging STEM Activities for Elementary, Middle and High School Students

6. Mind Mapping

Using mind mapping is another effective way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. Mind mapping allows your students to organize and analyze complex information.

For example, if you’re teaching a lesson on the solar system, you could have your students create a mind map of the different planets and their characteristics. This activity promotes critical thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

7. Gamification

Using game-based learning is another effective way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. Game-based learning engages your students and promotes critical thinking skills such as problem-solving, analysis, and evaluation.

For example, you could use an online game that requires your students to solve math problems. This activity promotes critical thinking skills such as problem-solving, analysis, and evaluation.

8. Problem-Based Learning

Using problem-based learning is another effective way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. Problem-based learning requires your students to solve real-world problems using critical thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

For example, you could present your students with a real-world problem, such as designing a sustainable community. Your students can then work in groups to research and propose solutions to the problem. This activity promotes critical thinking skills such as problem-solving, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

9. Reflection

Encouraging reflection is another way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. When students reflect on their learning experiences, they can identify areas where they need to improve and develop critical thinking skills.

For example, you could have your students keep a learning journal where they reflect on their learning experiences and identify areas where they need to improve. This activity promotes critical thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

10. Real-World Applications

Using real-world applications is another effective way to promote critical thinking skills in your classroom. When students can see how the skills they are learning can be applied in the real world, they are more motivated to learn and develop critical thinking skills.

For example, if you’re teaching a lesson on fractions, you could show your students how fractions are used in cooking recipes. This activity promotes critical thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and interpretation.

In conclusion, critical thinking skills are essential for success in today’s complex and ever-changing world. As an educator, you can promote critical thinking skills in your classroom by using these 10 surprising ways. Collaborative learning, questioning, active listening, case studies, debates, mind mapping, gamification, problem-based learning, reflection, and real-world applications are all effective ways to promote critical thinking skills. By incorporating these strategies into your teaching, you can help your students develop the critical thinking skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.

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The Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning

Metacognition.

• Teaching Resources
• Classroom Practices

Metacognition is the practice of thinking about thinking or identifying one’s cognitive process (Lovett, 2008) and is a reflective skill that is necessary for creativity, critical thinking and problem solving. Students often perform metacognitive work in writing classes by reflecting on their writing process or development, or in STEM courses by reflecting on course design projects.

Within the classroom, teaching metacognitive practices enhances student learning outcomes (Tanner, 2012) and helps students to have a more complete understanding of what they learned and how (Brownlee, Purdie, & Boulton-Lewis, 2001).

As with most skills, it takes time and practice to become fluent in metacognition. To encourage students to engage in reflective activities, instructors can intentionally include brief and effective metacognitive strategies in their courses. This can be done through explicitly modeling metacognitive practices, for example, by making your thinking and reflection process explicit and/or using any of the activities outlined below (primarily adapted from Major, Harris, and Zakrajsek, 2015).

One of my favorite practices to enhance student metacognition is to have them write themselves a letter "from the future," as if it were the end of the class. They use the prompt, "I met my academic goals for this course because … " We then review this letter at the middle and at the end of the semester. I think this helps them remember why they are doing what they are doing and helps them focus on their goals.

Planning, monitoring, and evaluation prompts all highlight different aspects of a student’s thought process by illuminating how they approach a task or activity. For example, asking a student to plan and evaluate their goals on a writing assignment or problem set allows them to understand their motivation and its connection with the task. Below are example prompts from Schraw (2001):

• What is the nature of my task?
• What is my goal?
• What information /strategies do I need?
• How much time/resources will I need?
• Do I understand what I’m doing?
• Does the task make sense?
• Am I reaching my goals?
• Do I need to make changes?
• Have I reached my goal?
• What worked/did not work?
• What would I do differently?

For more detail,  Tanner (2012)  adapts these prompts for specific activities (e.g., class session, active learning task, or exam). To help students think consciously about their learning, you can ask a series of metacognitive prompts as part of an assignment and ask students to respond to them using the comment feature in Microsoft Word (LaVaque-Manty & Evans, 2013).

These are activities that prompt students to write a reflection to an open-ended question or statement such as “What was the muddiest point of today’s lesson?”; “Today I learned…”; or “A question I have is…” These may be asked in or outside of class and only take a couple of minutes to write. Asking students to reflect on what they learned gives them the opportunity to assess their current understanding and determine the significance of content. These short reflections also allow instructors to gauge student understanding of the material at a particular moment in time.

This activity is typically a short pre-, post- reflection that "wraps around" an existing assessment or learning opportunity (e.g., homework assignment, exam, or lecture). For example, you could assign an exam wrapper that asks students about their study strategies, preparation, or study goals. After returning exams, ask students to identify how these study strategies worked. An example of a pre-lecture wrapper may include pointing out to students effective listening or note-taking skills. A post-lecture wrapper asks students to write down three important ideas from the lecture followed by presenting them with the desired takeaways, which gives students an opportunity to check their alignment (Lovett, 2008). Using wrappers is one way to help students be more reflective when they approach assessment and learning opportunities, identify areas in their learning they can improve, and invite students to think about pedagogical decisions behind curricular tasks.  

This structured assessment provides students with the opportunity to reflect, monitor, and evaluate their thinking and approach to learning. When creating a self-assessment for students, focus on what aspects of their learning you want them to assess. This may include their preparation, implementation, or evaluation of a task. Advantages of self-assessment include increasing self-efficacy, improved motivation to persist through the content or course, and an opportunity to identify gaps in knowledge in order to create a plan to move forward. Examples of reflection prompts include:

• Describe your preparation and work process
• Describe your goals or what you hope to achieve (e.g., work product)
• Evaluate your performance
• Provide areas for future improvement
• Describe your next steps

Similar to self-assessment, group-assessment benefits students by asking them to reflect, monitor, and evaluate their role and relationships within a group. This can be done formally through a prescribed form or worksheet, or informally by asking students at the end of a group activity to reflect on the whole group experience. Some advantages to a group-assessment include increased autonomy and accountability for students, and it also provides a feedback mechanism for the instructor to gauge group dynamics and if groupings need to change in the future. Asking students to be a participant in a group assessment has the potential to increase participation among all members.

