POD Network 2017 Innovation Award Finalist

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Great times with colleagues at the Elbogen Institute at the University of Wyoming

 Why we are here

"Many colleges fail in teaching how to think," even at "some of the most prestigious ... universities." 
Wall Street Journal. 2017

"Young people's ability to reason about what they see on the internet can be summed up in one word: bleak."
Stanford History Group, 2016

A survey of 100,000 college students found only 4% proficient in critical thinking.
Educational Testing Service, 2015

U.S. millennials rank 18th out of 19 countries in “problem solving in a technology rich environment.”
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2012

​Why outcomes are low

We have isolated six critical flaws across academia:

Practices are not driven by critical thinking research. (1)
Faculty do not use a critical thinking assessment. (2)
Faculty perceptions of critical thinking best pedagogies are false. (3)
Students lack a direct process for thinking critically.(4)
Assignments do not call for critical thinking. (5)
Critical thinking is not reinforced from year to year and class to class. (6)

How we solve the problem

We root critical thinking in the neuro-psychological wiring that has evolved in all people.  You don't need to teach students how to think; you only need to help them exercise the critical thinking abilities they already possess and bring them into your classroom.​

​The only neuro-psychological critical thinking system.

A system for any discipline (HS, college, and graduate school, with K-Ph.D. versions coming in 2018)

​Turnkey exercises 

Holistic & Complete
Research based + teaching method +
assessment instrument + assignment design

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​
​Who we are

Steven J. Pearlman, Ph.D. is the Director of Interdisciplinary Writing and Reasoning at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT.  He possesses over thirty-years experience in teaching writing and critical thinking across the disciplines in higher education.  David Carillo, M.A. is the Critical Writing and Reasoning Portfolio program administrator at the University of Saint Joseph, who has been teaching in higher education since 1997.  Together, they present nationally on best pedagogical practices for critical thinking and writing, that is when they aren’t trading obscure movie references.

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"All teachers are interested in improving their students’ ability to think critically, yet while most textbooks discuss the topic, few offer real direction on how to accomplish this primary pedagogical goal. The Critical Thinking Initiative is far more successful in two regards: First, it grounds itself (for faculty) in contemporary research on critical thinking from fields such as composition, neuroscience, psychology, education, and others.  Second, it translates that research into a pragmatic system that students and faculty in any field can put to immediate use for improving critical thinking skills."
Gian Pagnucci, Ph.D.
Chair of IUP Department of English
Distinguished University Professor
Indiana University of Pennsylvania​

"The Critical Thinking Initiative tackles an often identified but rarely addressed challenge in education, namely, how to TEACH students how to be better critical thinkers and writers. The text and its assignments are well-designed, carefully scaffolded and provide the reader with relevant exemplars at each at every step of the thinking and writing process. Whether you are looking to actively integrate critical thinking into your own courses or are looking to create a critical thinking ecosystem at your institution, this book is a must read. Steven and David have effectively and eloquently defined what “it” is when it comes to critical thinking and have written a roadmap for teachers and administrators looking to best serve their students with respect to this, the most crucial of the 21st century skills."
Scott D. MacClintic
Director – Henry R. Kravis ’63 Center for Excellence in Teaching
Loomis Chaffee School

​"Like so many educators, I’ve searched a long time for a way to improve critical thinking without sacrificing the content I need to cover.  The Critical Thinking Initiative not only integrates easily, it improves my students’ engagement of the course material, and it has changed the writing outcomes entirely. I really can’t recommend it enough."
Andy Gurmankin Levy, Ph.D.
​Psychology
Middlesex Community College

References

1. Henard, F. (2009). Learning our lesson: Review of quality teaching in higher education.  OECD Higher Education Programme IMHE, 1-82.
2. Struyven, K., Dochy, F., & Janssens, S. (2003). Students’ perceptions about new modes of assessment in higher education: A review. In Optimizing new modes of assessment: In search of qualities and standards (pp. 171-223). Springer Netherlands.
3. Nicholas, M. & Raider-Roth, M. (2011). Approaches used by faculty to assess critical thinking: Implications for general education. American Society for Healthcare Engineering Conference.
4. Strang, T. (2014). The importance of teaching critical thinking. Cengage. https://blog.cengage.com/importance-teaching-critical-thinking/
5. Melzer, D. (2014). Assignments across the curriculum: A national study of college writing. Utah: Utah State University Press.
6. Caine, R.N. & Caine, G. (2011). Natural Learning for a Connect World​. New York: Teacher's College Press.

The Critical Thinking Initiative, LLC
(866) 614-TCTI (8284)