Thinking: A Key Process for effective learning “The best thing we can do, from the point of view of the brain and learning, is to teach our learners how.

Thinking: A Key Process for effective learning

“The best thing we can do, from the point of view of the brain and learning,is to teach our learners how to think” (Jenson, 1996, p.163)

“Thought is the key to knowledge. Knowledge is discovered by thinking, analyzed by thinking, organized by thinking, transformed by thinking, assessed by thinking, and, most importantly, acquired by thinking”

(Paul, 1993 vii)

Thinking is the cognitive process that buildsUnderstanding

So if we really want to develop students ability to think well, we must firstly be able to…

A Big Question is similar to an “Essential Question” – a term used by Wiggins & McTighe

Problems of Definition

“In schools, critical thinking has long been a buzz phrase. Educators pay lip service to its Importance, but few can tell me what they mean by the phrase or how they teach and test it...” (p.16)

“For the most part, teachers haven’t been trained to teach students how to think.” (xxiv) (Wagner, T., 2010, The Global Achievement Gap)

“...the heart of this problem is our failure to define such termsas critical thinking, problem solving, metacognition, reasoning,and abstract thinking. Without adequate definition and training, teachers lack the knowledge and skills to teach and test for these desirable but elusive human qualities”

(Haladyna, T., 1997, Writing Test Items to Evaluate Higher Order Thinking, p.97)

I want goodThinking on

this

This involves Critical Thinking – have I seen

this problem before, what are the likely causes, what information do I

need to clearly interpret what’s occurring....?

Good thinking, what’s that?

What is thinking?

Thinking is goal-directed mental activity (conscious and subconscious) we do in order to solve problems

Good Thinking requires a particular skill set and related ‘habits of mind’ that need cultivation and practice over time - but it is achievable and will result in better learning – as I will demonstrate

A Model of Thinking

Metacognition

Comparison& Contrast

Inference &Interpretation

Evaluation

Generating Possibilities

Analysis

6

Generating Possibilities

What do we do when wegenerate possibilities?

• Generate many possibilities • Generate different types of possibilities • Generate novel possibilities

Meta-cognition

Comparison& Contrast

Inference &Interpretation

Evaluation

Generating Possibilities

Analysis

7

All creative products involve thecombining of old ideas or elementsin new ways

Analysis

What do we do when we analyse?

• Identify relationship of the parts to a whole in system /structure/model

• Identify functions of each part

• Identify consequences to the whole, if a part was missing

• Identify what collections of parts form important sub-systems of the whole

• Identify if and how certain parts have a synergetic effect

Meta-cognition

Comparison& Contrast

Inference &Interpretation

Evaluation

Generating Possibilities

Analysis

8

Comparison and Contrast

What do we do when we compare and contrast?

• Identify what is similar between things -

objects/options/ideas, etc.

• Identify what is different between things

• Identify and consider what is important about both the

similarities and differences

• Identify a range of situations when the different features

are applicable

Meta-cognition

Comparison& Contrast

Inference &Interpretation

Evaluation

Generating Possibilities

Analysis

9

Inference and Interpretation

What do we do when we make inferences and interpretations?

Meta-cognition

Comparison& Contrast

Inference &Interpretation

Evaluation

Generating Possibilities

Analysis

• Identify intentions and assumptions in data

• Separate fact from opinion in data • Identify key points, connections, and

contradictions in data• Make meaning of the

data/information available• Establish a best picture to make

predictions

10

Evaluation

What do we do when we evaluate?

• Decide on what is to be evaluated

• Identify appropriate criteria from which evaluation can be made

• Prioritize the importance of the criteria

• Apply the criteria and make decision

Meta-cognition

Comparison& Contrast

Inference &Interpretation

Evaluation

Generating Possibilities

Analysis

11

Metacognition

What are we doing when we are metacognitive?

• Aware that we can think in an organized manner (and the barriers to it)

• Actively thinking about the ways in which we are thinking

• Monitoring and evaluating how effective we are thinking (including how our emotions and beliefs may be impacting the thinking process)

• Seeking to make more effective use of the different ways of thinking as well as any useful learning strategies, tools and resourcesMeta-

cognition

Comparison& Contrast

Inference &Interpretation

Evaluation

Generating Possibilities

Analysis

Metacognition plays a central role in learning by monitoring the quality of the overall (and specific aspects) of the thinking process, our emotionaldispositions, as well as the choice and application of learning strategies and skills

It operates at both conscious and sub/unconscious levels.

The Model of Thinking outlined here is most recently published in Chapter 2

Making Good Thinking Visible

 “...teachers have to make their own intellectual processes (their performances) visible. This means that the teacher-expert has to make visible to learners the otherwise invisible processes of thinking that underlie complex cognitive operations ...

Teachers have to articulate and demonstrate rather than assume the thought processes they want students to learn”  

(Sheppard et al, 2009, p.188)

Another Big Question - How do we do this?

Making Students Thinking Visible

“We need to make thinking visible because it provides us with the informationwe as teachers need to plan opportunities that will take students’ learning

to the next level and enable continued engagement with the ideas being explored.

It is only when we understand what our students are thinking, feeling, and attending to that we can use that knowledge to further engage and support themin the process of understanding. Thus making students’ thinking visible becomes

an ongoing component of effective teaching”

(Ritchhart, Church & Morrison, 2011, p.27)

Another Big Question - How do we do this?

The Power of Questionsin Promoting Thinking

“Questions are the primary way we learn virtually everything”

“Thinking itself is nothing but the process of asking and answering questions”

(Anthony Robbins, 2001, pp.179-8)

“All answers come out of the question. If we pay attention to our questions, we increase the power of meaningful learning”

Ellen Langer

Strategy

Remember, thinking is always thinking in relation to a topic area

• Be clear about the key concepts and principles that you want students to learn in a teaching session/segment

• Use questions to cue students thinking through the specific types of thinking that will help them to connect subject knowledge and build understanding

• Use an appropriate instructional strategy to fill in knowledge gaps as the learning process unfolds – this will be iterative until understanding is achieved

Example for YOULearning outcome: Understand how major learning theories influence teaching practices• Compare and contrast behaviourist and constructivist approaches

to learning:• What is similar between these two theories/perspectives?• What is different between them?• What is significant about the similarities and differences in terms of how

students learn?

• Make inferences & interpretations from information on selected learning theories:

• How might this influence teaching approaches and practices?• What assumptions underpin these predictions?• What are possible impacts on student learning?• Which approaches/practices are most appropriate for the students you teach

and on what basis. What specific examples illustrate how this works?

Activity

• Select a topic area and a specific learning outcome(s) you intend to teach:

• Identify the key concepts and principles that are fundamental to understanding the structure of the topic area and meeting the specific learning outcome(s)

• Identify the main types of thinking involved in building understanding for the topic area and learning outcome(s)

• Analysis, comparison & contrast, inference and interpretation, evaluation, generating possibilities, metacognition

• Produce a question sequence that will structure the learning process for meeting the learning outcome(s)

• Note, you will need to identify appropriate instructional activities to build knowledge gaps