Asking students to focus a short memoir, or a first-person account of an experience, on a learning experience provides them an opportunity to reflect on the connections between course content and their personal lives. This is an activity that can be done once or as a series throughout a course. This activity includes a prompt or goal to direct their thinking, such as, “In a 140-character memoir, summarize your experience with the course content.” This is a familiar activity to students who engage with social media such as Twitter or Facebook.

An elevator pitch asks students to convey information to a general audience in a short amount of time, for example, as long as it takes to ride an elevator. This activity can take on the form of a role play with one person persuading another “stakeholder” to take action from a brief conversation. If students are prepared, they will have reflected on what they have learned and convey the crucial parts of an idea or activity (e.g. research project or writing assignment) to the “stakeholder.” This activity requires a student to reflect and integrate concepts and ideas in a concise way.

This is an activity that involves students writing in a log at the beginning and end of class. Similar to a minute reflection paper, an instructor may ask questions that relate to the particular course. For example, “What is one idea that interested you today and why?” or “How would you explain a concept covered today in your own words?” A template may also be used for consistency, for example, asking students:

• What I did and why
• What did I learn
• How will I use it
• Questions I still have about it
• Resources I will use

A learning log has many functions. It is a way for students to track changes in their thinking, provide them with moments of reflection and action, and serve as a form of self-assessment. A learning or reading log provides useful feedback for instructors to gauge student learning in order to be adaptive with their instruction.

This activity is an effective way to invite students to engage with content and peers. It consists of presenting a controversial statement to students who then must analyze and determine their opinion on that statement. This is followed by a visible representation of that opinion. Students might be asked to move to particular corners of the room that correspond with designated options, taking steps across the room, or simply raising their hands. Advantages of this activity include actively engaging students in critically thinking and communicating ideas/opinions, synthesizing and incorporating multiple perspectives, and demonstrating a comprehension of topics through justification.

An example of promoting metacognition throughout a course is given by Robert Ward, a visiting lecturer in English.

I've built the Academic Essay class on the act of reflection - on sight, on hearing, on feeling - that develops through close reading and writing practices. To enable students to acquire reflective critical skills, I assign a series of metawriting essays, in both notebook and print forms. The students use these essays to consider the decisions they took in their major thematic writing.

These reflective practices are a great way to help students be aware of how they approach problems, writing tasks, projects, concepts, etc. Practices that require students to communicate complex ideas with one another provide them the opportunity to improve and refine their thinking. 

If you would like to discuss strategies for promoting metacognition in your own classroom, please contact the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning for a consultation:  [email protected]

Subscribe to the Sheridan Center Newsletter

Brownlee, J., Purdie, N., & Boulton-Lewis, G. (2001). Changing epistemological beliefs in pre-service teacher education students.  Teaching in higher education ,  6 (2), 247-268.

LaVaque-Manty, M., & Evans, E. M. (2013). Implementing metacognitive interventions in disciplinary writing classes. In M. Kaplan, N. Silver, D. LaVaque-Manty, & D. Meizlish (Eds.),  Using reflection and metacognition to improve student learning: Across the disciplines, across the academy  (122-146). Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Lovett, M. C. (2008).  Teaching metacognition  [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from  http://web.uri.edu/teach/files/Metacognition-ELI.pdf

Major, C. H., Harris, M. S., & Zakrajsek, T. (2015).  Teaching for learning: 101 intentionally designed educational activities to put students on the path to success . Routledge.

Schraw, G. (2001). Promoting general metacognitive awareness. In H. J. Hartman (Ed.),  Metacognition in learning and instruction  (pp. 3-16). Springer Netherlands.

Tanner, K. D. (2012). Promoting student metacognition.  CBE-Life Sciences Education ,  11 (2), 113-120. Available:  http://www.lifescied.org/content/11/2/113.full

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Critical Thinking in Critical Care: Five Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning in the Intensive Care Unit

Margaret m. hayes.

1 Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

2 Shapiro Institute for Education and Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and

Souvik Chatterjee

3 Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Massachusetts

Richard M. Schwartzstein

Associated data.

Critical thinking, the capacity to be deliberate about thinking, is increasingly the focus of undergraduate medical education, but is not commonly addressed in graduate medical education. Without critical thinking, physicians, and particularly residents, are prone to cognitive errors, which can lead to diagnostic errors, especially in a high-stakes environment such as the intensive care unit. Although challenging, critical thinking skills can be taught. At this time, there is a paucity of data to support an educational gold standard for teaching critical thinking, but we believe that five strategies, routed in cognitive theory and our personal teaching experiences, provide an effective framework to teach critical thinking in the intensive care unit. The five strategies are: make the thinking process explicit by helping learners understand that the brain uses two cognitive processes: type 1, an intuitive pattern-recognizing process, and type 2, an analytic process; discuss cognitive biases, such as premature closure, and teach residents to minimize biases by expressing uncertainty and keeping differentials broad; model and teach inductive reasoning by utilizing concept and mechanism maps and explicitly teach how this reasoning differs from the more commonly used hypothetico-deductive reasoning; use questions to stimulate critical thinking: “how” or “why” questions can be used to coach trainees and to uncover their thought processes; and assess and provide feedback on learner’s critical thinking. We believe these five strategies provide practical approaches for teaching critical thinking in the intensive care unit.

