Presented by Daiva Penkauskiene and Asta Railiene (Modern Didactics Centre, Lithuania) during the 1st European Summit for Critical Thinking Education

1. CRITHINKEDU
Critical Thinking Across the European Higher Education Curricula
2016

2. FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING CRITICAL THINKING
Experience of teaching students at social science university
DR. DAIVA PENKAUSKIENE, DR. ASTA RAILIENE
MODERN DIDACTICS CENTER & MYKOLAS ROMERIS UNIVERSITY
VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

3. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO EXPERIENCE…
Lesson as
being
students
Professional
discussion
about lesson
Sharing of
experience
about ways
to teach CT

4. LESSON 1
Acquaintance with Critical Thinking
Concept

5. People about critical thinking….
 Critical thinking relies on content, because you can't navigate masses of information if you
have nothing to navigate to…(Kathy Hirsh-Pasek)
 Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate
evidence, and how to disagree with you (Richard Dawkins)
 The most fundamental attack on freedom is the attack on critical thinking skills (Travis Nichols)
 Critical thinking is the key to creative problem solving in business ( Richard Branson)
 The world “why” not only taught me to ask, but also to think. And thinking has never hurt
anyone. On the contrary. It does us all a world of good ( Anne Frank)
 To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with
your thinking. ( Johann W. von Goethe)
 The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at
when we created them ( Albert Einstein).
You have to be open minded, but not too much....You have to keep eye on your brains not
to fall down ( unknown author)

6. Discuss selected quote....
 Why did you chose it?
 How do you interpret it?
 What else could you add to it?

7. What is Critical Thinking?
 + I knew it
 - It is new for me
 ? I do not understand/have question/doubt
 ! It is interesting/unexpected/strange

8. Back to the Quotes
 How does this article contribute to the quote you have
selected before?
 Would you like to make different choice now, after you
have read article? If “yes”, what choice and why?

9. I remember…
 A film/book/article/event that is perfect example of critical
thinking………

10. Thank you for the participation in
the lesson!

11. Back to the Lesson
HOW DID WE EXPERIENCE IT?

12. ERR FRAMEWORK -1
 EVOCATION stage – to evoke, to arouse interest, to excite, to summon
forth, to provoke students to think about what they already know.
 Learners establish a baseline of personal knowledge to which new
knowledge can be added; and activate their own learning from a very
beginning
 Through this stage interest and purpose in exploration of the topic is
established

13. ERR FRAMEWORK - 2
 REALIZATION of MEANING stage – learners come into contact with new
information or ideas. This contact could take the form of reading text, watching a film,
listening to a speech, or doing an experiment. This is also the phase of learning during
which teachers have the least influence on the learner.
 It is during this second phase that the learner have independently sustain active
engagement and control their own learning.
 INSERT (Interactive Notating System for Effective Reading and Thinking) method

14. Building Bridges Between Known & New
Knowledge
KNOWN NEW

15. ERR FRAMEWORK - 3
 REFLECTION stage- learners truly make new knowledge their
own.
 Students are expected to begin expressing in their own words the
ideas and information encountered.
 Students exchange of ideas & expand their own understanding

16. In Summary ERR Framework helps to...
 activate student thinking;
 set purposes for learning;
 provide rich discussion;
 motivate student learning & actively engage in the learning process;
 stimulate change & reflection;
 expose learners to varied opinions;
 help students to ask their own questions;
 encourage self-expression;
 ensure that students process information & facilitate critical thinking.

17. TEACHER’S ROLE
 Facilitation of genuine learning & contextualized
knowledge;
 Modeling learning & thinking together with students;

18. ERR FRAMEWORK & CRITICAL THINKING
 Critical thinking requires the ability to understand & reflect on what
one knows & thinks;
 Critical thought requires thinking with understanding & meaning
making;
 Reflection & critical analysis requires thoughtful, creative
consideration about how new knowledge can be applied to
previous understandings, & about how previous understandings
may be altered to accommodate new information

19. TWO WAYS TO TEACH CRITICAL THINKING
 Integrative – CT is a part of any program/ course/
subject
 Non-integrative ( specific) – CT is a separately taught
subject

20. OPTIONAL COURCE
6 ECTC; 162 h. ( contact- 50 h.)
 Aim – to get acquainted with CT and CTD concepts, to get familiar
with CT development strategies & practice them, to become
independent thinkers & responsible learners, open for a new ideas
& experience
 Topics - CT concepts & definitions; historical overview of CT
development; main theories; personal traits of critically minded
person; CT development framework & strategies; CT standards &
assessment; CT & work life; CT & social responsibility.
 Assessment: work during seminars ( 10%); case study/independent
tasks ( 50%); exam ( 40%)

21. OTHER COURCES
 Social programs & projects;
 Educational technologies;
 Career education;
 Adult education;
 Alternative learning models;

22. How do you teach/learn critical
thinking?

23. Literature
 Davies M. ( 2015 ) A Model of Critical Thinking in Higher education. M.B. Paulsen (ed.), Higher Education:
Handbook of Theory and Research, Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research 30, DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-12835-1_2
Klooster, D. (2001).What is Critical Thinking?. „Thinking Classroom“, 4, 36-40
 Meredith, K., Steele, J.,Temple, Ch., Walter, S. ( 1998). A Framework for Critical Thinking across the
Curriculum. Guidebook I. Prepared for the project „ Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking“ project.
 Meredith, K., Steele, J. ( 2011). Classrooms of Wonder and Wisdom. Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking
for 21st Century. Corwin, Thousand Oaks, California
 Moore, T. (2013.).Critical thinking: Seven Definitions in a Search of a Concept. Studies in Higher education.
Vol38, no.4, p. 506-522

24. THANK YOU!
asta.railiene@gmail.com
daiva.penkauskiene@sdcentras.lt