The document proposes a "Critical Thinking Day" model to engage students, teachers, and professionals in developing 21st century skills. The model involves (1) introducing critical thinking concepts, (2) cooperative problem-based learning using real-world scenarios in heterogeneous groups, (3) students pitching initial solutions and receiving peer feedback, and (4) selecting best solutions. Preliminary results from a case study found the model fostered positive attitudes and importance of collaboration to enhance critical thinking. The authors seek to validate integrating this approach across engineering education curricula.

1. Engaging students, teachers, and professionals
with 21st century skills: the ‘Critical Thinking
Day’ proposal as an integrated model for
engineering educational activities
Gonçalo Cruz12 and Caroline Dominguez12
1University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
2CIDTFF – Research Centre on Didactics and Technology in the Education of
Trainers, Aveiro, Portugal
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal

2. Agenda
1. The context
2. The ‘Critical Thinking Day’ proposal
3. Methodology
4. Preliminary results
5. Final remarks and future work
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal

3. The context (1/2)
• Critical thinking is a must! in engineering education,
professional practice and society;
• There is a need to shift towards an integrative
engineering educational approach.
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
A. Jamison, A. Kolmos, A., and J. E. Holgaard (2014). “Hybrid learning: An integrative approach to
engineering education”, Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 103(2), pp. 253-273, April 2014.
Mode 1 Academic Mode 2 Market-Driven Mode 3 Integrative

4. The context (2/2)
THE CRITHINKEDU EUROPEAN PROJECT
http://crithinkedu.utad.pt/en/crithinkedu/
An educational protocol to promote critical thinking in higher education.
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
J. Elen, L. Jiang, S. Huyghe, M. Evers, A. Verburgh, … G. Palaigeorgiou, Promoting Critical Thinking in European Higher Education Institutions:
towards an educational labour protocol, Vila Real: UTAD, 2019. [Online] Available: http://bit.ly/2XpF87r [Accessed: 04- Nov- 2019].

5. The ‘Critical Thinking Day’ proposal
CRITHINKEDU
educational
protocol
• To declare
• To model
• To induce
• To surveil
Learning resources
• Real-World Problem
Situations (RWPS)
• Critical Thinking
questioning rubric
• Critical Thinking quality
standards
Roleplay
• Students
• Collaborators
• Consultants
• Tutors
Cooperative
problem-based
learning
• Heterogeneous groups
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
Teachers
ProfessionalsStudents

6. The methodology (case study/1-day workshop)
0. Design of RWPS (preparation)
1. Kickoff
2. Cooperative problem-based learning
3. Initial pitch
4. Final pitch
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal

7. 0. Design of RWPS
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
The advertising content of Company X was contributing to the increment of negative
user experiences. In this sense, customer's complaints had increased especially due
to the effect of intrusion and dispersion caused by the ads presented in the
Company’s online portals. As advertising is an important source of income for this
Company, and although some strategies were already adopted, a need to find other
innovative solutions had to be covered. Imagine that you are part of the board of
directors of the mentioned Company, what solution(s) would you propose to this
situation?
Online advertising; National Health System; Montijo Airport;
Alternative therapies; Migrants; Development of Rural Areas

8. 1. Kickoff (to declare and ….)
1 hour / auditorium
What is critical thinking and why is it important today?
What is like to be a critical thinker?
How can we critically solve real-world problems?
Which criteria should we apply when we think critically?
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal

9. Topic: Air pollution in Portugal
To model: The worked example
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
Scenario: Ministers Council about air pollution in Portugal
https://dre.pt/home/-/dre/122059235/details/maximized