Critical thinking, the capacity to be deliberate about thinking and actively assess and regulate one’s cognition ( 1 – 4 ), is an essential skill for all physicians. Absent critical thinking, one typically relies on heuristics, a quick method or shortcut for problem solving, and can fall victim to cognitive biases ( 5 ). Cognitive biases can lead to diagnostic errors, which result in increased patient morbidity and mortality ( 6 ).

Diagnostic errors are the number one cause of medical malpractice claims ( 7 ) and are thought to account for approximately 10% of in-hospital deaths ( 8 ). Many factors contribute to diagnostic errors, including cognitive problems and systems issues ( 9 ), but it has been shown that cognitive errors are an important source of diagnostic error in almost 75% of cases ( 10 ). In addition, a recent report from the Risk Management Foundation, the research arm of the malpractice insurer for the Harvard Medical School hospitals, labeled more than half of the malpractice cases they evaluated as “assessment failures,” which included “narrow diagnostic focus, failure to establish a differential diagnosis, [and] reliance on a chronic condition of previous diagnosis ( 11 ).” In light of these data and the Institute of Medicine’s 2015 recommendation to “enhance health care professional education and training in the diagnostic process ( 8 ),” we present this framework as a practical approach to teaching critical thinking skills in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The process of critical thinking can be taught ( 3 ); however, methods of instruction are challenging ( 12 ), and there is no consensus on the most effective teaching model ( 13 , 14 ). Explicit teaching about reasoning, metacognition, cognitive biases, and debiasing strategies may help avoid cognitive errors ( 3 , 15 , 16 ) and enhance critical thinking ( 17 ), but empirical evidence to inform best educational practices is lacking. Assessment of critical thinking is also difficult ( 18 ). However, because it is of paramount importance to providing high-quality, safe, and effective patient care, we believe critical thinking should be both explicitly taught and explicitly assessed ( 12 , 18 ).

Critical thinking is particularly important in the fast-paced, high-acuity environment of the ICU, where medical errors can lead to serious harm ( 19 ). Despite the paucity of data to support an educational gold standard in this field, we propose five strategies, based on educational principles, we have found effective in teaching critical thinking in the ICU ( Figure 1 ). These strategies are not dependent on one another and often overlap. Using the following case scenario as an example for discussion, we provide a detailed explanation, as well as practical tips on how to employ these strategies.

A 45-year-old man with a history of hypertension presents to the emergency department with fatigue, sore throat, low-grade fever, and mild shortness of breath. On arrival to the emergency department, his heart rate is 110 and his blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg. He is given 2 L fluids, but his blood pressure continues to fall, and norepinephrine is started. Physical examination is normal with the exception of dry mucous membranes. Laboratory studies performed on blood samples obtained before administration of intravenous fluid show: white blood cell count, 6.0 K/uL; hematocrit, 35%; lactate, 0.8 mmol/L; blood urea nitrogen, 40 mg/dL; and creatinine, 1.1 mg/dL. A chest radiograph shows no infiltrates. He is admitted to the medical intensive care unit. Attending: What is your assessment of this patient? Resident: This is a 45-year-old male with a history of hypertension who was sent to us from the emergency department with sepsis. Attending: That is interesting. I am puzzled: What is the source of infection? And how do you account for the low hematocrit in an essentially healthy man whom you believe to be volume depleted? Resident: Well, maybe pneumonia will appear on the X-ray in the next 24 hours. With respect to the hematocrit...I’m not really sure.

Five strategies to teach critical thinking skills in a critical care environment.

Strategy 1: Make the “Thinking Process” Explicit

In the ICU, many attendings are satisfied with the trainee simply putting forth an assessment and plan. In the case presented here, the resident’s assessment that the patient has sepsis is likely based on the resident remembering a few facts about sepsis (i.e., hypotension is not responsive to fluids) and recognizing a pattern (history of possible infection + fever + hypotension = sepsis). With this information, we may determine that the learner is operating at the lowest level of Bloom’s taxonomy: remembering ( 20 ) ( Figure 2 ), in this case, she seems to be using reflexive or automatic thought. In a busy ICU, it is tempting for the attending to simply overlook the response and proceed with one’s own plan, but we should be expecting more. As indicated in the attending’s response, we should make the thinking process explicit and push the resident up Bloom’s taxonomy: to describe, explain, apply, analyze, evaluate, and ultimately create ( 20 ) ( Figure 2 ).

The revised Bloom’s taxonomy. This schematic, first created in 1956, depicts six levels of the cognitive domain. Remembering is the lowest level; creating is the highest level. Adapted from Anderson and Krathwol ( 20 ).

Faculty members should probe the thought process used to arrive at the assessment and encourage the resident to think about her thinking; that is, to engage in the process of metacognition. We recommend doing this in real time as the trainee is presenting the case by asking “how” and “why” questions (see strategy 4).

Attending: Why do you think he has sepsis? Resident: Well, he came in with infectious symptoms. Also, his blood pressure is quite low, and it only improved slightly with fluids in the emergency department. Attending: Okay, but how is blood pressure generated? How could you explain hypotension using other data in the case, such as the low hematocrit?

If the trainee is encouraged to think about her thinking, she may conclude that she was trying to force a “pattern” of sepsis, perhaps because she frequently sees patients with sepsis and because the emergency department framed the case in that way. It is possible that she does not have enough experience in the ICU or specific knowledge about sepsis to accurately assess this patient; in the actual case, a third-year resident with significant ICU experience ultimately admitted to defaulting to pattern recognition.

