Students test the hypothesis that the moon revolves east to west around the earth, determine by observation approximately how many degrees the moon revolves per night, and develop a scale model of the earth-sun-moon system in this laboratory exercise. Students are actively involved in the scientific process and are introduced to the importance of…

Reluctance of college faculty to teach critical thinking may be due to many factors. Proactive strategies for reducing resistance include creating a positive context for change, communicating expertness and credibility, creating a sense of safety and trust, countering sources of student resistance, and creating high hopes and expectations for…

Reports on a teacher-education course that emphasized the use of the visual arts in promoting content area reading. Local art museum personnel and teacher-education faculty identified works that could invoke discussions in certain content areas of specialization. Students used these as a basis for their papers. (MJP)

Describes a teaching unit composed of two Web-based activities which draw upon authentic, primary sources available on the Library of Congress American Memory Web site (http://memory.loc.gov). Discusses the problem-based learning framework, the "prompt," links to selected information sources, and testing the unit. (AEF)

Presents a model that can be used to develop or expand academic library services for international students based on survey results from Ohio academic libraries. Highlights include functional barriers, including critical thinking skills; cultural barriers; and model programs, including promotional, instructional, staff development, written,…

A study investigated graduate and professional educational experiences that promote contextual knowing. Seventy students described these experiences as opportunities to struggle with ideas and formulate their own opinions, connect their beliefs to their own lives, use experiences in the learning process, engage in learning as equal partners with…

Teachers of tax law are encouraged to require students to actively examine and apply the tax code and regulations. The author's active teaching approach is described covering student accountability, use of textbooks that offer explanations, procedures used in classroom analysis, student questions, use of lengthy regulations, breadth of coverage,…

The extent to which college teachers should disclose their own ethical and political views, or serve as advocates of them, is discussed. It is argued that the teacher who can convey the strengths of positions he opposes and weaknesses of those he embraces models critical reflection, encouraging and empowering critical thought in students. (MSE)

Maintains that introductory sociology courses rely on a preponderance of jargon that obfuscates the nature of the discipline. Advocates communicating the nature of sociology by emphasizing its three main approaches: structural, systematic, and critical. Suggests that religious affiliation and economic status influence ability to think…

Presents several strategies used by teachers committed to providing varied teaching and learning approaches in the middle school; strategies include learning inventories; question posing by young adolescents; projects; and interactive and reflective learning by students. Also discusses the need for professional development for teachers who are…

Describes a workshop used with classes doing Web research for their English papers in a computer lab. Shows how this is a good opportunity for students to learn to find, evaluate, and save Web sources, how to read critically and annotate the sources, and how to weave them into working drafts and avoid plagiarism. (SR)

Discusses the claim that reading without thinking is not possible. Presents critical discourse analysis, which is considered a pedagogically useful instrument enabling the practice of thinking skills necessary for reading efficiently. Considers the teachability of reading and thinking skills, and describes a critical reading course. (Author/VWL)

Describes implementation of the "process workshop" model for university chemistry classroom instruction. Defines process workshop as a classroom environment where students are actively engaged in learning a discipline and developing essential skills by working in self-managed teams on activities that involve guided discovery, critical thinking,…

Controlling for precollege aptitude and other influences, a study found male intercollegiate football and basketball players tended to have significantly lower levels of second-year writing skills and third-year critical-thinking and reading-comprehension skills than nonathletes and athletes in other sports. There was little evidence of similar,…

The pedagogic value of using archival holdings for the teaching of history has long been appreciated. Using primary sources in the teaching of history transcends the rote learning of facts and figures. It encourages critical thinking skills, introducing students to issues of context, selection and bias, to the nature of collective memory and to…