Call for Abstracts – Arguing for Sport Formal debate has been a staple of fostering competency in critical thinking since … well, Plato’s time at least. By now, there are dozens of styles, with varying degrees of adversariality, conditions for winning and topical constraints. To many students, debate was a life-changing experience that had aContinue reading “So You Like to Argue? Here’s Your Chance”
Tag Archives: critical thinking
Feb 14 Lecture: Critical Thinking Skills Among Students
The AILACT Speakers Forum February 14, 2025, 11:00 US Eastern TimeZoom Link: https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/j/7153464115 “Mindware: A New Way of Thinking about Critical Thinking” By Prof. John Eigenauer Abstract: The general lack of critical thinking skills among students and the populace at large has long been lamented and substantiated. Books are legion about the brain’s fallibility, andContinue reading “Feb 14 Lecture: Critical Thinking Skills Among Students”
Critical Thinking in the Workplace
The skinny: Critical thinking is a strange bird: We all know it when we see it, but its definition is hard as heck to pin down. So, when employers say they want their employees to be critical thinkers, how’s that working out for them? This link to a 2024 article from Insight Assessment explains withContinue reading “Critical Thinking in the Workplace”
Video about Disinformation, Denialism, and the Assault on Truth
I belong to AILACT (Association for Informal Logic & Critical Thinking https://ailact.wordpress.com/). Every month, a speaker talks about an issue in critical thinking. The one posted below by Lee McIntyre, Research Fellow, Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University, was particularly interesting. Here is his description of the topic: “Disinformation is the scourgeContinue reading “Video about Disinformation, Denialism, and the Assault on Truth”
Conference Opportunities
Dear critical thinker: I am posting to alert you to two upcoming (soon!) conferences that might interest you. The Critical Thinking Consortium (tc2.ca) will hold a zoom call on leadership on May 13. To register: go to http://Register and pay for the conference. It is a very active organization and has many resources (some areContinue reading “Conference Opportunities”
Using Rubrics to Assess Critical Thinking
Assessing critical thinking has been a bugbear for teachers for years. After all, critical thinking is not like a problem in math or historical fact with a discrete answer. It’s a global, all-encompassing thinking pattern. Enter the time-honored rubric—a way to measure progress toward that goal.
Critical Thinking Courses
The Foundation for Critical Thinking is offering six online courses : How to Infuse Critical Thinking Into Your Instruction 2. Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life 3. How to Bring Critical Thinking into Higher Education Instruction on a Daily Basis 4. How to Bring Critical Thinking into K-12 Teaching on aContinue reading “Critical Thinking Courses”
How Best to Teach Critical Thinking?
analyze the problem. generate solutions. develop the reasoning for each solution. decide which is the best solution. use criteria to evaluate one’s thinking.
Astroturfing, or How to Bamboozle Your Opponent
Astroturfing refers to promotional propaganda: things like using actors to promote a product or service, putting on a fake, angry demonstration (with paid actors); falsifying facts; using false media testimonials, etc. See John Oliver’s 8/12/18 program about how companies use astroturfing to trick you: http://(1080) Astroturfing: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) – YouTube.Continue reading “Astroturfing, or How to Bamboozle Your Opponent”
What To Teach College Students about Writing Reports
This 2014 article by Biswas and Paczynska made my heart sing, because it spells out exactly how writing and critical thinking play a role in the workplace. I have been preaching this gospel in my own classroom for eons. The article uses examples from the State Department, but they are applicable in a variety ofContinue reading “What To Teach College Students about Writing Reports”
Critical Thinking Now! 