One way to push learners up Bloom’s taxonomy is to help them understand dual-process theory: the idea that the brain uses two thinking processes, type 1 and type 2 (alternately known as system 1 and system 2). Type 1 thinking is the more intuitive process of decision making; type 2 is an analytical process ( 17 , 21 , 22 ). Type 1 thinking is immediate and unconscious, and the hallmark is pattern recognition; type 2 is deliberate and effortful ( 17 ).

Critical thinkers understand and recognize the dual processes ( 21 ) and the fact that type I thinking is common in their daily lives. Furthermore, they acknowledge that type 1 reasoning, which is often automatic and unconscious, can be prone to error. There is a paucity of data linking cognitive errors to the particular type of thinking ( 14 ), but many of these studies are plagued by the fact that they do not test the atypical pattern. As a consequence, they do not truly test the hypothesis that type 2 reasoning will reduce error in more complex cases. It has been shown that combining type 1 and type 2 thinking improves diagnostic accuracy compared with just using one method versus another ( 23 ). We believe that helping learners understand how their minds work will help them recognize when they may be falling into pattern recognition and when this will be problematic (e.g., when there are discordant data, or one can only quickly think of one diagnosis). By expecting more from our learners, by compelling them to understand, analyze, and evaluate, we must provide constant feedback and coaching to help them develop, and we must ask the right questions (see strategy 4) to guide them.

Strategy 2: Discuss Cognitive Biases and De-Biasing Strategies

Cognitive biases are thought patterns that deviate from the typical way of decision making or judging ( 24 ). These occur commonly when we are under stress or time constrained when making decisions. At this time, there are more than 100 described cognitive biases, some of which are more common in medicine than others ( 25 ). We believe that the six outlined in Table 1 are particularly prevalent in the ICU.

Six common biases frequently used in the intensive care unit

The definitions of these biases are based on their application and use in clinical medicine. Table adapted from Croskerry ( 6 ), Croskerry ( 27 ), and Hogarth ( 37 ).

Although there are many proponents of teaching cognitive biases ( 6 ), there are no studies showing that teaching these to trainees improves their clinical decision making ( 14 ), again recognizing that research in this area has often not focused on the scenarios in which cognitive bias is likely to lead to error. Most cognitive biases are quiescent until the right scenario presents itself ( 26 ), which makes them difficult to study in the clinical context. Imagine an overworked, tired resident in a busy ICU or one who received an incomplete sign-out or felt pressure from the system to make a quick decision to move along patient care. These scenarios occur daily in the ICU; as a consequence, we believe that teaching residents how to recognize biases and giving them strategies to debias is important.

The resident in the clinical scenario outlined here is falling prey to many biases in her assessment that the patient has sepsis. First, it is likely that on her ICU rotation she has seen many patients with sepsis, and thus sepsis is a diagnosis that is easily available to her mind (availability bias). Next, she is falling victim to confirmation bias: The presence of hypotension supports a diagnosis of sepsis and is disproportionately appreciated by the trainee compared with a white blood cell count of 6,000, which does not easily fit with the diagnosis and is ignored. Next, she anchors and prematurely closes on the diagnosis of sepsis and does not look for other possible explanations of hypotension. The resident does not realize that she is subject to these biases; explicitly discussing them will help her understand her thinking process, enable her to recognize when she may be jumping to conclusions, and help her identify when she must switch to type 2 thinking.

Attending: Why do you think he has sepsis? Resident: Well, he came in with infectious symptoms. Also, his blood pressure is quite low, and it did not improve with fluids in the emergency department. This is similar to the other patient with sepsis. Attending: I can see why sepsis easily comes to your mind, as we have recently admitted three other patients with sepsis. These patients had similar features to this patient, so your mind is jumping to that conclusion, but if we stop and think together about what pieces of the case don’t fit with sepsis, we may come up with a different diagnosis. Resident: Well, the lack of leukocytosis doesn’t make sense. Attending: Yes! I agree, that is a bit odd. Let’s broaden our differential and not anchor on sepsis. What else could this be?

Cognitive forcing strategies ( 16 ), the process of making trainees aware of their cognitive biases and then developing strategies to overcome the bias, may help this resident. Studies show that debiasing can be taught to emergency medicine trainees ( 27 ), and we believe it can also be taught to critical care trainees, who experience a similar fast-paced and high-stakes learning environment. Proposed debiasing strategies include encouraging trainees to consider alternative diagnoses ( 3 , 6 , 27 , 28 ) and promoting broad differentials. In particular, they need to be able to rethink cases when confronted with information that is not consistent with the working diagnosis; for example, leukocytosis, as above. They should be allowed to communicate their level of uncertainty, and we should not think less of them if they do not have a single final answer with a targeted plan ( 29 ). When we do not discuss inconsistent information, we essentially give trainees permission to ignore it.

Attending: In addition to the white blood cell count not fitting, I’m also struggling with the hematocrit: How is it 35% in the setting of presumed decreased intravascular volume? Resident: Hmm.... I’m actually not sure. You’re right, though, it doesn’t make sense. Attending: I agree. Let’s pause and think about how we are thinking about this case .

To a large degree, recognition of cognitive bias requires metacognition, defined as thinking about one’s thinking ( 3 , 16 , 27 ). This process is optimized with a familiarity with how the mind works; that is, a basic understanding of dual-process theory and cognitive biases. In the ICU, we find it easiest to engage in a group metacognition exercise. The attending asks, “How are we thinking about this case?” This allows both the attending and the team to reflect together on how and why the diagnosis has been made. This can provide insight into the tendency to prematurely close or limit considerations, which has been shown to be the most common cause of inaccurate clinical synthesis ( 10 ).

Other debiasing strategies include accountability ( 6 ) and feedback ( 25 , 30 ). Giving specific and in-the-moment feedback can help residents understand their decisions ( 25 ). It is our job as attendings to provide this feedback, and it is thought that this is one of the most effective debiasing strategies ( 25 ).

