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The critical thinking goal for debates is to view issues from multiple perspectives. Several
studies reported that debates moderate preexisting student attitudes (Budesheim &
Lundquist, 1999; Carroll, 2006; Finken, 2003). For example, students who debated con-
traception in a human sexuality class subsequently expressed less extreme views on the
topic (Finken, 2003). In other words, debating a topic may engender a critical disposition
to tolerating uncertainty (Wade & Tavris, 1987).
Self-Assessment Assignments
Carroll and Peden (2007) employed self-assessment assignments as a critical thinking tool.
At the end of a term, our students assessed how well they met course goals by completing
a three to five-page paper. Self-assessments by students in three classes (perception, ethics,
and history and systems) at two universities revealed that students use different language
in self-assessment assignments than in traditional academic assignments (e.g., term papers,
take-home exams). Self-assessments contain more first-person singular pronouns, more
emotion words (particularly positive emotion words), and more cognitive words than
traditional assignments.
The use of cognitive words (think, discover, and believe) is particularly relevant to
critical thinking. The incidence of cognitive words in essays increases when individuals
experience emotional upheaval (Pennebaker, Mehl, & Niederhoffer, 2003). Reviewing
one’s performance in a class increases both the emotionality and the thoughtfulness
of essays.
Moreover, our preliminary data suggest that self-assessments differ from other “ personal”
assignments, such as an autobiography, in number of cognitive words. Although
autobiographies contain more first-person and emotion words than traditional academic
assignments, they contain fewer cognitive words than self-assessments. We believe self-
assessments encourage students to think about their academic performance. Casual
conversations with students about the self-assessment assignments reveal that they have to
employ a rather different strategy from the more common “cramming for the final”
approach. That is, students must review and think about the content of the course and their
effort and accomplishment regarding their mastery of content and development of skills.
Audiovisual Assignments for Television and Films
Many instructors have used television and movies to teach critical thinking about psycho-
logical concepts. Schwarzmueller’s (2006) forensic psychology students developed multi-
media presentations from movies and television shows. Students identified clips related to
course content and critiqued media portrayal of these concepts. Students strongly agreed
that the assignment encouraged them to think about how entertainment media portray
forensic work.
Similarly, Kelley and Calkins (2006) found that study of popular portrayals of memory
in films fostered students’ critical thinking. Their students wrote reports that compared
the film’s portrayal of memory with evidence discussed in class using an adaptation of the