Ideas to Action (I2A)Introduction to I2A

A session for UofL’s Library Faculty

Patricia R. Payette, Ph.D.

February 27, 2008

Ideas to Action:

Ideas to Action (I2A) is our Quality Enhancement Plan

(QEP), and we need to show measurable progress to the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) by

April 2012.

Using Critical Thinking to Foster Student Learning and Community Engagement

I2A and “Connecting the Dots”“Our extensive consultation with all University

constituencies yielded a surprisingly strong and clear call for education focused on the skills and

knowledge needed to deal with real-world issues and problems, an education in which students can see the importance of the parts (the courses) to the whole (their education as citizens and workers).”

[QEP Report, 2007]

http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction/files/finalreport.pdf

skills and knowledge

real-world issues & problems

the parts to the whole

From student focus groups:“Reduce the amount of

memorization required for tests, I feel I don’t learn as

much by doing this.” “Decrease the

memorization required, can’t

remember it all.”

“Too much memorization

and no sufficient critical analysis.”

“The subject testing is not

challenging due to memorization.”

“Regurgitated material (can just read chapters for

tests).”

One student even suggested that

student learning could be improved

by offering a course that would aid in memorization.

I2A: The Learning ParadigmThe (OLD) Instruction Paradigm Mission &

Purposes Provide/deliver instruction Transfer knowledge from faculty to students Offer courses and programs Improve the quality of instruction Achieve access for diverse students

The focus moves from what the instructor is doing or covering to

what students are learning….

The (NEW) Learning Paradigm Mission and Purposes• Produce learning• Elicit students discovery and construction of knowledge• Create powerful learning environments• Improve the quality of learning• Achieve success for diverse students From Teaching to Learning:

A New Paradigm for Undergraduate Education

Robert B. Barr and John Tagg, November/December

1995, Change Magazine

I2A: What are the components?

Sharpen our

existing focus on building critical

thinking skills in the general

education program…

…..continuing through

undergraduate major

courses with an emphasis on applying and refining those skills…

…resulting in a

culminating experience,

such as a thesis, service learning project,

internship or capstone

project that fosters

engagement

What is Critical Thinking?

“Higher-Order Thinking”

“Complex Thinking”

What is Critical Thinking?The words ‘critical’ and ‘criteria’ come from the same root word meaning judgment

Critical Thinking is reasonable, reflective

thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do. (Robert Ennis)

The problem of “egocentric” thinking (p. 21): Leads to self-serving perspectives and

evaluations Leads to a false sense of objectivity Leads to flawed thinking Lends itself to the unconscious

substitution of subjective intuitions for intellectual standards in thinking

Critical Thinking definition adopted for I2A (From: Scriven and Paul, 2003)

A Well-Cultivated Critical Thinker (p. 2):

Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely

Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively

Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards

Thinks open mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as needs be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences

Communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems

(Richard Paul and Linda Elder, the Foundation for Critical Thinking: http://www.criticalthinking.org/)

Which leads to deeper

Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Model

Intellectual Standards

Elements of Reasoning

Intellectual Traits

Must be appliedto

to develop

ClarityAccuracy Precision

SignificanceRelevance

SufficiencyLogical

BreadthFairnessDepth

QuestionsPurposes Inferences

Points of viewInformation

ConceptsAssumptionsImplications

HumilityAutonomy

Fair-mindedness

CourageConfidence in

reasoningIntegrityEmpathy

Perseverance

8 Elements Thought (p.3):PurposeGoals, objectives

Question at issueProblem, issue

InformationData, facts, observations, experiences

Conclusions, solutions Interpretation and Inference

Theories, definitions,

laws, principles, models

Concepts

AssumptionsPresuppositions, axioms, taking for granted

Implications and consequences

Point of ViewFrames of reference, perspectives, orientations

Using the ElementsSocial Work

Before: (A prompt question)

Identify an ethical issue or high risk incident and

analyze how you responded to it this month.

Using the ElementsSocial Work

After: (A prompt question)Briefly describe an ethical problem or high risk incident that you responded to this past month. Provide at least two examples of evidence or

pieces of information that informed your response or reaction. What were possible solutions, what

were the consequences, and what did you decide to do? Based on your reflection, how could you

have responded differently? Are there other points of view or perspectives that did—or might have—

influenced your decision?

