student critical thinking questionnaire

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Consequential Validity: Using Assessment to Drive Instruction

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Critical Thinking Testing and Assessment

The purpose of assessment in instruction is improvement. The purpose of assessing instruction for critical thinking is improving the teaching of discipline-based thinking (historical, biological, sociological, mathematical, etc.) It is to improve students’ abilities to think their way through content using disciplined skill in reasoning. The more particular we can be about what we want students to learn about critical thinking, the better we can devise instruction with that particular end in view.

The Foundation for Critical Thinking offers assessment instruments which share in the same general goal: to enable educators to gather evidence relevant to determining the extent to which instruction is teaching students to think critically (in the process of learning content). To this end, the Fellows of the Foundation recommend:

that academic institutions and units establish an oversight committee for critical thinking, and

that this oversight committee utilizes a combination of assessment instruments (the more the better) to generate incentives for faculty, by providing them with as much evidence as feasible of the actual state of instruction for critical thinking.

The following instruments are available to generate evidence relevant to critical thinking teaching and learning:

Course Evaluation Form : Provides evidence of whether, and to what extent, students perceive faculty as fostering critical thinking in instruction (course by course). Machine-scoreable.

Online Critical Thinking Basic Concepts Test : Provides evidence of whether, and to what extent, students understand the fundamental concepts embedded in critical thinking (and hence tests student readiness to think critically). Machine-scoreable.

Critical Thinking Reading and Writing Test : Provides evidence of whether, and to what extent, students can read closely and write substantively (and hence tests students' abilities to read and write critically). Short-answer.

International Critical Thinking Essay Test : Provides evidence of whether, and to what extent, students are able to analyze and assess excerpts from textbooks or professional writing. Short-answer.

Commission Study Protocol for Interviewing Faculty Regarding Critical Thinking : Provides evidence of whether, and to what extent, critical thinking is being taught at a college or university. Can be adapted for high school. Based on the California Commission Study . Short-answer.

Protocol for Interviewing Faculty Regarding Critical Thinking : Provides evidence of whether, and to what extent, critical thinking is being taught at a college or university. Can be adapted for high school. Short-answer.

Protocol for Interviewing Students Regarding Critical Thinking : Provides evidence of whether, and to what extent, students are learning to think critically at a college or university. Can be adapted for high school). Short-answer. 

Criteria for Critical Thinking Assignments : Can be used by faculty in designing classroom assignments, or by administrators in assessing the extent to which faculty are fostering critical thinking.

Rubrics for Assessing Student Reasoning Abilities : A useful tool in assessing the extent to which students are reasoning well through course content.  

All of the above assessment instruments can be used as part of pre- and post-assessment strategies to gauge development over various time periods.

Consequential Validity

All of the above assessment instruments, when used appropriately and graded accurately, should lead to a high degree of consequential validity. In other words, the use of the instruments should cause teachers to teach in such a way as to foster critical thinking in their various subjects. In this light, for students to perform well on the various instruments, teachers will need to design instruction so that students can perform well on them. Students cannot become skilled in critical thinking without learning (first) the concepts and principles that underlie critical thinking and (second) applying them in a variety of forms of thinking: historical thinking, sociological thinking, biological thinking, etc. Students cannot become skilled in analyzing and assessing reasoning without practicing it. However, when they have routine practice in paraphrasing, summariz­ing, analyzing, and assessing, they will develop skills of mind requisite to the art of thinking well within any subject or discipline, not to mention thinking well within the various domains of human life.

For full copies of this and many other critical thinking articles, books, videos, and more, join us at the Center for Critical Thinking Community Online - the world's leading online community dedicated to critical thinking!   Also featuring interactive learning activities, study groups, and even a social media component, this learning platform will change your conception of intellectual development.

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16 Critical Thinking Questions For Students

Critical thinking is an essential skill that empowers students to think critically and make informed decisions. It encourages them to explore different perspectives, analyze information, and develop logical reasoning. To foster critical thinking skills, it is crucial to ask students thought-provoking questions that challenge their assumptions and encourage deeper analysis. Here are 16 critical thinking questions for students to enhance their problem-solving abilities:

• What evidence supports this argument?
• Can you identify any biases in this article?
• How does this relate to what we have learned previously?
• What alternative solutions can you propose to this problem?
• How might different cultures perceive this situation?
• What assumptions underlie this theory?
• How reliable is the source of this information?
• Can you identify any logical fallacies in this argument?
• What impact does this decision have on various stakeholders?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of this argument?
• How might you approach this problem differently?
• Wha t ethical considerations need to be taken into account?
• Can you identify any gaps in the evidence provided?
• How does this concept apply to real-world situations?
• What are the potential consequences of this decision?
• How might you evaluate the credibility of this research?

By incorporating these critical thinking questions, educators can help students develop essential skills such as analyzing information, evaluating arguments, and problem-solving. Encouraging students to think critically will not only benefit their academic performance but also prepare them for success in various aspects of their lives.