Strategy 3: Model and Teach Inductive Reasoning

In medicine, we classically teach clinical reasoning via the hypothetico-deductive strategy ( 31 ) and rarely discuss inductive reasoning. To date, there are no data proving the advantages of one strategy over another, but we believe that modeling inductive reasoning is an important part of critical thinking, especially when type 1 thinking provides limited answers. In hypothetico-deductive reasoning, physicians make a cognitive jump from a few facts to hypotheses framed as a differential diagnosis from which one then deduces characteristics that are matched to the patient ( 32 ). Because this way of thinking relies on memory and pattern recognition, we find that it is more subject to cognitive biases, including premature closure, than inductive reasoning.

In our case, the presence of hypotension leads the trainee to come up with a differential based primarily on that single observation; the resident thinks of diagnoses such as sepsis or cardiogenic shock. Contrast this way of thinking with inductive reasoning, which proceeds in an orderly way from multiple facts to hypotheses ( 32 ). In our case, putting together the facts of hypotension, decreased hematocrit, and elevated blood urea nitrogen/creatinine would lead to a broader list of possible explanations or hypotheses that would include bleeding (see Figure 3 to compare and contrast inductive and deductive reasoning). We propose that this way of thinking is grounded more deeply in pathophysiology, and we believe it leads to broader thinking, because trainees do not have to rely on memory, pattern recognition, or heuristics; rather, they can reason their way through the problem via an understanding of basic mechanisms of health and disease.

Schematic representations of deductive ( 1 ) and inductive ( 2 ) reasoning apropos to the clinical case. In deductive reasoning, one fact ( F ; hypotension ) is used to generated multiple hypotheses ( H ), and then facts that pertain to each are retrofitted ( red F* ; fever ). In inductive reasoning, facts are grouped and used to generate hypotheses. Adapted from Pottier ( 32 ).

Inductive reasoning can be practiced using both mechanism and concept maps. Mechanism maps are a visual representation of how the pathophysiology of disease leads to the clinical symptoms ( 33 ), whereas concept maps graphically represent relationships between multiple concepts ( 33 ) and make links explicit. Both types reinforce mechanistic thinking and can be used as tools to avoid cognitive biases. Using our case as an example, if the resident started with the hypotension and made a mechanism ( Figure 4A ) or concept ( Figure 4B ) map, she would be less likely to anchor on the diagnosis of sepsis. This process gives trainees a strategy to broaden their differential and a way to think about the case when they do not know what is going on.

( A ) A mechanism map of a 45-year-old man presenting with cough, shortness of breath. Found to have an increased BUN/Cr ration, a decreased hematocrit, and a normal white blood cell count. ( B ) A concept map of the clinical case. AFib = atrial fibrillation; BUN/Cr = blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio; CAD = coronary artery disease; CO/Q = cardiac output; CVP = central venous pressure; CXR = chest X-ray; GI = gastrointestinal; HR = heart rate; Hx HTN = history of hypertension; MAP = mean arterial pressure; RV = right ventricle; SV = stroke volume; SVR = systemic vascular resistance; WBC = white blood cell.

Although critics contend that these maps take time and do not have a place in the ICU, we find that quickly sketching a mechanism map on rounds while the case is being presented only takes 1–2 minutes and is a powerful way of making your method of clinical reasoning explicit to the learner. This can also be done later as a way to review pathophysiology. We hold monthly concept mapping sessions for our students ( 34 ) to improve their clinical reasoning skills, but find that in the ICU with residents, doing this quickly in real time with a mechanism map is more effective.

Strategy 4: Use Questions to Stimulate Critical Thinking

Questions can be used to engage the learners and inspire them to think critically. When questioning trainees, it is important to avoid the “quiz show” type questions that just test whether a trainee can recall a fact (e.g., “What is the most common cause of X”?). In our current advanced technological age, answers to this type of question reveal less about thinking abilities than how adept one is at searching the internet. These questions do not provide insight into the trainee’s understanding but can, we fear, subtly emphasize that the practice of medicine is about memorization, rather than thinking. In addition, this type of question is often perceived by the trainee as “pimping.” This can belittle the trainee while securing the attending physician’s place of power ( 35 ) and create a hostile learning environment.

Attending: Why do you think this patient is hypotensive? Attending: How does the BUN/creatinine ratio relate to the hypotension? Attending: How would you expect the intravascular volume depletion to affect his hematocrit?

Questions like these allow the trainee to elaborate on her knowledge, which feels much safer to the learner and provides the attending insight into her thinking.

Resident: If my theory of sepsis were correct, I would think the patient would be intravascularly dry and have a higher hematocrit. The fact that it is only 35% and that his BUN/creatinine ratio is consistent with a prerenal picture is making me worried that maybe the hypotension is not from sepsis but, rather, from bleeding. I think we need to evaluate for gastrointestinal bleeding.

When the right questions are used to coach the resident, her thought processes are uncovered and she can be guided to the correct diagnosis. Although experience and domain-specific knowledge are important, data indicate that in the majority of malpractice cases involving diagnostic error, the problem is not that the doctor did not know the diagnosis; rather, she did not think of it. Reasoning, rather than knowledge, is key to avoiding mistakes in cases with confounding data.

Strategy 5: Assess Your Learner’s Critical Thinking

It is difficult, but necessary for trainee development, to assess critical thinking ( 18 ). Milestones, ranging from challenged and unreflective thinkers to accomplished critical thinkers, have been proposed ( 18 ). This approach is helpful not only for providing feedback to trainees on their critical thinking but also to give the trainees a framework to guide reflection on how they are thinking (see Table 2 for a description of the milestones).

