best practices: incorporating critical thinking in assignments through scaffolding · 2019. 5....

Best Practices: Incorporating Critical Thinking in Assignments through

Scaffolding

Faculty Summit 2012

Dr. Heather Gollmar Casey

Scaffolding

• Model the learning activity/objective

• Begin with assignments that require lower order critical thinking skills

– abstracts, summaries or descriptions, quizzes

• Build towards more complex assignments

– case analysis, business plan, lab report

***Great for Online and Hybrid courses***

Props from:

• Piaget’s cognitive constructivism theory

• Active learning proponents

• Tech savvy educators

• Bloom’s taxonomy advocates

• Supporters of S-o-L theory – Self-organized learning NOT the other S-o-L

• Intrinsic motivation

• Brenau QEP

“Scaffolding requires continuous sorting and sifting as part of a ‘puzzling’ process—the combining of new information with previous understandings to construct new ones. Students are adding on, extending, refining and elaborating. It is almost as if they are building a bridge from their preconceptions to a deeper, wiser, more astute view of whatever truth matters for the question or issue at hand”

McKenzie, Jamie, (1999). Scaffolding for Success. From Now On: The Educational Journal, Vol. 9, No. 4. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.fno.org/dec99/scaffold.html

http://www.fno.org/dec99/scaffold.html

Strategies http://ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/sites/default/files/scaffolding.pdf

• 1. Define clear learning objectives. Avoid vague phrases such as “mastery of course content. ” Use precise statements of what students will be able to do, know, and value. (and think how useful this will be for your annual assessment reports ) http://www.granitecm.com/

http://ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/sites/default/files/scaffolding.pdfhttp://www.granitecm.com/

Strategies

• 2. Match assignments to SLO’s

• “It’s all part of the plan”

• It’s good for you and good for them

http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1317977

http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1317977http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=1317977

Strategies

• 3. Organize assignments in a way that culminates in your learning objectives.

http://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.html

use different types of assignments to gradually increase from simple memorization to the ability to evaluate and problem solve

http://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.htmlhttp://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.htmlhttp://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.htmlhttp://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.htmlhttp://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.htmlhttp://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.htmlhttp://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.htmlhttp://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.htmlhttp://tinymishaps.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-tripped-up-stairs-yesterday.html

Strategies

• 4. Be very clear about the purpose of the assignment. This will help students transfer these skills to other courses and advance through their degree in a way that is deliberate, and not simply accidental.

– Increases METACOGNITION

Strategies

• 5. Be very clear with students about your expectations.

Use and share with them a grading rubric

Strategies

• 6. Time assignments and explanations carefully so that students will be able to see the close connection between your lectures and the skills and techniques they will need to complete those assignments.

Strategies

• 7. Be creative.

Time Saving Tips

• Give only pass/fail grades for the smaller, less consequential steps

• Use global recommendations for improvement

– Reduces number of individual comments

• Focus feedback on your specific learning objectives

– Sometimes overlook grammar, formatting etc

Scaffolding: In Class

Example 1: AS100 Choosing a Major

QEP Student Learning Outcomes

To demonstrate critical thinking, students will be able to:

• Evaluate the meaningfulness of data

• Articulate and defend positions or arguments using evidence and logic

• Create, develop or revise solutions to problems by using existing information and materials

• Emily has just begun her first semester at Utopia University. She is thrilled with the athletic and social opportunities available on her campus, she loves her suitemates, and is even enjoying the food in the dining hall. She is troubled by one thing though, she has yet to declare a major. She is trying to decide between majoring in early childhood education, history, and physical therapy. Both areas are very interesting to her and she can envision herself in either career.

Emily must decide upon a major

• List 5 pieces of information Emily should consider when making her decision

Think about possible sources of information

• Why is some information is more relevant than other information?

• Rank the value of the sources of information—what are the top 3 things at which Emily should look?

• Identify possible points of bias in the sources of information identified above.

Scenario changes

Emily successfully completed her first semester and was looking forward to continuing her studies in her chosen major (which was history). She found the content fascinating, loved her professors and classmates, and received A’s in all of her classes. However, over the winter break several things happened which have caused her to reconsider her major.