Remember, critical thinking is a skill that can be nurtured and strengthened with practice. By guiding students to ask and answer these thought-provoking questions, educators can create a learning environment that fosters independent thinking and creativity.

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100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students To Ask About Anything

Critical thinkers question everything.

In an age of “fake news” claims and constant argument about pretty much any issue, critical thinking skills are key. Teach your students that it’s vital to ask questions about everything, but that it’s also important to ask the right sorts of questions. Students can use these critical thinking questions with fiction or nonfiction texts. They’re also useful when discussing important issues or trying to understand others’ motivations in general.

“Who” Critical Thinking Questions

Questions like these help students ponder who’s involved in a story and how the actions affect them. They’ll also consider who’s telling the tale and how reliable that narrator might be.

• Is the protagonist?
• Is the antagonist?
• Caused harm?
• Is harmed as a result?
• Was the most important character?

• Is responsible?
• Is most directly affected?
• Should have won?
• Will benefit?
• Would be affected by this?

• Makes the decisions?

“What” Critical Thinking Questions

Ask questions that explore issues more deeply, including those that might not be directly answered in the text.

• Background information do I know or need to know?
• Is the main message?
• Are the defining characteristics?

• Questions or concerns do I have?
• Don’t I understand?
• Evidence supports the author’s conclusion?
• Would it be like if … ?
• Could happen if … ?
• Other outcomes might have happened?
• Questions would you have asked?
• Would you ask the author about … ?
• Was the point of … ?
• Should have happened instead?
• Is that character’s motive?
• Else could have changed the whole story?

• Can you conclude?
• Would your position have been in that situation?
• Would happen if … ?
• Makes your position stronger?
• Was the turning point?
• Is the point of the question?
• Did it mean when … ?
• Is the other side of this argument?
• Was the purpose of … ?
• Does ______ mean?
• Is the problem you are trying to solve?
• Does the evidence say?
• Assumptions are you making?
• Is a better alternative?
• Are the strengths of the argument?

• Are the weaknesses of the argument?
• Is the difference between _______ and _______?

“Where” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about where the story is set and how it affects the actions. Plus, consider where and how you can learn more.

• Would this issue be a major problem?
• Are areas for improvement?
• Did the story change?
• Would you most often find this problem?

• Are there similar situations?
• Would you go to get answers to this problem?
• Can this be improved?
• Can you get more information?
• Will this idea take us?

“When” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about timing and the effect it has on the characters or people involved.

• Is this acceptable?
• Is this unacceptable?

• Does this become a problem?
• Is the best time to take action?
• Will we be able to tell if it worked?
• Is it time to reassess?
• Should we ask for help?
• Is the best time to start?
• Is it time to stop?
• Would this benefit society?

• Has this happened before?

“Why” Critical Thinking Questions

Asking “why” might be one of the most important parts of critical thinking. Exploring and understanding motivation helps develop empathy and make sense of difficult situations.

• Is _________ happening?
• Have we allowed this to happen?
• Should people care about this issue?

• Is this a problem?
• Did the character say … ?
• Did the character do … ?
• Is this relevant?
• Did the author write this?
• Did the author decide to … ?
• Is this important?

• Did that happen?
• Is it necessary?
• Do you think I (he, she, they) asked that question?
• Is that answer the best one?
• Do we need this today?

“How” Critical Thinking Questions

Use these questions to consider how things happen and whether change is possible.

• Do we know this is true?
• Does the language used affect the story?
• Would you solve … ?
• Is this different from other situations?

• Is this similar to … ?
• Would you use … ?
• Does the location affect the story?
• Could the story have ended differently?
• Does this work?
• Could this be harmful?
• Does this connect with what I already know?
• Else could this have been handled?
• Should they have responded?

• Would you feel about … ?
• Does this change the outcome?
• Did you make that decision?
• Does this benefit you/others?
• Does this hurt you/others?
• Could this problem be avoided?

More Critical Thinking Questions

Here are more questions to help probe further and deepen understanding.

• Can you give me an example?

• Do you agree with … ?
• Can you compare this with … ?
• Can you defend the actions of … ?
• Could this be interpreted differently?
• Is the narrator reliable?
• Does it seem too good to be true?

• Is ______ a fact or an opinion?

What are your favorite critical thinking questions? Come exchange ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 10 tips for teaching kids to be awesome critical thinkers ., you might also like.

5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them. Continue Reading

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Teaching Reading To Struggling Students: Everything You Need to Know

Rhyming capacity: everything you need to know, phonological awareness: everything you need to know, product review of kate spade’s bloom: the perfect mother’s day gift, learning to read: everything you need to know, product review of the arzopa z1c portable monitor, how to teach phonics: everything you need to know, reading groups: everything you need to know, product review of the ultenic p30 grooming kit, reading anxiety in children: everything you need to know, 16 critical thinking questions for students.