Milestones of critical thinking and the descriptions of each stage

Note that “Challenged thinker” is in italics because any thinker can be challenged as a result of environmental pressures or time constraints. Adapted from Papp ( 18 ).

It is important to note that anyone, even accomplished critical thinkers, can become “challenged critical thinkers” when the environment precludes critical thinking. This is particularly relevant in critical care. In a busy ICU, one is often faced with time pressure, which contributes to premature closure. In our case presented earlier, perhaps the resident had limited time to admit this patient, and thus settled on the diagnosis of sepsis. It is our hope that teaching trainees to recognize this risk will lead to fewer cognitive biases. Imagine a different exchange between faculty and resident:

Attending: How are you doing with the new admission? How are you thinking about the case? Resident: I’m concerned this is sepsis, but there are few pieces that don’t fit. However, given the two other admissions and the cardiac arrest on the floor who is heading our way, I haven’t been able to give this case as much thought as I would like to. Attending: Okay, do you want to work through the case together? Or could I help with some other tasks so you have more time to think about this?

This type of response reflects a practicing critical thinker: one who is aware of her limitations and thinking processes. This can only occur, however, if the attending creates an environment in which critical thinking is valued by making a safe space and asking the right questions.

Conclusions

The ICU is a high-acuity, fast-paced, and high-stakes environment in which critical thinking is imperative. Despite the limited empirical evidence to guide faculty on best teaching practices for enhancing reasoning skills, it is our hope that these strategies will provide practical approaches for teaching this topic in the ICU. Given how fast medical knowledge grows and how rapidly technology allows us to find factual information, it is important to teach enduring principles, such as how to think.

Our job in the ICU, where literal life-and-death decisions are made daily, is to teach trainees to focus on how we actually think about problems and to uncover cognitive biases that cause flawed thinking and may lead to diagnostic error. The focus of the preclerkship curriculum at the undergraduate level is increasingly moving away from transfer of content to application of knowledge ( 36 ). When teaching residents and fellows, faculty should also emphasize thinking skills by making the thinking process explicit, discussing cognitive biases, and debiasing strategies, modeling and teaching inductive reasoning, using questions to stimulate curiosity, and assessing critical thinking skills.

As Albert Einstein said, “Education... is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think...” ( 38 ).

Supplementary Material

Author Contributions : M.M.H. contributed to manuscript drafting, figure creation, and editing; S.C. contributed to figure creation, critical review, and editing; and R.M.S. contributed to figure creation, critical review, and editing.

Author disclosures are available with the text of this article at www.atsjournals.org .

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6 Teaching Strategies to Boost Students’ Curiosity and Engagement

Curiosity and engagement are crucial elements in the learning process. When students are curious, they are more likely to explore and understand new concepts, leading to a deeper and more meaningful education. Engagement ensures that students remain interested and invested in their learning, which can improve academic outcomes and foster a lifelong love of learning. By implementing effective teaching strategies, educators can create an environment that nurtures these qualities.

This guide will explore six strategies to boost students’ curiosity and engagement.

1. Personalized Learning Approaches

Personalized learning approaches are essential for addressing the diverse needs of students, particularly those with special needs. Tailored strategies ensure that each student receives the support and instruction they need to thrive. Personalized learning can include modifications in teaching methods, curriculum adjustments, and the use of specialized resources. These strategies help to create an inclusive learning environment where all students feel valued and capable. By focusing on the unique strengths and challenges of each student, educators can foster a more engaging and stimulating classroom atmosphere.

Educators with advanced training, such as a master’s in special education, are well-prepared to implement these personalized learning strategies effectively. This degree equips teachers with the skills and knowledge necessary to design and deliver instruction that meets the needs of special students. Educators learn to analyze, predict, and address potential learning barriers, ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to succeed. Looking up the keyword masters in special education on your search engine will allow you to learn more about this degree and how it prepares educators to create a more dynamic and inclusive educational experience.

2. Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry-based learning is a powerful method for fostering curiosity in students. This approach encourages students to ask questions, explore topics in-depth, and engage in hands-on learning activities. Instead of passively receiving information, students take an active role in their education, driving their learning process. This method helps students develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the subject matter; when students are encouraged to be inquisitive and seek answers, their natural curiosity is stimulated, leading to greater engagement and interest in learning.

Hands-on activities are an integral part of inquiry-based learning, as they allow students to apply what they have learned in a practical context. Projects, experiments, and real-world problem-solving tasks enable students to see the relevance of their studies and engage more fully with the material. These activities make learning more interactive and enjoyable, which can boost students’ motivation and enthusiasm. By incorporating inquiry-based learning into their teaching practices, educators can create a more engaging and curiosity-driven classroom environment.

3. Integrating Technology in the Classroom

Technology has become an indispensable tool in modern education, offering numerous ways to enhance student engagement. Interactive tools and resources, such as educational software, online simulations, and digital games, can make learning more dynamic and interesting. These tools provide students with new ways to interact with the material, catering to different learning styles and preferences. Technology can also facilitate personalized learning by allowing students to work at their own pace and explore topics that interest them deeply. The use of technology in the classroom helps to create an engaging and innovative learning environment.

Blended learning models, which combine traditional classroom instruction with digital learning methods, are particularly effective in maintaining student interest and participation. This method enables students to benefit from direct interactions with teachers and classmates while also utilizing the flexibility and resources offered online. Blended learning can involve activities like online discussions, virtual labs, and multimedia presentations, creating a diverse and comprehensive educational experience.

4. Collaborative Learning Environments

Collaborative learning environments play a critical role in boosting student engagement and curiosity. Group work and peer learning encourage students to interact with their classmates, share ideas, and work together to solve problems. This collaborative approach not only enhances understanding of the subject matter but also develops essential social and communication skills. When students collaborate, they are more likely to be engaged, as they feel a sense of responsibility to their peers and are motivated by the collective effort to achieve common goals.

