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Presenters
Luke Timmons, former student of
School of Psychology,
University of Glasgow.
Steve Draper,
School of Psychology,
University of Glasgow.
Slides:
PDF
Our study used Ennis' test of CT as the main outcome variable and analysed a
variety of demographic data for clues about factors which seemed to have
promoted CT. Contrary to our prior expectations, there was no evidence that
living on vs. off campus, or living in parental homes vs. student
accommodation, were directly important. Instead, the most statistically
significant associations concerned with whom the student lived. Best average
scores were for students living with friends; next were for those living with
parents; lowest were for living alone or with others who were not friends.
An interpretation of this is that CT depends upon practice at discussion
involving giving and assessing reasons; and furthermore that it is
opportunity for informal discussion and not planned education which is the
most important factor for this. No significant association of CT with
discipline was found, as would be the case if the differences in teaching-led
demands for discussion were the important variable (whether due to
disciplinary differences, or to teaching habits in different departments).
A further inference might be that the most important feature of undergraduate
education is whom you live with, and that this could be the biggest drawback
to online and distance education. It also suggests that in general, staff and
students are equally oblivious to the key educational value of discussion;
otherwise critical thinking skill would not depend upon whom you live with but
instead on deliberately arranged discussion.
Web site logical path:
[www.psy.gla.ac.uk]
[~steve]
[talks]
[this page]
Handout (short):
Related material:
Abstract
A couple whose three children are recent HE graduates remarked that, while
they couldn't be sure what specifically each of them had learned at
university, they now argued with their parents in quite a different way. This
is music to the ears of those who see critical thinking (CT) as the chief
graduate attribute and benefit of a higher education.
In order to book online and obtain further information about the conference,
please visit
8th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference
Otherwise contact
Fiona Bell on extension 2621, or at Fiona.Bell@glasgow.ac.uk
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