Introduction:

Critical thinking is an essential skill for students to develop, as it enables them to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions. To enhance critical thinking abilities, students can engage with thought-provoking questions that challenge assumptions and encourage deeper reflection. In this article, we present sixteen critical thinking questions that will stimulate their cognitive abilities and foster intellectual growth.

1. What evidence supports this argument?

Assessing the evidence behind an argument encourages students to analyze whether it is sufficient, credible, and logically sound. This question teaches them to question the basis of statements and seek supporting evidence.

2. How can you apply this concept in real-life situations?

Connecting abstract concepts to practical scenarios helps students understand the relevance and applicability of what they learn. This question encourages them to think beyond classroom discussions and consider real-world implications.

3. What are the underlying assumptions in this statement?

Identifying assumptions allows students to recognize hidden biases or prejudices in arguments. By questioning underlying assumptions, they can develop a more nuanced understanding of complex issues.

4. Can you think of alternative explanations?

Encouraging students to consider alternative explanations fosters their ability to think critically and challenge initial conclusions. This question helps them explore different perspectives and understand that there can be multiple plausible interpretations.

5. How might different cultural perspectives influence this situation?

Recognizing the impact of cultural perspectives on opinions and decisions develops students’ cultural sensitivity and empathy. By considering diverse viewpoints, they broaden their understanding of complex issues.

6. What are the ethical implications of this decision?

Evaluating ethical consequences encourages students to consider the wider implications of their choices. This question enables them to develop ethical reasoning and become responsible decision-makers.

7. Can you identify any logical fallacies in this argument?

Recognizing logical fallacies helps students evaluate the validity of arguments and avoid common errors in their own reasoning. This question hones their critical thinking skills by identifying flaws in reasoning.

8. How might this situation change if key variables were altered?

By altering key variables, students can explore the potential impact of different factors on a given situation. This question enhances their ability to anticipate and evaluate different scenarios.

9. What are the potential biases in this research study?

Assessing biases in research studies equips students with the skills to critically evaluate scientific literature. This question prompts them to consider possible biases and influences on research outcomes.

10. What are the counterarguments to this position?

Encouraging students to examine counterarguments encourages them to think beyond their initial beliefs and consider opposing viewpoints. This question develops their ability to engage in respectful and constructive debates.

11. How does this information relate to your prior knowledge on the subject?

Connecting new information to existing knowledge aids student comprehension and reinforces critical thinking. This question prompts them to reflect on the relevance of new knowledge in relation to what they already know.

12. What are the short-term and long-term consequences of this decision?

Considering the short-term and long-term consequences helps students make more informed decisions. This question encourages them to think beyond immediate outcomes and consider broader impacts.

13. What are the potential biases in this news article?

Examining biases in news articles helps students distinguish between objective and subjective information. This question fosters media literacy skills and enables them to critically analyze news sources.

14. Can you identify any logical inconsistencies in this theory?

Identifying logical inconsistencies enables students to evaluate the coherence and validity of theories. This question promotes critical thinking by challenging the logical structure of theories.

15. How does this information challenge or confirm your existing beliefs?

Engaging with information that challenges personal beliefs helps students develop intellectual flexibility and open-mindedness. This question encourages them to critically evaluate their own perspectives.

16. What are the implications of this historical event in today’s society?

Connecting historical events to contemporary issues fosters students’ ability to recognize patterns and understand the relevance of the past. This question prompts critical analysis of history’s impact on the present.

Conclusion:

Engaging with these sixteen critical thinking questions will empower students to become active learners, capable of analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information effectively. By consistently challenging their assumptions, seeking evidence, and considering diverse perspectives, students will develop robust critical thinking skills that will benefit them throughout their academic and professional journeys.

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Effective Critical-Thinking Questions to Use in Class

Jessica shaffer.

• May 17, 2021

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking does not have just one definition, but one way to explain it is that it is “thinking about one’s thinking.” A critical thinker does not always take things at face value and will question ideas to further understand them. Critical thinkers also have the ability to see past the surface of something, and they possess important skills such as the ability to analyze, interpret, make inferences, and problem-solve. Critical thinkers also tend to be inquisitive about many issues, have a concern to remain well-informed, and embrace and even seek out critical thinking opportunities. Simply stated, critical thinkers think deep thoughts.

What is the Importance of Critical Thinking for Students?

Back in the day, school was different! Honestly, even a year ago, school was far different than it is now, but there is currently so much more emphasis on the “why” and the “how” than just knowing what the answer is. Critical thinking skills are important for students because of the curricula they are exposed to. “Right there” questions are few and far between and students have to rely on their own ability to dig deeper and read between the lines. There is a lot of emphasis placed on college and career readiness, and part of that is to prepare students to problem solve when there is no apparent answer.

Critical thinking provides students opportunities to acquire the higher-level thinking skills that will be needed for career and beyond. It is important to teach students at a young age that you cannot find the answer to everything in a book or through Google. You have to look within yourself to find many answers and, most importantly, justify why that is your answer. There are many ways teachers can incorporate these types of questions throughout the day, you just have to change your mindset a bit!