Building a strong classroom community is integral to fostering a collaborative learning environment. Activities that promote teamwork and mutual respect among students can create a supportive and inclusive atmosphere. Group projects, peer review sessions, and collaborative discussions help students to appreciate diverse perspectives and learn from each other. This sense of community enhances engagement as students feel more connected and invested in their learning. By encouraging collaboration and community-building, educators can create an environment where students are eager to participate and explore new ideas.

5. Real-World Connections

Making learning relevant to students’ lives is a powerful way to boost curiosity and engagement. When students see the practical applications of what they are learning, they are more likely to be interested and motivated. Teachers can make academic content more relevant by connecting it to real-world scenarios that resonate with students’ experiences and interests. This approach helps students to understand the importance of their studies and how they can apply their knowledge outside the classroom.

Guest speakers and field trips are excellent strategies for making real-world connections in education. Inviting professionals to speak about their careers and experiences can provide students with insights into various fields and inspire them to explore new interests. Field trips offer hands-on learning experiences that bring academic concepts to life. These activities can spark curiosity and engagement by showing students the tangible impact of their education.

6. Creative and Critical Thinking Activities

Encouraging creativity and critical thinking in the classroom is essential for fostering curiosity and engagement. Activities that promote creative thinking, such as art projects, writing assignments, and brainstorming sessions, allow students to express themselves and explore new ideas. These activities help students to develop their imagination and problem-solving skills, making learning more enjoyable and stimulating. When students are encouraged to think creatively, they are more likely to be curious and motivated to learn.

Developing critical thinking skills is equally important for student engagement. Activities that challenge students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information can deepen their understanding of the subject matter. Debates, case studies, and problem-solving exercises are effective ways to promote critical thinking. These activities require students to think deeply and consider multiple perspectives, enhancing their curiosity and engagement. By incorporating creative and critical thinking activities into their teaching practices, educators can create a dynamic and intellectually stimulating classroom environment.

By focusing on collaborative learning environments, making real-world connections, and encouraging creative and critical thinking, educators can significantly enhance student curiosity and engagement. Each of these strategies helps to create a more interactive, inclusive, and stimulating learning experience. When students are curious and engaged, they are more likely to succeed academically and develop a lifelong love of learning.

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Encouraging critical thinking in an era of AI paraphrasing

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In the age of digital transformation, where generative AI and AI paraphrasing are prevalent, the ability to think critically has never been more important.

Education is navigating a world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence, and the way we process and interpret information is rapidly evolving. Critical thinking—the practice of analyzing and evaluating information to form a reasoned judgment—is a fundamental skill that empowers individuals to make informed decisions and solve complex problems.

Writing for Forbes, Ron Carucci notes that, “There’s a big difference between machine learning and ‘machine thinking’ … the minute we start looking at AI as machine thinking, we’re in trouble, because it means we’ve tried to outsource our own critical thinking and problem solving skills to a machine that is only replicating and regurgitating information it has gathered.” But AI paraphrasing tools are making it easier than ever to bypass this deeply important skill.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of teaching critical thinking in an era dominated by AI, with strategies for educators to promote critical thinking and ethical AI use among students.

What is paraphrasing vs AI paraphrasing?

A key aspect of critical thinking in academic and professional writing is paraphrasing. Writers generally paraphrase to reference credible authors, which in turn, establishes their own credibility.

Traditional paraphrasing requires a deep understanding of the content at hand, plus an ability to express it in a new form without altering the original meaning. It’s an alternative to using a quote, when a writer wants to use their own words, their own voice, but someone else’s idea. When a writer paraphrases, they show that they understand the meaning of the text, and it’s a common technique used to present information more concisely or clearly while properly attributing the original source.

AI paraphrasing, on the other hand, refers to the process of using AI technology to rewrite text while retaining the original meaning, sometimes without proper attribution. These AI-powered tools analyze the input text and generate alternative versions that convey the same information using different words or sentence structures. When powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP), AI paraphrasing tools can be remarkably sophisticated (more so than traditional text spinners) which is cause for concern for academic integrity.

Why is fostering critical thinking essential amidst AI paraphrasing tools?

The internet provides a vast amount of information, often with varying degrees of reliability. It is our critical thinking skills that enable us to discern credible sources from unreliable ones , ensuring we only rely on accurate information. AI paraphrasing tools do not carry out this task for us, thus understanding their limitations is key to academic and research success.

While AI paraphrasing tools can produce text that is grammatically correct, in parallel, they can produce contextually inaccurate or misleading information. Critical thinking helps users recognize these limitations and verify the information provided by AI.

Moreover, an over-reliance on AI paraphrasing tools can impact original thought and creativity. Teaching critical thinking encourages intellectual independence among students, empowering them to form their own ideas and arguments rather than passively accepting AI-generated content as being factually correct.

The use of AI in content creation also raises ethical questions about plagiarism and intellectual property. Critical thinking fosters ethical awareness, helping individuals use AI responsibly and respect the original authorship of content.

What are the risks of over-reliance on AI paraphrasing tools?

As AI paraphrasing tools become increasingly sophisticated and accessible, it's tempting to use them as a crutch for generating content quickly, particularly during periods of academic pressure . While these tools offer convenience, over-reliance on them presents several significant risks to students, their institutions, and the wider society.

AI paraphrasing tools often work by reordering or substituting words and phrases to create new sentences. This can result in bland and uninspired content that lacks the unique voice and creativity of the original author. Over time, this dependency can stifle a writer's ability to produce original work and diminish their creative capabilities, resulting in the atrophy of essential skills such as critical analysis, vocabulary development, and grammatical precision.

