One of the difficulties facing teachers wanting to teach higher order thinking skills is knowing what they are. Higher order thinking can be said to be 'complex thinking that requires effort and produces worthwhile outcomes'. Most teachers recognise good thinking when they see it, but it is a very difficult thing to define, teach or measure. The art of thinking is difficult to understand. Thinking skills develop and cannot necessarily be directly taught. What can be taught and encouraged, however, is a set of attitudes and dispositions which lead to the ability to think effectively.
Some of these dispositions include:
| The disposition to be broad and adventurous The tendency to be open-minded, to explore alternative views; the ability to generate multiple options. The disposition toward sustained intellectual curiosity The tendency to wonder, probe, find problems, a zest for inquiry; an alertness for anomalies; the ability to observe closely and formulate questions. The disposition to be planful and strategic The drive to set goals, to make and execute plans, to envision outcomes; alertness to lack of direction; the ability to formulate goals and plans. The disposition to be intellectually careful The urge for precision, organization, thoroughness; an alertness to possible error or inaccuracy; the ability to process information precisely. The disposition to seek and evaluate reasons The tendency to question the given, to demand justification; an alertness to the need for evidence; the ability to weigh and assess reasons. The disposition be metacognitive The tendency to be aware of and monitor the flow of one's own thinking; alertness to complex thinking situations; the ability to exercise control of mental processes and to be reflective. From Teaching Thinking Dispositions: From Transmission to Enculturation - Shari Tishman, Eileen Jay, and D. N. Perkins, Harvard University 1992 |
The sorts of things we can do in teaching to encourage and promote the development of thinking dispositions include:
- Model the disposition - provide exemplars and talk aloud as you think yourself. When demonstrating something that does not go as expected, talk aloud as you solve your own problem.
- Have students work collaboratively. Thinking is both an individual activity and a social activity. There is a constant movement of thoughts and ideas back and forth between the individual and the wider group in which he or she is participating. Having to articulate and explain decisions and strategies to others helps develop thinking skills. This must be supported by supporting students to develop a 'thinking vocabulary' so that they have the words to express their reasoning.
- Provide feedback on the student's thinking.
- Provide opportunities for thinking. Too much directed teaching does not allow students to become creative thinkers who are able to make connections for themselves.
- Provide time for reflection. Keeping of journals and blogs can support this.
Further Reading on Thinking Skills
Nesta Futurelab Series Report 2: Literature Review in Thinking Skills,
Technology and Learning
http://www.nestafuturelab.org/research/reviews/ts01.htm
The Delphi Report: Critical Thinking: A Statement of Expert Consensus
for Purposes of Educational Assessment and Instruction
http://www.insightassessment.com/pdf_files/DEXadobe.PDF
Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking,
Jonassen, Carr & Yueh, 1998
http://www.coe.missouri.edu/~jonassen/Mindtools.pdf
Dave Jonassen's site has many links to articles and resources on
mindtools and problem solving
http://www.coe.missouri.edu/~jonassen/
TERC's
Good Models of Teaching with Technology
Works by Seymour Papert
http://www.papert.org/works.html
