Critical Thinking: The Foundation of Expertise
- Herbert Janssen, M.Ed., Ph.D.
- Kathryn McMahon, Ph.D.
- Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Critical thinking is a way of life, a process used by self-aware individuals to improve their performance in all aspects of life. Critical thinkers systematically examine themselves, their thought process, and their interactions with others. Continued improvement of critical thinking skills, coupled with knowledge in a given discipline, is the foundation on which expertise is built.
Research suggests that acquiring expertise in a given discipline requires deliberate practice over ten years. “Teaching” critical thinking skills as cognitive information is of little value. Such skills must be “learned” so that they become part of a person’s problem-solving armamentarium. Used properly, Team-Based Learning offers an excellent opportunity for students to learn and practice critical thinking techniques. Using TBL allows instructors to continue to provide content instruction while shifting focus to the thought process used to achieve course goals. As learning objectives also shift from the cognitive domain to highlight critical thinking processes used by individuals and teams, students are encouraged to practice the critical thinking skills that are the hallmark of the expert.
After completing the workshop, participants will be able to
- define critical thinking
- describe the link between critical thinking skills and the development of expertise
- write objectives that stress the development of critical thinking skills and explain how TBL can be used to present content and develop such skills.
Room 2.110