• List 3 potential events/factors which could cause Emily to change her major. Explain why these events would affect her major

Critical Thinking Skills addressed in this exercise

• Separate relevant from irrelevant information when solving a real-world problem

• Analyze and integrate information from separate sources to solve a real-world problem

• Identify suitable solutions for a real-world problem using relevant information

• Identify and explain the best solution for a real-world problem using relevant information

• Explain how changes in a real-world problem situation might affect the solution

Scaffolding: In Class

Example 2: AS100 Rate My Professor

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 pepper 1.5 peppers 2 peppers 2.5 peppers 3 peppers 3.5 peppers 4 peppers

The Student Government Association at Utopia University has conducted a study to determine which professors are the best and what makes them the best. While conducting their research, they came across the following information

• Given that the number of peppers is used to indicate how “hot” a professor is, and that the numbers on the left represent the percentage of students receiving an A in the class, what does the table tell you?

Looking at the above graph, the Student Government Association

determined that attractive people are better teachers.

• How well does the data provided support the conclusion reached by the SGA?

– Very strongly, strongly, somewhat, very little, not at all

• Identify 3 other possible interpretations of the data

• The graph above was compiled by the SGA using information found on ratemyprofessors.com Does that change in any way the validity of their conclusion? If so, how

RateMyProfessors

http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/

The SGA members were also able to find rankings on each professor’s easiness, helpfulness, clarity, and

student’s interest in the content before the class.

• Which of these other pieces of information might provide a better way to evaluate what makes a professor good?


• Summarize the pattern of results in a graph without making inappropriate inferences

• Evaluate how strongly correlational-type date supports a hypothesis

• Provide alternative explanations for a pattern of results that has many possible causes

• Identify additional information needed to evaluate a hypothesis/interpretation

• Evaluate whether spurious relationships strongly support a claim

• Provide alternative explanations for spurious relationships

Scaffolding Medium Range

Example: PO 101 Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis 1

• Choose any current domestic or foreign policy that is being discussed at the national level (examples may include health care reform, energy policy, military spending, education reform, nuclear policy, tax policy, etc). Convince the class this issue is a salient one.

• Graded on students’ ranking of issues after everyone has presented their issue

#1 Matching/Building

• Program LO: Demonstrate effective oral communication skills

• CLO: Explore the influence of the media and money on the political process

• CLO: Identify an area of concern, find appropriate interest groups and government agencies, become involved in attempts to address this concern

• Thinking Skills: Remembering, Understanding, Applying

Policy Analysis 2

• After reading extensively about this issue (both what politicians and interest groups are saying), decide what you want to happen. You will present to the class a brief (90-120 seconds) commercial pushing your policy.

• Graded on students’ ability to recall important points. (in addition to accuracy of course)





• Thinking Skills: Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating

Policy Analysis 3

• After thinking more critically about this issue, you will present to the class a brief (90-120 seconds) commercial arguing against your policy (what you proposed in Brief 1).

• Graded on students’ ability to recall important points. (in addition to accuracy of course)





• Thinking Skills: Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating


• Separate relevant from irrelevant information when solving a real-world problem

• Analyze and integrate information from separate sources to solve a real-world problem

• Identify suitable solutions for a real-world problem using relevant information

• Identify and explain the best solution for a real-world problem using relevant information

• Explain how changes in a real-world problem situation might affect the solution

Scaffolding Medium Range

Example: EH

**Prof. Jenny Sanders

Poetry Journals: Phase 1

• Modeling (Instructor Directed)

• brief discussion of the scaffolding structure of the unit & overview of the different phases built into the poetry packet

• teacher models how to complete the annotation & journal entry for the first poem in the packet

• students observe & take notes


• Whole Class Exploration (Instructor Facilitated)

• active repetition & practice of the analysis strategies modeled in Phase 1.

• analysis of the first few poems guided by the teacher

• Students become increasingly responsible for the direction & completion of each whole-class analysis session


• Small Group Exploration (Student Directed)

• Group 2-4 students: preview each poem, read it dramatically, read it closely while annotating, and then complete their journal entries.

