Assessing and developing critical‐thinking skills in higher education

Abstract

Generic skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and communication are essential for students' success in higher education and their careers. This article presents findings from an international study of students' (n ≈ 120,000) generic skills from six countries using a performance‐based assessment. Results indicate that higher education students, on average, gain generic skills between entry and exit. However, learning gain is less marked than could be expected and varies significantly among country samples. Various background variables such as gender, ethnicity, parental level of education, and primary language are also explored. The authors conclude that it is feasible to reliably and validly measure generic skills in a cross‐cultural context and that assessment of these skills is an essential component of best practices in higher education.

Liaoning University ChopMelon Net Project: Innovative Research on Sustainable Education Based on Real Social Issues

“…However while existing research supports the value of developing these skills in education, furthe research is needed to explore the most effective instructional strategies and methods [31] 2.1. 4…”

“…3 Geographic location-recording the geographic location of the participant to ensure that the study covered perspectives from different areas. 4 Notes-extra information or special notes, such as frequency of use, special experience, or background of the user.…”

“…In addition, we derived six sub-themes from the above five thematic parameters, namely, interactive experience and user engagement 1 ⃝, depth and breadth of knowledge 2 ⃝, technology acceptance and usage experience 3 ⃝, continuous learning and self-development 4 ⃝, community interaction and learning motivation 5 ⃝, and practical application and behavioral change 6 ⃝. As can be seen in Figure 14, experience and user engagement 1 ⃝ is the most prominent sub-theme and is the one that has a direct link to all the other sub-themes.…”

“…The platform needs to ensure that the user interface is user-friendly, and the content is of a high quality to promote long-term user engagement. Continuous learning and self-development 4 ⃝ considers how users not only gain knowledge on ChopMelon Net, but also how they can achieve self-improvement through continuous learning. The continuous self-development path demonstrates the long-term value of education, especially in terms of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.…”

“…The main innovation of this study is the demonstration of how an e-learning platform can place learners directly in the midst of real-world challenges through a real-life case study that not only focuses on learner skill enhancement, but also more broadly evaluates its impact on learner satisfaction, behavioral intentions, and motivation. In the context of digital education, the choice of assessment tools is crucial to accurately measure learners' critical thinking and problem-solving skills [4,5]. According to Jansen et al (2017), questionnaires and interviews proved to be effective tools for assessing the effectiveness of online learning [6].…”