General Research Notes on Blooms Taxonomy
and Critical Thinking
6 stages of blooms taxonomy relate to progressively higher
levels of cognitive ability
http://www.lgc.edu/academic/educatn/Blooms/critical_thinking.htm
Critical thinking can be defined as convergent and divergent:
- Convergent questions seek to ascertain knowledge
and understanding
(first three of blooms)
- Divergent questions require students to process information creatively
(latter three of blooms.)
http://www.lgc.edu/academic/educatn/Blooms/critical_thinking.htm
Critical Thinking takes place when students are required to perform in analysis
- evaluation range of blooms.
Kindersvatter (1992) Suggests that learning
consistently takes place when critical thinking is combined with relevance
- personal meaning is required
Simon & Harmin (1968) suggest a hierarchy
of four levels at which student learns: Facts, Concepts, Personal meaning
and Comprehensive Learning.
http://www.lgc.edu/academic/educatn/Blooms/critical_thinking.htm
Bloom suggested that feedback is the most important
teaching behavior related to student achievement.
http://www.lgc.edu/academic/educatn/Blooms/critical_thinking.htm
Critical thinking is biology - "Language meaning and the mind, including
the mind of the critical thinker, emerge from our biological beginning"
Garrison, J. (1999)
As a response to the above point Garrison (1998) "by
having mindsets - biologically evolved - we are intrinsically prejudiced"
Snyder (1998)
Critical thinking is fundamental to the cognitive sciences. Snyder
(1998)
Experts, in particular, appear to have extreme difficulty
in questioning the foundations of their belief. Snyder
(1998)
Is questioning a form of communication? See Vienten
(1994)
Skills rekated to critical thinking:-
- finding analogues and relationships
- determining relevance and validity of information
- find and evaluate solutions or alternatives to problems
Potts (1994)
Hallmarks for teaching critical thinking:-
- promote interaction among students
- ask open ended questions / no one right answer
- allow time for reflection
- teaching for transfer - critical thinking skills travel well
Potts (1994)
Can critical thinking be taught? Depends on what you
mean by teach.
IF, teaching X critical thinking = making X think critically then probably
no
BUT, help X to acquire the ability to think critically or help X to improve
the ability to think critically then probably yes.
Mohanan (1997)