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HOW CAN WE GROW Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving in Learning?

Janie M. Dale

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

TCH-520: Brain-Based Learning

Angela Walker

October 19, 2022

HOW CAN WE GROW

Critical Thinking

and

Problem-Solving in Learning?

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

In the Classroom

critical thinking and problem-solving are key to students analyzing, evaluating, and creating their work!

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is

self-correcting and is attentive to context (Wan, 2022).

Critical thinking

is

foundational to

education

(Wan, 2022).

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is

purposeful thinking

that

is based on standards and criteria

(Wan, 2022).

What is it?

Critical thinking is the ability to

make good judgements based on knowledge (Wan, 2022).

Crital thinking occurs more when there is relevance

and questioning

of thoughts

(Wan, 2022).

Problem-Solving

I have a question that is relevant and I am emotionally connected to it...

Problem-Solving

I must seek to find the answer by investigating.

I make sense from what I learn

Keep the wheels turning

A THINKING ROUTINE

  • SEE
  • THINK
  • WONDER

(PBL Works, n.d.b.)

I find that I am asking more questions as I go...

The more one thinks, analyzes, and problem-solves, the better their brain becomes at critical thinking (White, 2014).

Metacognition

Metacognition

Metacognition is a theory based on a learner's self-awareness of their own thinking (Smith, 2021).

Critical Thinking

and how it

relates to metacognition

Learners MONITOR their own thinking.

Learners EVALUATE their own thinking.

Learners

MAKE PLANS

for their own learning.

Metacognition in Critical Thinking

When a teacher identifies a student who is unable to think at this level they should intervene. Intervention is very important in order for a student to develop an awareness of how best to learn.

(Smith, 2021)

Problem-

Solving

and how it

relates to metacognition

Learner POSESSES knowledge

Problem-Solving & Metacognition

(Smith, 2021)

Learner KNOWS what is required to learn. They check, plan, select, question, look within, and monitor their learning.

Learner TAKES existing knowledge, and either adds to it or modifies it

based off of what they have discovered in the learning process.

Project-

Based

Learning

Solves a

REAL-WORLD problem

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION skills are used

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

PRESENTED

to the public

(White, 2014)

Utilizes

TECHNOLOGY

IT HAS GOT TO BE RELEVANT!

What exactly does the student do?

Students set GOALS

Students MANAGE their OWN TIME

Students

BRAINSTORM

solutions

Students COLLABORATE

with others

Students

ADJUST

to what is learned

With PBLs, students naturally think critically and solve real-world problems!

Students PRESENT

their findings

TO THE WORLD!

(White, 2014)

What do teachers do?

1. Plan the PBL with student voice/choice in mind.

2. Incorporate teaching standards into the PBL.

3. Stand beside students while they engage in the project and assure understanding & quality.

4. Assure deadlines are met, resources are utilized, and the public is involved.

5. Weave in scaffolded lessons to assure students have necessary knowledge for success.

6. Assess student learning.

7. Follow student progression, meet them where they are, give help, encouragement and celebrate when it is due.

(PBL Works, n.d.a.)

Bloom's Taxonomy

BLOOM'S

TAXONOMY

A leveling of learning that increases in complexity until mastery of a skill has occurred (Boslaugh, 2022).

Revised Version

2001

From RECALL to CREATION

From the basics of REMEMBERING to UNDERSTANDING, APPLYING, ANALYSING, EVALUATING on through until one can CREATE something to refelect their new knowledge, Bloom's taxonomy covers all the stages of learning (Bloslaugh, 2022).

In-Depth Explanation

The Usefulness of Bloom's Taxonomy

Explanation of terms

Higher leveled terms = higher thinking

Analyzing = Summarize what you learned

  • Transferrable to any subject or grade
  • Easily creates objectives
  • Shapes day-to-day lessons
  • Shows how to go from simple to complicated
  • Leads examination creation process
  • Helps communicate objectives and connectivity in a course.

(Boslaugh, 2022)

Applying = Show what you know

Understanding = Paraphrase

Evaluating = Argue your point

Remembering = Tell facts

(Grand Canyon University, n.d.)

Creation = Generate a product

Resources & Strategies for

IMPROVING

Critical Thinking,

Problem-Solving &

Brain Function

(Heick, 2020)

Resources & Strategies

  • Use every level of Bloom's Taxonomy to walk learners through the learning process.
  • Even memorization is good since it eases the load of a brain by already having the information needed to apply to deeper understanding.
  • Connections are easily made and transferred to new understanding when basic knowledge is known.
  • Spiral Bloom's Taxonomy so knowledge is scaffolded. Begin with the basics and work your way up.
  • Use technology especially at the "create" level of Bloom's Taxonomy. Introverts tend to shine when not pressured by having to speak within a group.
  • Permit students to have a voice in what and how they learn.
  • Create Problem-Based Learning sequencing lessons that incorporate Bloom's Taxonomy.
  • When grading, give higher points for higher levels of thinking.

Ask lots of high-order questions!

Higher-order thinking questions lead to critical thinking (Bogdanovich, 2014). Questions that require a student to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate what they have learned are better than simply asking for facts that can be gathered from the text (Bogdanovich, 2014). In Bloom's Taxonomy, these types of questions are near the top representing a higher level of thinking. When we ask higher-order questions, instead of neural pruning, neural branching occurs. This means that our brains are no longer limiting information by doing ordinary things but is instead extending the information our brain is storing (Bogdanovich, 2014). As teachers, it is our goal to add to knowledge, not cause it to be trimmed away. This is why asking our students higher-order questions is so important.

Don't Forget this last

important

strategy!

7 Types of Higher Order Questions

Types of

Higher Order Questions

1) Hypothetical thinking

2) Reversal thinking

3) Application of different symbol systems

4) Analogy

5) Point of view

6) Completion

7) Web analysis

(Bogdanovich, 2014)

References

References

Bogdanovich, P. (2014). Higher-order questions. Dataworks Educational Research https://dataworks-ed.com/blog/2014/10/higher-order-questions/

Boslaugh, S. E., PhD. (2022). Bloom’s Taxonomy. Salem Press Encyclopedia.

Grand Canyon University. (n.d.). Bloom’s Taxonomy. GCU media. https://lc.gcumedia.com/are337/blooms-taxonomy/v2.1/

Heick, T. (2020). 6 strategies for teaching with Bloom’s taxonomy. Teach Thought. https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/teaching-with-blooms-taxonomy/

PBL Works. (n.d.a.). Gold standard pbl: Project based teaching practices. https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl/gold-standard-teaching-practices

PBL Works. (n.d.b.). Water Quality Project [Video]. YouTube. https://www.pblworks.org/video-water-quality-project

Wan, Z. H. (2022). What predicts students’ critical thinking disposition? A comparison of the roles of classroom and family environments. Learning Environments Research, 25(2), 565–580. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09381-y

White, B. (2014, September 23). How can brain-based learning change the classroom?. Ed Surge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2014-09-23-how-can-brain-based-learning-change-the-classroom

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