This document discusses the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT) and its use in measuring critical thinking skills and the impact of educational practices. The CAT was developed by faculty from various institutions to assess critical thinking in multiple disciplines. It measures skills such as evaluating information, creative thinking, learning and problem solving, and communication. Several projects funded by the National Science Foundation have used the CAT to evaluate critical thinking gains in courses using high-impact practices like research, simulations, and service learning. Results demonstrated these practices' potential for improving critical thinking and problem solving skills compared to traditional four-year degree programs. The goal is to close the assessment loop by increasing faculty awareness of effective teaching methods through CAT participation and implementation of such practices.

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Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior
Improving Critical Thinking through the Assessment
of High-Impact Practices
ASSESSINGCRITICALTHINKING
CRITICAL-THINKING ASSESSMENT TEST (CAT)
 Developed by faculty from a wide variety of
institutions and disciplines.
 Guided by experts in the cognitive/learning
sciences and assessment fields.
 Supported by the National Science Foundation
(NSF).
An effective tool to assess critical thinking (CT) in a
variety of disciplines and a means to help
researchers and faculty identify effective strategies
to improve students' CT skills.
IMPROVING CRITICAL THINKING
Ongoing work in the Center for Assessment assists
other projects, some funded by NSF, that are
making significant progress in improving students’
CT skills. These collaborations are providing useful
information to transform educational practices.
A considerable number of projects have shown
significant overall gains in CAT performance and
others have found significant gains on one or more
questions associated with treatment effects. These
results demonstrate the potential usefulness of the
CAT instrument as a tool for measuring treatment
effects in courses and programs that have targeted
critical thinking/real-world problem solving using
high-impact practices.
SKILLSEVALUATEDBYTHECAT
EVALUATING INFORMATION
Separate factual information from inferences.
Interpret numerical relationships in graphs.
Understand the limitations of correlational data.
Evaluate evidence and identify inappropriate
conclusions.
CREATIVE THINKING
Identify alternative interpretations for data or
observations.
Identify new information that might support or
contradict a hypothesis.
Explain how new information can change a
problem.
LEARNING & PROBLEM SOLVING
Separate relevant from irrelevant information.
Integrate information to solve problems.
Learn & apply new information.
Use mathematical skills to solve real-world
problems.
COMMUNICATION
Communicate ideas effectively.
Effective
Practices
Real World
Problems
Original
Research
Debates
Team
Based
Learning
Simulations
Case
Studies
Service
Learning
CLOSINGTHELOOP
Katie Leming
Center for Assessment and Improvement of Learning - Tennessee Tech University
Clemson University
Development of an Inquiry-Based Cell Biology
Laboratory with Emphasis on Scientific
Communication Skills
Duquesne University
A Model for Incorporating Application-Based Service
Learning in the Undergraduate Science Curriculum
Northeastern Illinois University
A Hybrid Course Model of Peer-Led Learning for the
Social Sciences
Purdue University
An Adaptation of a Research-Based Laboratory Model
to Life Sciences
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
The Development and Assessment of a New Test and
Product Engineering Certificate Program
Sam Houston State University
Foundations of Science
University of Central Florida
Learning Environment and Academic Research
Network (LEARN): A Model for Retention in the STEM
Disciplines
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Teaching Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry in
the Context of Scientific Paradigms: Assessing
Student Understanding
National Science Foundation’s TUES Program under grant 1022789.
SOMESUCCESSFULPROJECTS
NOTE: STUDENTS IN THE HIGH-IMPACT COURSES MAY HAVE ENTERED WITH A HIGHER ABILITY THAN THOSE IN THE CAT NATIONAL NORM DATABASE.
Increase Faculty Awareness of Effective Practices
Faculty Awareness
of Student Weaknesses
(Faculty Participate in Test Scoring)
Improve Student
Learning
(Implement Effective Practices)
Assess Student Performance
CTGAINS:4YEARSVERSUSHIGH-IMPACTCOURSES