Critical Thinking Questions to Use in Class

A teacher will ask questions that usually contain one of the following components: who, what, where, when, how, or why. Using good questioning techniques is important and not always as difficult as it seems. Just changing the way that you start a question can change the way students think about an answer or solution. For example, instead of asking students “Who stole the pizza?”, ask students, “Why would that character want to steal the pizza?”

A critical thinking question should aim to make you think. It should lead students to ponder the answer and discuss possible solutions. Critical thinking questions can even lead to disagreements and arguments that can turn into an impressive teachable moment.

One way to incorporate a solid critical thinking question into a math lesson is to have the students solve a problem, and then ask students how they solved the problem. You can have the students talk it out or have each student write down a written explanation and then share it out. Either of these techniques gives various perspectives on how to solve the same problems and can help students to develop math sense.

Another way to incorporate critical thinking questions into math is to present a problem that is solved incorrectly and have students analyze the mistake. Students will have to solve for the correct answer and determine where the mistake occurred. To make this even more challenging, present a word problem or a multi-step story problem to further present critical thinking challenges.

Making inferences is generally one of the most difficult skills for students to learn. This is where students must use their critical thinking skills to understand what is not written or observed. Students must use evidence and couple it with reasoning skills to form a conclusion. A basic example would be looking at a photograph of a dog holding a leash in its mouth and coming to the conclusion that the dog would like to go for a walk.

Morning journals for students can present the perfect opportunity to enhance critical thinking skills. Instead of asking basic questions with basic answers, create questions that force students to think outside the box. For example, ask the question, “Is creativity something that can be measured? Should it be?” Instead of asking what creativity is and giving an example, this question makes a student pause and think about the answer before beginning to respond. These are the types of questions that can frustrate students “in a good way.”

A great way to encourage critical thinking in ELA is to ask students to write an alternate ending to a story. This promotes creativity and deep thinking. Then, students can explain how changing the ending of the story could have an impact on not just the novel, but the world. Encouraging students to think on a more global level also encourages a higher-level of thinking as well as a better understanding of the culture of the world, not just the small bubble they reside in.

Science is a subject perfect for inquiry! Having students think as an engineer would is a critical thinking skill at it’s finest. Students have to design a solution, test it, and then design an even better solution in order to combat weaknesses in the original design. This can be applied at any grade level.

A terrific way to incorporate critical thinking in Social Studies is similar to ELA by changing the outcome of important events in history. For example, have students discuss how our lives would be different if the Civil War had been won by the South. How would it have changed subsequent events in our history and what would life be like today? The opportunities are endless.

Ending Thoughts

All in all, teachers can create many opportunities each and every day for students to use critical thinking skills. It is as simple as starting the day off with a critical thinking question and changing certain techniques. Even if you ask the students a basic question, follow it up with something that requires more depth of thought. As the great Albert Einstein once said, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” Force students to think about their thinking, and get them ready for the real world!

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Using Student-Generated Questions to Promote Deeper Thinking

Asking students to create their own questions has a powerful impact on learning. Plus, 5 tips to encourage high-quality questions.

You’ve seen a penny hundreds, if not thousands, of times. But can you draw one from memory?

In a famous decades-old study , adults were asked to draw a U.S. penny without any aids. Although they were confident that they knew what a penny looked like, their performance on the test was “remarkably poor.” And when shown pennies with slightly different characteristics, such as misplaced text or with Lincoln’s portrait facing the wrong direction, few were able to identify the inaccuracies.

It’s a maddening quirk of human memory: We’re often convinced that we know something, but upon closer examination, it’s just an illusion. And this, of course, is no surprise to teachers, who often encounter students who overestimate how well they know a topic.

Understanding how people learn and reliably commit things to memory is what prompted psychology professor Mirjam Ebersbach and her colleagues at the University of Kassel to study how students prepare for an exam, and what strategies yielded the optimal improvements in student learning.

In a recent study , Ebersbach and her research team randomly assigned 82 university students to one of three groups. In the restudy group, students simply revisited and restudied the material from a lesson in their psychology course. In the testing group, students studied the material and then took a short 10-question quiz. In the last group, students studied the same material and then created their own probing questions.

One week later, all of the students took a test on the material. Students in the restudy group scored an average of 42 percent on the test, while students in the testing and generating questions groups both scored 56 percent—an improvement of 14 percentage points, or the equivalent of a full letter grade.

“Question generation promotes a deeper elaboration of the learning content,” Ebersbach told Edutopia. “One has to reflect what one has learned and how an appropriate knowledge question can be inferred from this knowledge.”

Stronger Memory Traces

Why is generating questions so effective? Past studies reveal that learning strategies that require additional cognitive effort— retrieval practice, elaboration, concept mapping , or drawing , for example—encourage students to process the material more deeply and consider it in new contexts, generating additional memory traces that aid retention.