For students and learners, the process of writing and paraphrasing by hand is an essential part of learning. It encourages deep engagement with the material and promotes a better understanding of the subject matter. By using AI to paraphrase, they miss out on the mental exercise of evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing information. This can lead to a superficial understanding of the material, as users may accept AI-generated content without questioning its accuracy or depth.

AI paraphrasing tools are only as good as the data and algorithms behind them. If the original content contains errors or biases, these can be perpetuated and even amplified by paraphrasing tools. Students may unwittingly propagate misinformation or incorrect interpretations, leading to a cycle of inaccuracies that could result in awarding a degree or certificate to a student lacking crucial subject knowledge. This is particularly concerning when awarding high-stakes qualifications, such as law or medicine, raising ethical concerns. Students, for example, may use these tools to bypass the hard work of writing and learning, which can undermine the educational process and academic integrity standards of their institution.

To deter students from relying heavily on generative AI, educators can take steps to prepare their students for a world where generative AI and critical thinking coexist in harmony.

How can educators encourage critical thinking in an era of AI paraphrasing?

Critical thinking is a higher-order skill and arguably one of the most valuable in academia. It significantly impacts problem-solving and decision-making and is transferable across many disciplines and domains. Developing critical thinking takes practice, beginning at the earliest possible level and evolving to proficiency over time. Transferring critical thinking from one domain to another involves explicit and deliberate instruction.

While there is ongoing debate about whether critical thinking can be taught directly or merely encouraged, we believe it’s prudent to provide a set of tips designed to help students develop critical thinking skills.

Promote active learning and collaboration

Active learning—sometimes referred to as authentic learning —involves engaging students directly in the learning process, putting them at the center of the learning experience. To engage students in active learning, educators can encourage students to participate in discussions, debates, and problem-solving activities. These activities require students to analyze information, form arguments, and critically evaluate different perspectives. Techniques such as case studies, group projects, and hands-on experiments can also facilitate active learning.

A study by Deslauriers et al. ( 2019 ) sought to measure actual learning vs. feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom. The results indicated that although students felt that they learned more in the traditional lecture setting—rendered by an inherent student bias against active learning—they actually learned more when taking part in active learning strategies.

Encourage questioning

Foster a classroom environment where questioning is not only allowed but encouraged. Teach students to ask probing questions about the material they read, write, and the outputs of any generative AI tools they may have adopted to produce their work. Questions that challenge assumptions, explore alternative viewpoints, and dig deeper into the subject matter can significantly enhance students’ critical thinking skills. Questions can also help you, as an educator, to uncover misconceptions among students, which provides a means of formative assessment data that can be leveraged to improve future teaching and learning.

Immerse students in project-based learning

Presenting students with real-world problems can enhance their critical thinking skills by providing a practical and engaging context for applying knowledge. Students are asked to identify, analyze, and prioritize multiple variables, helping them to develop well-reasoned, evidence-based solutions. Real-world problems are also inherently engaging and relevant, increasing student motivation and enthusiasm for learning.

By integrating project-based learning in the form of real-world problems into the curriculum, educators create a dynamic learning environment that teaches critical thinking and prepares students for the complexities of real-world situations. Zhang and Ma ( 2023 ) found that “project-based learning significantly improved students’ learning outcomes and positively contributed to academic achievement, affective attitudes, and thinking skills, especially academic achievement.”

Integrate AI as supplementary aids

AI writing doesn’t have to mean academic misconduct. With practical strategies for embracing the challenge and also the potential that comes along with AI technology and writing, teachers can use AI as supplementary aids to enhance critical thinking and writing skills rather than replacements for traditional learning. For instance, students can use generative AI and AI paraphrasing tools to understand complex texts better, but they should also be encouraged to analyze and critique the AI's output. Writing for the Times Higher Education, science faculty member at Colorado State University, Urbi Ghosh , notes that, “AI technology helps to connect ideas, merging them to create stronger concepts and produce a wide range of ideas quickly.”

Can AI paraphrasing tools be used while upholding academic integrity?

While the use of AI paraphrasing tools poses challenges to academic integrity, there are situations where they can be employed ethically. For instance, these tools can be valuable aids for students and researchers in rephrasing complex ideas or improving the readability of their writing. When used appropriately, AI paraphrasing can complement original thought and enhance the overall quality of academic work.

However, it's crucial for users to understand the limitations and risks associated with AI paraphrasing. Simply relying on automated tools without a deep understanding of the content can lead to unintentional plagiarism or distortion of the original ideas. Therefore, it's essential for individuals to use AI paraphrasing tools responsibly, ensuring that they maintain transparency about the sources they are paraphrasing and accurately attribute ideas to their original authors .

Educators play a vital role in guiding students on the ethical use of AI paraphrasing and promoting a culture of academic integrity. By providing clear guidelines, offering resources for proper paraphrasing techniques , and encouraging critical thinking skills, educators can empower students to use AI paraphrasing tools effectively while upholding academic standards.

Overview: Encouraging critical thinking in an era of AI paraphrasing

In an era where generative AI can effortlessly generate text and AI paraphrasing tools can manipulate it, reinforcing the importance of critical thinking has become more crucial than ever in the education space.

Critical thinking is a cornerstone of effective decision-making, problem-solving, and ethical conduct and equips individuals with the ability to discern credible sources from unreliable ones, have a deeper understanding of complex information, and maintain intellectual independence. These skills are indispensable for ensuring the accuracy, originality, and integrity of our work. And educators play a pivotal role in this dynamic.

By promoting AI as a responsible learning resource rather than a crutch, teachers can cultivate an environment that prioritizes and develops critical thinking in the digital world. This not only prepares students for academic success but also for the complexities of real-world challenges, including their next steps into the workforce.

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