Classroom Discussions with Student‐Led Feedback: a Useful Activity to Enhance Development of Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

Critical thinking skills (CTS) are the core learning outcome measures for higher education. Generally, CTS are not extensively developed or practiced during primary and secondary education. As such, early cultivation of CTS is essential for mastery prior to collegiate matriculation. Weekly engagement in 50 min of classroom discussion with student feedback (CDSF) was utilized to develop the CTS of students in an introductory food science course at Purdue Univ. Students' critical thinking ability was assessed longitudinally over a 16-wk semester using the ACT-CAAP TM (Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency) critical thinking test. The ACT-CAAP measures the students' ability to analyze, evaluate, and extend an argument described in a short passage. We hypothesized that the implementation of CDSF for 16 wk would expedite development of CTS for students enrolled in the course. The CDSF intervention significantly increased critical thinking ability for non-native English speaking students as compared to native English speaking students. Students who were classified as sophomore status or above when compared to freshmen and students enrolled as food science majors when compared to other majors also demonstrated increased critical thinking ability. Recitation size also significantly influenced critical thinking ability where students enrolled in a relatively small recitation section had elevated critical thinking when compared to the abilities of those students enrolled in a large recitation. These observations suggest that engaging students in classroom discussions with student-led feedback is a useful instructional technique for developing CTS. Further, the data suggest the development of critical thinking skill among food science majors can be augmented when classroom discussions with student-led feedback are conducted in smaller sized recitations.

Making Sense of Assessment Feedback in Higher Education

“…Where such opportunities are provided, it is evident that large numbers of students do not make use of such opportunities. There is some consensus suggesting students prefer individual to group feedback (Cramp, 2011), although studies also point to the benefits of group discussion (Hayes & Devitt, 2008). There is less consensus and detail within the literature on how principles of effective feedback can be applied to practice within and across different subject domains (Crossouard & Pryor, 2009).…”

Facilitating Chinese EFL Learners’ Critical Thinking Skills: The Contributions of Teaching Strategies

“…Different teaching strategies produce different effects on the development of critical thinking skills due to the interplay of various factors in tertiary education; for instance, learners, teaching and learning settings, and curriculum (Pithers & Soden, 2000). For different learners with different learning styles in different educational contexts, empirical studies have reported the positive effects of group discussion (Hayes & Devitt, 2008;Hudgins & Edelman, 1986;Schindler & Burkholder, 2014), concept mapping (Khodadady & Ghanizadeh, 2011;Lee et al, 2012;Wang & Liao, 2014), and analytical questioning (Alexander, Commander, Greenberg, & Ward, 2010;Barnett & Francis, 2011) on the development of critical thinking skills. However, learners' voice and learning experiences are seldom reported in these studies when exploring the effectiveness of teaching strategies in the improvement of critical thinking skills.…”

Critical thinking skill development: Analysis of a new learning management model for Thai high schools

“…These steps include identify the issue, think about the goal, brainstorm possible solutions, think through possible results, try one of the solutions, and finally, evaluate the outcome. However, Hayes and Devitt (2008) indicated that in early learners, critical thinking strategies are not extensively developed or practiced during primary and secondary education. Teachers are therefore, obligated to help students develop the skills necessary to synthesize the nuances of a modern, complex society.…”