Yet the most commonly used strategies are also the least effective. In the study, students filled out a survey identifying the learning strategies they typically used when studying for exams. By far, they said that taking notes and restudying were their go-to strategies—a surprisingly common finding that’s been regularly reported in the research . Less than half as many mentioned practice tests, and only one student among 82 mentioned generating questions.

Passive strategies such as rereading or highlighting passages are “superficial” and may even impair long‐term retention, Ebersbach explained. “This superficial learning is promoted by the illusion of knowledge, which means that learners often have the impression after the reading of a text, for instance, that they got the messages. However, if they are asked questions related to the text (or are asked to generate questions relating to the text), they fail because they lack a deeper understanding,” she told Edutopia.

That lasting “impression” of success makes it hard to convince people that rereading and underlining are, in fact, suboptimal approaches. They register the minor benefits as major improvements and hold fast to the strategies, even when the research reveals that we’re wrong.

Getting Students to Generate Productive Questions in Class

While generating questions is an effective study strategy, it also can be adapted into a classroom activity, whether online or in person.

Here are five ideas to incorporate student-generated questions into your classroom.

Teach students how to ask good questions: At first, it can be difficult for students to generate their own questions, and many will start with simple yes/no or factual prompts. To encourage better questions, ask students to think about and focus on some of the tougher or more important concepts they encountered in the lesson, and then have them propose questions that start with “explain” or that use “how” and “why” framing. Direct your students to road-test their questions by answering them themselves: Do the questions lead to longer, more substantive answers, or can they be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”?

A bonus: Students who propose questions and then answer them to test their soundness are also relearning the materials more deeply themselves. Very sneaky.

Play Jeopardy! : Research shows that active learning strategies, such as using the format of the popular game show Jeopardy! to review concepts, not only boosts student engagement but also increases academic performance. You can involve students by asking them to write the questions themselves.

To create the game, specialized software isn’t even necessary: The researchers in the study used the wiki feature in the class’s learning management system to create a 6x5 table with each cell containing a question. Similarly, you can use PowerPoint or Google Slides to create the Jeopardy! game grid. Here’s a handy template .

Have students create their own test and quiz questions: Is it cheating if students write the questions to the exam? In a 2014 study , researchers evaluated a strategy whereby students not only developed the learning materials for the class but also wrote a significant part of the exams. The result? A 10 percentage point increase in the final grade, attributed largely to an increase in student engagement and motivation. Popular tools like Kahoot and Quizlet are fun and convenient ways to create quizzes, no matter if your classroom is in person, hybrid, or virtual.

Improve class-wide discussions: In a 2018 study , students were asked to write questions based on Bloom’s taxonomy; questions ranged from lower-order true/false and multiple-choice questions to challenging questions that required analysis and synthesis. The students not only enjoyed the exercise—many called it a “rewarding experience”—but also scored 7 percentage points higher on the final exam, compared with their peers in other classes.

Use some class time to identify the characteristics of higher-order questions; then collect student questions and discuss some of the more challenging ones as a group.

Get at ‘driving questions’: For Andrew Miller, a former high school teacher and current administrator at an international pre-K–12 school, taking a page out of project-based learning and asking students to create driving questions —such as “Why do leaves have different shapes?”—not only enhances their understanding of the topic but also “creates interest and a feeling of challenge” that can draw in even the most reluctant students.

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• Teaching & Learning
• Using quizzes to evaluate student learning

Writing quiz questions that assess student understanding and critical thinking

This article discusses the writing of effective multiple-choice style quiz questions that assess students' understanding and critical thinking skills, and guidance on how to design quiz questions that provide a reliable and valid measure of learning.

Designing questions to assess higher-order thinking

One of the greatest challenges of multiple-choice design is assessing higher-order thinking skills. Higher-order thinking is often used to refer to 'transfer', 'critical thinking' and 'problem-solving.' 

When designing a quiz that assesses higher-order thinking skills, it is necessary to write questions/problems that require students to:  

• use information, methods, concepts, or theories in new situations  
• predict sequences and outcomes  
• solve problems in which students must select the approach to use  
• see patterns and organization of parts (e.g. classify, order)  
• determine the quality/importance of different pieces of information  
• discriminate among ideas  
• examine pieces of evidence to determine the likelihood of certain outcomes/scenarios  
• make choices based on reasoned argument.

The number of questions included in a quiz will vary depending on the content and purpose of the quiz. Generally, 10-20 questions are appropriate to ensure that students are only assessed on terms and concepts that are directly connected to learning outcomes. It is essential to consider including different question types to design a quiz that evaluates different levels of cognition and aligns with principles of academic integrity. Below the video there is an overview of the different question types available in Blackboard tests.

Parts of a Quiz

A typical multiple-choice question is comprised of 3 parts: the stem, the distractors and a single correct answer. For a simple, lower-order thinking or knowledge-based question this usually suffices.

