Reviews two approaches to critical thinking and shares seven steps from one approach which promote critical thinking skills. Shares an example of an activity showing how this approach can be used in many areas of the curriculum. (MG)

Offers nine citations from the ERIC database which point to resources for developing students' critical thinking skills. (MG)

Summarizes 15 papers commissioned for the workshop on "Assessing Higher Order Thinking and Communication Skills in College Graduates," convened in response to National Education Goal V as presented in the America 2000 document. (RS)

This digest concerns itself with the origin of reflective thought, the application of theories about reflective thought to classrooms, conflicts and issues, and a synthesis of the essential ideas. Sections of the Digest address origin of the idea of reflective thought, definitions of reflective thinking, questioning strategies, how to generate…

Based upon the idea that the only hope for substantial curricular reform and for adoption of reflective inquiry in American schools is for teachers to redefine the basic pedagogical concepts that they have inherited, this book discusses how to teach students to reflect upon what they learn in school. The three major sections of the book discuss:…

This book provides material and ideas for bringing metaphorical thinking into the classroom in the context of language discussions. It is organized to link the conceptual with the concrete, integrating teaching ideas with discussions concerning the various roles that metaphorical thinking plays in human understanding and communications. The book's…

This digest contrasts the traditional view of learning characteristic of classroom instruction with the emerging "constructivist" view that emphasizes the understanding of how and why students learn. The latter takes learning as a knowledge construction process that closely relates to prior knowledge and the learning context. It lends…

Educators have understood the potential of technology in supplementing the instructional process, including the use of technology in the area of assessment. Technology used with good testing practices offers some capabilities that add value to educational assessment. These include: accessibility; immediate feedback; ability to use new assessment…

This report addresses assessment of college student performance. Discussion focuses on why classroom assessment of students' achievement is important; how an instructor can ensure the quality of information from classroom assessments; methods of assessment particularly suited to various achievement targets; how the results of several assessments…

This digest addresses the importance of and the methods used to assess the performance of college students. Following a definition of "assessment," the digest considers: (1) why classroom assessment of students' achievement is important; (2) how an instructor can ensure the quality of information from classroom assessments; (3) methods…

Critical thinking skills figure prominently among the goals for education proposed by educational researchers, parents, and employers. This digest discusses the skills related to critical thinking and three specific strategies for teaching these skills. The first, Building Categories, is an inductive reasoning tool that helps students categorize…

This resource list cites nationwide tests indicating that many teenagers and adults have not been well prepared to function as marketplace consumers. It notes that a survey of chief state school administrators (1990) found unanimous support among respondents for consumer education as a top or middle priority in educational revitalization. The…

Based on the idea that certain critical skills mark the thoughtful person, inform the workplace, and provide for lifelong learning, this book provides classroom teachers with the ability to teach various subjects to students in a manner that simultaneously develops students' critical thinking, reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. A…

This ERIC Digest discusses three ways in which teachers can create an environment that stimulates critical inquiry: critical reading; writing to learn; and classification games. Critical reading has been defined as learning to evaluate, draw inferences, and arrive at conclusions based on the evidence. Elbow's (1983) writing to learn approach to…

This topical bibliography and commentary reviews research to examine the current trends in information literacy. It notes that the most recent studies of information literacy reflect the following concerns: (1) the effects of new information technologies (especially the Internet) on traditional methods of research and instruction in research; (2)…