10. Stages/dimensions Guiding questions
1 – Problem definition
What exactly is the problem at hand? What are its dimensions, causes, consequences,
etc.? This stage involves studying the context of the problem, how it arose, what
consequences and dimensions it can assume and, basically, all aspects that will allow us to
formulate and specify it.
2 – Beliefs and values
What beliefs and values do we have about this problem? It involves all the facts and
information that we take for granted regarding the problem at hand.
3 – Questions
What questions and sub-questions emerge from the problem? It involves formulating
questions to help us better understand the problem and study possible solutions. What?
How? Where? When? Why? What if...?
4 – Information
What relevant information do we need to answer the questions and the problem? Are
they credible and can we use them? It involves the search and analysis of information that
will help us answer the questions and to build our sustained perspective on the problem.
5 - Solutions
What different solutions can be adopted to solve the problem and what are the main
arguments that support them? It involves analyzing the different perspectives about the
problem, assessing their assumptions, conclusions, and implications.
6 – Our solution
What is our solution and its implications? It involves the proposal of a perspective based
on the whole analysis of the problem carried out in the previous steps, as well as the
recognition of its implications.
7 – Objections to our solution
What are the weaknesses of our solution? It involves identifying possible objections to the
solution presented, as well as weighing up their added value compared to such objections.
*Adapted from Criticalthinking.org, ‘Foundation for Critical Thinking: Online Model for learning the Elements and Standards of Critical Thinking’, 2007. [Online].
Available: https://www.criticalthinking.org/ctmodel/logic-model1.htm. [Accessed: 04-Nov-2019]
The Critical Thinking Questioning Rubric*

11. *Adapted from Criticalthinking.org, ‘Foundation for Critical Thinking: Online Model for learning the Elements and Standards of Critical Thinking’, 2007. [Online].
Available: https://www.criticalthinking.org/ctmodel/logic-model1.htm. [Accessed: 04-Nov-2019]
The Critical Thinking Quality Standards*
Parameters Assessment criteria**
1 – Problem-solving
Clarity: if it is understandable, error-free and with an appropriate level of detail.
Consistency: if the parts create a non-contradictory meaning, related and framed in the
context.
Rationale: if it is based on any type of evidence.
Open mind: if multiple perspectives and not just one side of the problem were considered.
Self-regulation: if the pros and cons assumed by the proposed perspective/solution were
considered.
2 - Presentation
Oral communication: presented clearly and objectively.
Time: if the established time for the activity was met.
**Scale: 1 - Insufficient; 2 - Sufficient; 3 - Good; 4 – Very Good

12. 2. Cooperative problem-based learning (to induce)
6 different RWPS in 6 different classrooms
6 heterogeneous groups of 5 students in each classroom
Roleplay with different stakeholders
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
3 hours / classrooms
Learning resources

13. 3. Initial pitch (to surveil)
Presentation of the solutions by the groups in each classroom
Heteroevaluation (each group assessed by other groups and stakeholders)
Election of the best solution per each RWPS/classroom
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
1 hour / classrooms

14. 4. Final pitch (to surveil)
Presentation of the winning solutions from each RWPS/classroom
Assessment of the best solutions by a jury panel of professionals
Election of the best solutions
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1 hour / auditorium

15. Preliminary results (1/4)
82%
14%
4%
Participants (n=183)
Students Teachers Professionals
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal

16. 5% 4%
25%
18%
18%
10%
8%
1%
7%
1% 1%
2%
Disciplinary domains (n=12)
Computer Science Administration Health
Tourism General Psychology
Education Communication Sciences Languages and International Relations
Mechanical Engineering Social Service Mathematics
Preliminary results (2/4)
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal

17. Preliminary results (3/4)
Positive feelings and attitudes
Importance of cooperative learning to enhance critical thinking
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
“It put us in a situation where we had to leave our comfort zone, interact with
different people, with different ideas and opinions. It contributed to our personal
growth.”
“It was an experience that I will never forget. In addition to having made us
think deeply about the problems, we were also able to be in contact with other
students and thus obtain new perspectives.”
“It was a day that made us evolve as humans and
citizens.”

18. Preliminary results (4/4)
Importance of roleplay
Usefulness (left side) and easiness (right side) to use the critical thinking rubric
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal
Expectations fullfilled

19. Final remarks and future work
What is the added value of our proposed model for engineering education?
Is it enough to foster engineering students’ critical thinking?
How can we implement it across engineering education curricula?
What are the next steps to validate the proposed model?
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal

20. Thank you for listening!
Questions: aim and shoot!
goncaloc@utad.pt
carold@utad.pt
27-30 April, 2020, Porto, Portugal