However, an effective quiz question that addresses critical thinking should be made up of the following components:  

• Context/introduction  
• Question/problem (also known as the 'stem')
• Correct answer/s
• Distractors (wrong answer/s)

Adding a context or introduction is important. Because students are being asked to examine more information relevant to the question being asked they are much less likely to guess, or depend on the 'recall' of facts. 

Increase question complexity

Making students select multiple possible correct answers increases the number of potential answers, requires students to exercise discrimination, and reduces the risk that students can "guess" the right answer.

The sections below outline how to write each component of an effective quiz question effectively.

1. Writing the context/introduction

It is critical to introduce the question and to relate it to a ‘real world’ context so that students can relate to what is being asked. A well-written context sets the stage for the question and should be phrased in a concise manner using familiar vocabulary .  

After making a documentation error which action should the nurse take? 

a) Use correcting liquid to cover the mistake and make a new entry b) Draw a line through it and write error above the entry c) Draw a line and write through it and write mistaken entry above d) Draw a line and write through it and write mistaken entry and initials above

Imagine you are a nurse in the palliative care unit in a hospital, during your shift one of your patients has an allergic reaction to a new medication. As you are documenting the allergic reaction, you accidentally put down the wrong medication.  

How do you correct the documentation error? 

a) Use liquid paper correction fluid to cover the mistake and write the correct medication on top b) Strikethrough the error and write the correct medication above c) Draw a line and write mistaken entry and your initials then write the correct medication above d) Always write in pencil and use an eraser to correct the entry

Using visuals to provide context

Images can help to convey context in very few words. Where appropriate, you could consider using charts and graphs to provide the context for the question as this will require students to carefully interpret the information.

2. Writing the question 

A well-written question enables students to:  

• Understand the question without reading it several times  
• Answer the question without reading all the options  
• Answer the question without knowing the answers to other quiz questions  

The question should be:  

• A direct/complete question rather than incomplete statements  
• Concise and brief avoiding undue complexity, redundancy, and irrelevant information  
• Stated in a positive form as negatively phrased questions are easily misunderstood  
• Using familiar language , avoiding any unfamiliar terminology  

To increase the validity and reliability of the quiz, it is also a good idea to randomize the position of the correct responses throughout the quiz. One way to ensure this is to consistently organize question-order alphabetically or from lowest-highest number. Blackboard also gives an option to randomize the order of questions and the order of answers for each student. Utilizing these features when designing a quiz is a way to further align it with SCU values connected to academic integrity .  

  Example:

A hotel attempting to match customers’ purchase patterns and their demand for guest rooms with future occupancy forecasts is known as:  

a) Integrated management b) Yield management   c) Sophisticated management   d) Reservations management

Imagine you are the manager at a busy hotel. As the manager, you are asked to match customer purchase patterns and demand for guest rooms with future occupancy forecasts. 

What is this process known as? 

a) Integrated management b) Yield management c) Sophisticated management d) Reservations management 

3. Writing the answer 

A well-written answer enables students to s elect the right response without having to sort out complexities that have nothing to do with knowing the correct answer. However, students should not be able to guess the correct answer from the way the responses are written.

Quiz questions often have around 4 options for the students to choose from. However, there may be situations where it may make sense to have fewer or additional response options.  

The best way to achieve more accurate and achievable budgets is to:  

a) Have the budget committee monitor actual results on a frequent basis so that quick punitive action can be taken when actual results do not comply with budgeted expectations b) Have the budget prepared by top executives only c) Have all employees participated in the preparation of the budget   d) All of the above

What is the best way to achieve more accurate and achievable budgets? 

a) Have a budget committee that frequently monitors results b) Have a budget that is prepared by executives only c) Have all employees participate in monitoring results d) Have a budget that is created by employees

4. Writing effective distractors 

It is critical to carefully write appropriate distractors of the same length and complexity, that are neither too similar that the answer is vague or arguable, nor too obvious that anyone could guess. An appropriate distractor:  

• Mirrors the correct answer in length, style, complexity, phrasing and style  
• Is plausible rather than exaggerated or unrealistic in a way that gives away the correct answer

Avoid the following

• Avoid distractors that contain minuscule or vague distinctions from the correct answer , as this may confuse the students (except where these distinctions are  significant to demonstrating the unit learning outcomes). 
• Using “ all of the above ” or “ both a) & c) ,” make it easier for students to guess the correct answer with only partial knowledge. Instead, use a multiple answer question type or add more appropriate distractors.
• Verbal or grammatical clues that give away the correct answer.
• Using “ none of the above ” unless there is an objectively correct answer (e.g. a mathematics quiz). 

Breathing rate may increase as a result of:  

a) A small decrease in oxygen levels in the body b) A small increase in carbon dioxide levels in the body c) A decrease in blood pH d) Both b and c  

Imagine you are going for a run. As you run faster, you begin to breathe faster as well. 