Standards for Thinking (p. 8-10)Central six Standards

CLARITY Could you elaborate? Could you illustrate what you mean? Could you give me an example?ACCURACY How could we check on that? How could we find out if that is true? How could we verify or test that?PRECISION Could you be more specific? Could you give me more details? Could you be more exact?RELEVANCE How does that relate to the problem? How does that bear on the question? How does that help us with the issue?DEPTH What factors make this difficult? What are some of the complexities of this

question? What are some of the difficulties we need to

deal with? BREADTH Do we need to look at this from another

perspective? Do we need to consider another point of view? Do we need to look at this in other ways?

LOGIC Does all of this make sense together? Does your first paragraph fit in with your last

one? Does what you say follow from the evidence?SIGNIFICANCE Is this the most important problem to

consider? Is this the central idea to focus on? Which of these facts are most important?FAIRNESS Is my thinking justifiable in context? Am I taking into account the thinking of

others? Is my purpose fair given the situation? Am I using my concepts in keeping with

educated usage, or am I distorting them to get what I want?

COMPLETENESS How complete are the facts related to the

issue? How complete is the description? Is the description of each perspective

complete?

Using the StandardsHumanities

Before: Create a sophisticated argument that

includes a thesis and supporting evidence from

the text.

Using the ElementsHumanities After: (Example)

Accuracy: does your thesis hold if you consider the whole range of texts? Does it hold if you consider the internal contradictions within texts?

Precision: Does your thesis require qualification in order to be completely accurate? (For example, does what you say about the sonneteers hold for all the sonneteers or only for some of them?)

Depth: Is your thesis complex enough to deal with the complexity of the texts?

Breadth: Is your thesis complex enough to deal with the range of evidence?

Logic: Look at the transitions between paragraphs: do these “signpost” the way your argument is put together? If you are comparing, have you used the same criteria on both sides of the comparison? If you are classifying, are the categories distinct and not overlapping?

Improve Thinking: The Intellectual Traits (p.13-15)• Intellectual

Humility• Intellectual

Courage• Intellectual

Empathy• Intellectual

Autonomy

• Intellectual Integrity

• Intellectual Perseverance

• Confidence in Reason

• Fairmindedness

Using the Intellectual TraitsCommunication

Before: (Goals for Students)

1. To understand the communication goals of their particular career path.

2. How web standards aid in communicating effectively online.

Using the Intellectual TraitsCommunicationAfter: (Goals)

The first goal is that the students will develop intellectual autonomy as they work on the semester-long project. Periodically, I will check on the student’s progress but I will expect them to conduct the research and build the

demonstration website on their own.  

This will also build intellectual perseverance as the students learn to plan the project and work consistently

on it for the semester. The third goal is to build confidence in reason as students learn how their critical thinking skills can be applied in their career

success.

Pulling it All TogetherCommunication Capstone Assignment• The written assignment will use the Paul Elder language• During an internship orientation that has already occurred,

I used the Paul Elder language and sensitized students to the notion of critical thinking and problem-solution documentation as criteria for evaluation of their internship

• Students keep a daily work diary during the internship and have been asked to be cognizant throughout and to document problem-solution situations, their use of relevant Communication theory/concepts, and their efforts to use those concepts/theories to make inferences and interpretations that will ultimately assist in problem-solving.

What you can do:1. Become aware and discuss with your colleagues how and

why critical thinking is important to your work.

2. Model for students—in a very explicit way—how you “think things through.” Give the gift of your time, your mentorship in issues large and small.

3. Remember that students are on a developmental path. Meet them where they are in terms of their readiness for complex decision making. Sometimes the comfort zone is for absolute “rights and wrongs.”

4. Never forget that at the heart of critical thinking is learning to ask relevant, important questions. To re-evaluate, to reconsider and reflect on the answers –and then ask the next set of questions—are the intellectual habits of mind we wish to cultivate in our students.

Library Faculty & I2A…the next steps!

Familiarity with shared goals and missions

Shared vocabulary around critical thinking

(Paul-Elder Model)

Opportunities for culminating experiences outside the traditional format

Task Group Library Liaison Workshops and training

Additional Resources

More resources available on I2A & Critical Thinking

http://www.louisville.edu/ideastoaction

I2A Team

Dr. Patty Payette, I2A Executive Director: patty.payette@louisville.edu, 852-5171

Dr. Cathy Bays, Delphi Specialist for Assessment: cathy.bays@louisville.edu, 852-5138

Dr. Edna Ross, Delphi Specialist for Critical Thinking: edna.ross@louisville.edu, 852-5105

Hannah Anthony, I2A Program Assistant Senior: hannah.gatlin@louisville.edu, 852-7611

http://www.louisville.edu/ideastoaction

http://www.louisville.edu/ideastoaction