Fostering Critical Thinking

Facilitator: Patrick Ahern, Graduate Teaching Fellow  

Session 1, 1:00-2:15

Register for this session here! 

Fostering Critical Thinking: Many educators agree that fostering “critical thinking” is one of the primary goals of college education. But what is critical thinking? Is it a general competency or discipline-specific? What challenges might we encounter in trying to encourage it in our students?

Some topics to discuss:

How do you define critical thinking?

What might critical thinking look like in the classroom? 

What obstacles are there that prevent or impede critical thinking?

What strategies have you used to foster critical thinking in your classroom?

Have you had any successful experiences fostering critical thinking?

Perhaps most importantly, how would a discussion of fostering critical thinking be most beneficial to you? 

Please share…