What reactions in the body causes the breathing rate to increase? (Select all that apply) 

a) A decrease in oxygen levels in the body b) An increase in carbon dioxide levels in the body c) A decrease in blood pH d) An increase in blood pH 

All other things being equal, an increased seat turnover will :  

a) Increase total revenue b) Has no impact on the average check c) Increase the average check d) Decrease total revenue

If all other variables are unchanged, what will an increased turnover result in? 

a) An increase in total revenue b) An increase in the average check c) A decrease in total revenue d) A decrease in the average check 

Reflecting on quiz questions used for assessing student learning

Once you have written a quiz question reflect carefully and analytically to ensure that:

• Students can't recall the answer from a case study already covered in class (where the question requires critical thinking)
• Check that the distractors are plausible. 
• The correct answer is not notably longer or shorter than the others
• Check spelling and grammar and are correct

Also make sure to test the quiz out with others, especially those familiar with the unit content.

Analysing Blackboard Tests

Where you are using Blackboard tests for online quizzes it is possible to analyse the student responses to determine the discrimination and difficulty of a particular quiz. Please see the following article: Analysing questions/responses for a Blackboard test (quiz)

Further Resources

• Is This a Trick Question? A Short Guide to Writing Effective Test Questions
• Multiple choice questions - Charles Sturt University

Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

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Presentation1 - Critical thinking (2)

Knowledge check-based concept mapping in digital games: impacts on students’ learning performance and behaviors

• Development Article
• Published: 24 April 2024

Cite this article

• Kuan-Fu Chen 1 , 5 ,
• Gwo-Jen Hwang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5155-276X 1 , 2 , 3 &
• Mei-Rong Alice Chen 4  

Many studies have incorporated concept maps into digital games to enable learners to make connections between subject concepts in the game. However, most learners do not associate spontaneously with the thematic concepts in the game but need to be facilitated by effective scaffolding mechanisms to reconceptualize the learning process and content. Therefore, this study proposed a knowledge check-based concept map-guided gaming strategy for chemistry learning for secondary-level learners. Specifically, the knowledge check-based concept map-guided gaming strategy was employed as a learning strategy while playing digital games. The knowledge check mechanismwas developed based on the notation of two-tier testing. Moreover, the learning environment was a self-developed chemical classification-based digital game, in which learners learned through concept mapping guided gaming tasks with factual and conceptual questions to confirm that they can actually learn content and conceptual understanding in the game. To understand the effects of the proposed strategy, a quasi-experimental design was adopted to measure compare two groups’ learning achievement, problem-solving awareness, critical thinking tendency, and germane cognitive load of seventh-grade students using the knowledge check-based concept map-guided gaming strategy and the conventional concept map-guided gaming strategy. The results of the study showed that learners’ learning achievement, problem-solving awareness, critical thinking tendency, and germane cognitive load in chemistry learning were effectively improved by the knowledge check-based concept map-guided gaming strategy. Furthermore, this study implies that teachers can adjust their teaching scaffolds and provide strategies according to learners’ learning behaviors in digital game-based learning.

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Data availability.

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical considerations concerning student data. However, the manuscript provides a comprehensive account of the data used, the methodologies employed in data collection, and the analytical processes applied. Researchers interested in replicating the study or inquiring further into the data may contact the corresponding author. Access to the data will be granted following an assessment of the request and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations and institutional policies.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported in part by the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan under contract numbers NSTC 112-2410-H-011-012-MY3 and MOST 111-2410-H-011 -007 -MY3. The study is also supported by the “Empower Vocational Education Research Center” of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) from the Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan.

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Kuan-Fu Chen & Gwo-Jen Hwang

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Gwo-Jen Hwang

Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan

Department of English Language and Literature, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan

Mei-Rong Alice Chen

Empower Vocational Education Research Center, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan

Kuan-Fu Chen

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Chen, KF., Hwang, GJ. & Chen, MR.A. Knowledge check-based concept mapping in digital games: impacts on students’ learning performance and behaviors. Education Tech Research Dev (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-024-10378-6

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Kinesiology students tackle questions and build skills through research

Critical questions, like how the benefits of physical activity can be observed at the brain level, are the core of Mariane Bacelar’s Skill Acquisition and Psychophysiology Lab . Bacelar, an assistant professor of kinesiology, helps her students get to the bottom of questions such as:

If you say you want to exercise and don’t, why is that? And what would change the situation for you?

How have you acquired a certain motor skill? Has motivation played a part?

How do rewards of various types shape your behavior?

How do you apply feedback to learn a certain skill? How do you translate that information into action?

Bacelar’s lab was built when Bacelar joined Boise State in the fall of 2022 after completing her doctoral program at Auburn University. She serves as the lab’s director. The lab’s physical space opened this spring.

Joined by six undergraduate students and one graduate student, she investigates questions related to motor skill acquisition and physical activity. They mostly focus on young adults, however, and as a result of a new grant, older adults will be the focus of study in the future.

