{"id":21536,"date":"2022-02-03T13:19:09","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T13:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=21536"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:21:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:21:04","slug":"critical-thinking-for-lifelong-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2022\/02\/03\/critical-thinking-for-lifelong-learning","title":{"rendered":"Critical thinking for lifelong learning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cPeople use critical thinking skills every day whether they\u2019re mapping out the best route to work, practicing self-reflection or helping their children put together a puzzle,\u201d said Dr. Martha Groom, professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image
Martha Groom, professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven something as ordinary as figuring out what time to set your alarm in the morning is an example of critical thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She and Dr. David Stokes, also a professor in the School of IAS, worked with colleagues across the country to conduct a three-year study on effective teaching practices to enhance critical thinking skills among conservation biology students. They worked with faculty from five different institutions and collected data from more than 220 students \u2014 78 of whom were from UW Bothell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the study took place in 2012-13, it wasn\u2019t until November 2021 that they published their findings in an article titled, Using Case Studies to Improve the Critical Thinking Skills of Undergraduate Conservation Biology Students<\/a>. Groom explained the gap in time is a result of compounding factors including having to score the more than 400 tests that were administered to measure critical thinking, as well as compiling and analyzing thousands of data points, and, lastly, writing and publishing the article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were all juggling other projects and had busy schedules before taking this on, but it was definitely worth it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was lovely to work with professors who also care so deeply about teaching. We always feel like we are making a difference in student learning, but this study allowed us to measure it. We now have tangible evidence of the impact we made \u2014 it was very powerful for both us and the students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huskies had highest gains <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stokes and Groom conducted their portion of the research on the UW Bothell campus, teaching conservation biology to undergraduates. Students took the same test twice in one quarter; once on the first day and once on the last. Developed by Tennessee Tech University, it served as an assessment of critical thinking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The test has been used in more than 250 different institutions, and in most cases, it revealed either little or no growth in students\u2019 critical thinking. Neither Groom nor Stokes knew that at the time. \u201cIt made it all the more wonderful when our students\u2019 test results showed that in fact, they had gained a lot,\u201d Groom said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of all the students who participated in the study, those from UW Bothell demonstrated the highest gains. They were also the only ones on a quarter system. \u201cEveryone else in the study had a semester to teach their students \u2014 David and I had only 10 weeks,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really quite remarkable the growth our students achieved.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students set up for success <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Groom suspects one of the reasons their students were so successful was in part due to the sheer number of case studies their students completed. While most institutions taught two in a semester, they taught five to six in a quarter. \u201cWe went through a lot of learning cycles that way,\u201d Groom said. \u201cWe would pause after we completed each one to reflect, notice what we learned, what we did well and what we could improve on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Heather
Alumna Healy Love snowshoeing at the Leveanworth Hatchery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She said reviewing case studies is a great way for students to learn how to think critically, as it requires them to \u201cpinpoint relevant evidence, make deductions and reach a logical conclusion around which they could center a strong argument \u2014 which essentially, are the building blocks of critical thinking.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumna Heather Love, IAS \u201912, was one of the students who participated in the study and echoed Groom\u2019s sentiment. She remembers the value that came with learning from case studies \u2014 even a decade later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was something special about that class, and it came from the studies that portrayed real-life experiences,\u201d Love said. \u201cIt made me invested in the material. I was used to just taking notes and listening to lectures, so this was both an incredible and stark contrast. I loved it. Out of every class I took in college, that one was my favorite.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poised to excel <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Groom believes that their students were poised to do well in the research because of the emphasis UW Bothell already places on critical thinking. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the cross-campus learning goals and is especially valued in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe incorporate critical thinking into our program by assigning things such as portfolios, which require students to reflect on their learning as well as recognize their patterns of thought, how they organize information and what learning methods work best for them. In that sense, our students already had a strong foundation to build upon and may be why they had the highest gains.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also a factor is that, while UW Bothell recognizes the importance of critical thinking, it also uses teaching practices that give students an opportunity to use these skills in class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groom explained that in education, the impact of experiential learning can often be overlooked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs professors, there are so many critical concepts we want to teach so that our students are well informed. We can get into the habit of believing that if we say it, the students learn it, but that isn\u2019t always the case,\u201d she said. \u201cLecturing may be the most efficient way to teach time-wise, but it isn\u2019t the most efficient for learning.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skills and content <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The study reaffirmed to both Stokes and Groom that more important than teaching content is teaching skills. \u201cIf we do that, students will be able to effectively teach themselves more content than we could ever cram into a quarter, even if we lectured the entire time,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Professional
Dr. David Stokes, professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlus, in the sciences, the statistics and knowledge are always changing and evolving. Giving students the tools to teach themselves leads to more sustainable learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stokes feels similarly, adding that it is impossible to know all the challenges that lie ahead in students\u2019 lifetimes. \u201cTherefore, we need to not only prepare students to address the known challenges of today but also equip them with the problem-solving skills to address the unforeseen issues that will surely arise in the future,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumna Jasleena Grewal, IAS \u201913, affirmed that more important than what she learned was how she learned. \u201cI don\u2019t remember all of the facts, but I remember the approach,\u201d she said. \u201cIn fact, I take that same systems approach to problem-solving every day in my job as a nurse practitioner. My career is essentially based on critical thinking, and I use the skills I acquired from this class in my everyday life. It was hugely beneficial.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importance of community <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the value of critical thinking, for Groom, the study also underscored the importance of having a community of fellow educators to support one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust as it helps students to reflect on their learning, it helps professors to reflect on their teaching,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am so grateful to be at UW Bothell \u2014 a University that brings professors from different schools together and provides opportunities to work and be in community with one another. It is such a joy and privilege.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Martha Groom and Dr. David Stokes, professors in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, participated in a national study on critical thinking — and their students from the University of Washington Bothell had the highest gains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[209,202,229,214],"tags":[],"school":[419],"class_list":["post-21536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alumni","category-campus-news","category-faculty","category-research","school-school-of-ias"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"Contact Us","email":"test@uwb.edu","phone":"(206) 999-1234","box":"Box 358500","address_line_1":"18115 Campus Way NE","address_line_2":"Bothell, WA 98011-8246","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nCritical thinking for lifelong learning - 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