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Critical Thinking on Contemporary Issues
is at a different level of thinking, applying the standards from the basic level of Halonen
et al.’s (2003) rubric will ensure minimum competence and provide feedback designed to
stimulate a higher level of thinking than currently presented. Given those standards, we
grade papers for the individual writing assignments at a “check, check-plus, check-minus”
level. This pedagogical strategy parallels suggestions from Dunn (2006) regarding the
need to increase the amount of writing assigned in psychology classes while not making
the instructor’s workload too onerous. A final written assignment assesses comprehensive
critical thinking ability, applying a standard grading rubric including information about
evidence of critical thinking along with other content areas. The task for that final paper
can again draw upon the Taking Sides book, requiring students to select one issue, gather
outside sources, and write a paper describing the evidence on each side of the issue and
then, optionally, drawing conclusions.
Conclusion
Critical thinking is not a natural ability for every student, which creates both a challenge
and an opportunity for psychology instructors. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
suggests that we can better position ourselves to take advantage of that opportunity by
applying critical thinking skills to understand issues that are relevant to students’ lives.
Similarly, we can reduce the likelihood that we will overwhelm our students by utilizing a
progressive strategy. The implementation discussed in this chapter is only one approach.
Examples can be tailored to specific classes or psychological content areas, including using
different volumes in the Taking Sides series or primary sources. The questions can be re -
arranged and modified to fit an individual instructor’s personal preferences. Assignments
can be modified given the resources of individual instructors. Our approach is offered for
inspiration, given our common interest in improving students’ critical thinking skills.
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