Because the team examines motor learning and physical activity using neuropsychological measures to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying these phenomena, the lab is housed in Department of Kinesiology. But because human movement – and its hows and whys – is universal, the research and findings are important and applicable to most human endeavors.

Engaging student researchers

Along with groundbreaking research, students who sign up for the lab experience also embark on other meaningful work. They’re learning practical skills and helping to rebuild the credibility of the scientific community at the same time.

The student researchers learn how to apply behavioral and neurophysiological methods, such as electroencephalography (commonly referred to as EEG) to record brain activity and metascience techniques into research. They’re also learning how to collect and analyze data, design experiments, present research findings, think critically and work as part of a research team. Every other week, student teams present on scientific articles with group discussions to follow.

“It has a broader impact,” Bacelar said.

“Some students may not know how important research is. Some people may associate this experience with wanting to become a researcher, but this helps develop a lot of skills. It’s not necessarily ‘for’ research. It’s ‘through’ research.” –Mariane Bacelar, assistant professor of kinesiology

And while it’s early days for the lab and lab findings, the lab is succeeding in the ways its director has envisioned.

“We’re still collecting data, but we have a couple of predictions,” Bacelar said, adding that it has become apparent that a fundamental premise underpinning these parts of science is still, in fact, an open question.

“We often assume that motivation is associated with learning, but we’re learning that it has not been established,” she said.

The lab is built on the concept of “open science,” the idea that science should be transparent, accessible and collaborative. Bacelar and many others are hopeful that these principles roll back some of the criticism and skepticism the sciences have faced in recent years, what she describes as a “replication crisis.”

“Our goal is to enhance reliability in our research findings,” she said. “We need to be able to verify our findings, and we need to be transparent, and we need to have rigor.”

Bacelar encourages students from across the university’s disciplines to get involved – but there’s a catch. Because she wants to ensure a quality experience, she’s able to accept only a handful of student researchers. And this year’s lab team will likely be next year’s as well.

“We welcome all types of researchers,” she said. “I think having research experience as an undergrad is valuable. It should be a meaningful experience.”

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Nursing students in teams use simulators to…

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Nursing students in teams use simulators to compete in real-world scenarios, ‘everybody is kind of thinking together’.

Students in scrubs surrounded the bed of a “patient” Thursday at Indiana University Northwest as they took vitals, asked questions and reviewed the patient chart to remedy the patient’s complaints.

They gathered by the hospital bed on the stage at Bergland Auditorium in teams of three to test their nursing skills in a timed round-robin competition as part of the annual SIM Wars, a simulation competition that highlights what the students have learned in the week leading up to finals week.

Four teams each consisting of a senior, junior and sophomore nursing student appeared on stage one at a time to tackle the scenario and resolve the patient’s concerns. The teams were selected in advance, Crystal Shannon, dean of the College of Health and Human Services and director of nursing, said. Students did not know what scenario they would be tasked with handling.

“These are patient care scenes,” Shannon said. SIM Wars are a fun way to let students demonstrate what they have learned in a friendly competition outside of the regular classroom. It builds what she described as “an active robust (nursing) simulation program.”

In the first round, a med-surg scenario is described to the team members, who must determine what is happening with the resources they would find in a typical hospital room interaction.

“They don’t tell us what they are going to do, they are showing us,” Shannon said.

If they are successful treating the condition the patient is presenting with, the simulation ends. A countdown clock on a large screen behind the mock hospital room ticking down from 15 minutes provides the backdrop for students competing and watching.

All four teams were able to master the scenario before the time ran out, with the two top-performing teams moving on to a more challenging simulation. The top-performing team in that scenario wins SIM Wars.

During the break between each group, the atmosphere remained festive and competitive as everyone participated in a Jeopardy-style game about nursing. Each grade level competed to gain the title, answering questions in categories including assessment, perfusion and oxygenation, and nursing processes among others.

Shannon said before SIM Wars, instructors recruited the 12 challenge participants. Most of the 200 students in the nursing program attend the event, which is a run-up to finals week beginning Monday.

Junior Marrin Brandt of Valparaiso, sophomore Jackson Mielczarek of Lowell and senior Dylan Rouhselang of Valparaiso were on one team, while senior Latoya David of Griffith, sophomore Valerie Mendoza of Hammond and senior Kayla Cheeks of Portage were another of the four teams participating.

“We paused a lot,” Mielczarek said critiquing his team’s performance. “I was kind of nervous.”

“You couldn’t think about the crowd,” Rouhselang said. Overall they said things went pretty well once they got past their nerves.

“I think we did good,” Mielczarek said.

Mendoza said the competition helped participants act quickly and think critically.

The simulations also help teach students to look at the small things that they may not think are the problem, Cheeks said.

David said her teammates did well during the competition and thought of things that she on her own did not.

“It’s better having a team. Everybody is kind of thinking together,” she said.

Brandt said the simulations were helpful, but she wished the challenge was in the middle of the semester and not the week before finals.

“I like the simulations. I think they are super helpful,” Brandt said.

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