"The California critical thinking instruments for benchmarking, program assessment, and directing curricular change"

Charles R. Phillips is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Administration/Dept. Chair of Pharmacy Practice, Renae J. Chesnut is Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Raylene M. Rospond is Dean, Pharmacy and Health Sciences. All three are in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Drake University. They can be contacted at: [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]. To assess pharmacy students’ critical thinking (CT) measures and identify areas for curricular reform. Methods. Pharmacy students were given the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and Disposition Index at various points in the PharmD program. Scores were compared with a national referent group and evaluated for changes across the curriculum and between classes. Results. Students were comparable to national norms. Pretest and posttest scores for total disposition showed improvement. Scores in all subcategories except for truth-seeking were consistently above 40. The CT skills of the pharmacy students varied compared with those of referent students, but the pharmacy students’ overall score of 18 was in the 73rd percentile. Pre- and post-skills scores showed improvement. Students scoring low on the pretest improved more than those scoring high. Conclusions. Students had a consistent disposition towards CT and compared favorably to national norms. Both disposition and skills improved across the curriculum. Dimensions of critical thinking on which students score low should be areas for curricular and other program changes

The Development of a Content Analysis Model for Assessing Students’ Cognitive Learning in Asynchronous Online Discussions

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a content analysis model for assessing students\u27 cognitive learning in asynchronous online discussions. It adopted a fully mixed methods design, in which qualitative and quantitative methods were employed sequentially for data analysis and interpretation. Specifically, the design was a sequential exploratory (QUAL→ quan) design with priority given to qualitative data and methods. Qualitative data were 800 online postings collected in two online courses. Quantitative data were 803 online postings from the same two courses but from different discussion topics and different weeks. During the qualitative process, a grounded theory approach was adopted to construct a content analysis model based on qualitative data. During the quantitative process, chi-square tests and confirmative factor analysis (CFA) which used online postings as cases or observations and was the first of its kind were performed to test if the new model fit the quantitative data

Critical Thinking in Nursing Education: Literature Review

The need for critical thinking in nursing has been accentuated in response to the rapidly changing health care environment. Nurses must think critically to provide effective care whilst coping with the expansion in role associated with the complexities of current health care systems. This literature review will present a history of inquiry into critical thinking and research to support the conclusion that critical thinking is necessary not only in the clinical practice setting, but also as an integral component of nursing education programs to promote the development of nurses’ critical thinking abilities. The aims of this paper are: (a) to review the literature on critical thinking; (b) to examine the dimensions of critical thinking; (c) to investigate the various critical thinking strategies for their appropriateness to enhance critical thinking in nurses, and; (d) to examine issues relating to evaluation of critical thinking skills in nursing.</ul

Critical thinking for 21st-century education: A cyber-tooth curriculum?

It is often assumed that the advent of digital technologies requires fundamental change to the curriculum and to the teaching and learning approaches used in schools around the world to educate this generation of “digital natives” or the “net generation”. This article analyses the concepts of 21st-century skills and critical thinking, to understand how these aspects of learning might contribute to a 21st-century education. The author argues that, although both critical thinking and 21st-century skills are indeed necessary in a curriculum for a 21st-century education, they are not sufficient, even in combination. The role of knowledge and an understanding of differing cultural perspectives and values indicate that education should also fit local contexts in a global world and meet the specific needs of students in diverse cultures. It should also fit the particular technical and historical demands of the 21st century in relation to digital skills