Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer opportunities for professional development of environmental educators globally, yet we lack understanding of participants™ cognitive and social learning processes and of how instructors can enhance these processes. Based on the Community of Inquiry framework, we used a survey and coded participant…

Preparing youth for success in tomorrow's workforce is of increasing concern to American schools, communities, policymakers and businesses. After-school programs are uniquely situated to help youth develop the skills needed in the 21st Century workplace. The after-school setting provides additional time for learning, and allows for engaging…

We describe how instructors can integrate the critical thinking skill of examining theoretical assumptions (e.g., determinism and materialism) and implications into psychology courses. In this instructional approach, students formulate questions that help them identify assumptions and implications, use those questions to identify and examine the…

Suggests ways in which school psychologists can adopt broader role in thinking skills movement. Discusses meaning of term "thinking skills"; distinguishes thinking skills movement in "general sense" from thinking skills movement in "restricted sense"; and discusses hindrances to school psychologists' involvement in general thinking skills…

Discusses Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Skills and presents a table that outlines and defines its six skill levels. Introduces articles in this journal describing assignments for business communications which involve the these higher-order thinking skills. (SR)

Shows ways that stories can be used to generate philosophical discussion and develop the thinking and literacy skills. Charts a theoretical background for research at the Centre for Thinking Skills into Cognitive Enrichment in the Early Years. Draws on project findings to show how stories can be used to generate higher order thinking and language…

Argues that questions are essential to thought, that thinking is driven by questions, and that answers often signal a full stop in thought. Outlines the art of Socratic questioning, and describes how to construct a list of "prior questions" (questions presupposed by another question). Offers a sample Socratic dialog in a high school…

Describes the vision of children's literature in the People's Republic of China: to convey cultural values, to nourish moral and character development, to sharpen thinking skills and expand knowledge, and to enhance language use. Discusses obstacles faced by children's literature. (SR)

Introduces the learning cycle method in the context of biology instruction. Includes a theoretical rationale for its use as well as a brief review of key studies that have found it effective. (Author/MM)

Argues that proving something begins with an assumption and proceeds logically to a conclusion, thus convincing by offering arguments. Describes some pitfalls involved in proving through examining several case histories. Offers suggestions for teaching the proof process. For example, sometimes an extreme example or counterexample will do more to…

Many students could learn more effectively than they do now if they were taught in a way that better matched their patterns of abilities. Teaching for successful intelligence provides a way to create such a match. It involves helping all students capitalize on their strengths and compensate for or correct their weaknesses. It does so by teaching…

Responds to John McPeck's article, "Critical Thinking and Subject Specificity: A Reply to Ennis" (May 1990), and summarizes his earlier essay. Covers the following topics: (1) versions of subject specificity; (2) vagueness; (3) the distinction between school-subject matter and the subject matter of everyday life; (4) subjects and topics;…

Sternberg's theory of successful intelligence was used to create augmented exams in Advanced Placement Psychology and Statistics. Participants included 1895 high school students from 19 states and 56 schools throughout the U.S. The psychometric results support the validity of creating examinations that assess memory, analytical, creative, and…

The reflective judgment model (RJM) describes the development of complex reasoning in late adolescents and adults, and how the epistemological assumptions people hold are related to the way they make judgments about controversial (ill-structured) issues. This article describes the theoretical assumptions that have guided the development of the RJM…

This paper uses a theoretical framework for concept mapping as an instance of a learning environment - the knowledge arena - and examines it against an existing framework for active learning called REAL (Rich Environment for Active Learning). The paper is intended to help in the understanding of environments for learning. Section 1 defines a…