• Each group does 3 to 4 poems.

• Groups present the poems they explored to the class.

• The students who watch the presentations complete their annotations and journals using their notes and observations from the presentations.

• Teacher's role: provide support


• Individual Exploration

• Students select and analyze poems individually

– Learned subskills in previous phases

• By now students exhibit higher level or “zone” of development in the application of the literary critical analysis process

Scaffolding Long Term

Example: PO201 Comparative Politics

PO210 Course Learning Outcomes

• Compare parliamentary and presidential political systems

• Describe the basic structures of government and major electoral systems

• Describe the impact of the media, interest groups, public opinion, and the global system on different regimes

• Conduct research and interpret primary documents

• Understand the influence of political ideology on regime

• Research Assignment 1: Constitutions • • 1. Choose any 3 countries (you may NOT use the United States and you

should try to balance the choice of countries by regime type or geographic location). Think carefully about your choice—you’ll probably want to look through several options before selecting a country—as you’ll be using the same countries over and over again throughout the course. You will need to justify your choice of countries. Locate the constitution and preamble (introductory paragraph, usually specifically labeled) of each country.

• • 2. Complete the table attached to this assignment. • • 3. Use the information from the table created in Step 3 to write an essay

discussing the similarities and differences in the language of the preambles. What could explain the differences/similarities you found? How is each country’s past/current context reflected in its constitution? Does the constitution seem to fit what you know about each country? Don’t provide knee-jerk answers to these questions but think critically about what I’m asking. You will probably want to quote the specific preambles in your discussion.

•


• CLO: Understand the influence of political ideology on regime

• CLO: Conduct research and interpret primary documents

• Thinking skills: Understanding

• Research Assignment 2: Structure of Government

• Find the following information on 5 different countries. Use the three countries from your 1st research assignment and then add 2 more. Complete table

• Structure: Is it a federal or unitary system?

• Electoral: SMD or PR?

• Suffrage: Who can vote? Universal or limited?

• Executive: Is it a presidential or parliamentary system?

• Exec length; Legislature; Leg Size; Leg length; Leg choice; Judicial; Jud Size; Jud length; Jud choice

# 2 Matching/Building

• CLO: Describe the basic structures of government and major electoral systems


• Thinking skills: Understanding, Applying

• Research Assignment 3: Political Culture and Public Opinion • 1. Go to CIA World Factbook website • • 2. Use Country Listing to get access to particular countries. Access the 5

countries which you used for the previous assignments. • • 3. Look at data on People and Government (as well as other sections if you

want). Complete the table attached. • • 4. Using this information (homogeneity, regionalism, suffrage, education,

poverty) try to deduce the political culture of each country. • • 5. Using this information, do you think there would be significant public

opinion gaps based on gender, education, religion, region, social class, age, or ethnicity?

• • 6. Describe your findings and assumptions about political culture and

public opinion in a well-written 2-3 page essay. Turn in a copy of the table as well.


• CLO: Describe the impact of the media, interest groups, public opinion, and the global system on different regimes


• Thinking skills: Analyzing; Evaluating

• Research Assignment 4: Brilliance • 1. Look back at the data you have collected in the first 3 research

assignments. • • 2. Imagine that you are going to write a lengthy research paper

using this information. Come up with 4 (four, IV) very specific possible theses. For example, try looking at different ways to categorize your countries. Are there similarities in socioeconomic data based on regime type or geographic location? Does one country stand out from all the others? If so, why? You should be able to write a strong thesis/hypothesis in 1-2 sentences. Write down all 4 theses/hypotheses.

• • 3. For each of your four theses, provide 4 pieces of hard data (use

what you’ve already collected, you don’t need to do additional research) you would use as supporting evidence.

• • 4. Turn it in and amaze me.


• Program LO: Demonstrate critical thinking skills


• Thinking skills: Creating

Critical Thinking Skills addressed in these exercises

• Separate relevant from irrelevant information

• Analyze and integrate information from separate sources

• Identify additional information needed to evaluate a hypothesis/interpretation

• Make appropriate inferences

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