Teaching and assessment strategies to promote critical thinking

1. Teaching and assessment strategies to promote critical thinking Dr Jacqueline Hayden Department of Political Science jahayden@tcd.ie

2. Making small group teaching WORK! • Context – Broad Curriculum Development initiative 2001-2 • ‘Important Issues in Contemporary Politics’ • SS Political Science class - mixed cohort • BESS background > Business orientated, Phil/Pol, Hist/Pol, PPES, Soc/Soc/Pol and Social Studies • Now Law/Pol and Geog Pol • Access Programme and mature cohort

3. The teaching and learning problem • Feedback from employers – industry, civil service etc • TCD Social Science graduates lacked key ‘real life’ job skills • did not think in terms of problem solving • did not think in an interdisciplinary way • were not adept at communicating complex material in short - or presentation format

4. Understanding the problem • Deficiencies in the teaching model • Lack of creativity in assessment • Exams • Essay writing • Joint disciplinary degree – only in name • The tightly sealed box problem • Spill over from the secondary school memory challenge

5. Questions What did students want from studying political science? What did potential employers want from students who had studied political science? What did we want – as academics – for and from the students we taught? Surely the answer wasn’t simply - the ability to regurgitate in exams and produce ‘write all you know’ essays!

6. Response – problem based learning strategies Encourage problem solving thinking strategies and move students on from ‘write all you know’ essay writing Prepare students for post-graduate study and the jobs market by having them prepare a research proposal based on a problem or puzzle, theoretical or real world, requiring a research agenda capable of delivering a solution or answer Encourage interdisciplinary research and study focusing on issues and problems where business meets politics/economics/business/sociology/law/geography etc Develop communication skills – focusing on the reduction of complex material to 15 minute slots

7. How? • Students make 2 or 3 individual presentations on self-chosen topics (worth 30% of overall assessment) – encouraged to choose interdisciplinary subjects • 1 or 2 joint group presentation (s)– designed to assist identifying problems and issues of team working and relationships (10% of overall mark for the course) • Role assignment • Identifying skills in others • Free riding and trust – when and when not to trust others • Student Self-Evaluation - all presentations are Podcast and available on the class Blackboard where all PowerPoint presentations are also archived

8. How? Encourage Peer Evaluation by asking students to use marking matrix to grade each other’s presentations and to discuss each other’s work in a supportive and constructive manner. In acting as discussant (6 occasions – worth 20% of overall mark) for each other’s presentations students are helped to CONSTRUCTIVELY AND CRITICALLY evaluate their peers in a public space Before and after presentation idea development and assessment feedback Timely written feedback (2-7 days) so as to assist student’s self-evaluate their performance using podcasts

9. How? • Research Proposal conceived as being potentially capable of submission at post-graduate level worth (40%) (often basis of idea for subsequent Masters application) • Developed in close consultation with the course director and where necessary academic staff with specialist knowledge of the area selected by students • Links students to academics who are research active in the area they desire to work on – thus linking teaching and research • Helps identify potential post graduate candidates

10. How? Prior to start of student presentations IT skills workshops SLS provide presentation skills workshop Intensive seminars - Designing a Research Proposal - Former graduates give sample presentations and feedback on making PO4690 work ‘for you’

11. Assessment and validation • Continuous assessment • No end of year examination • Self and peer group assessment • Exact structure of assessment modified depending on group size • Individual presentation 2/3 30% Discussant role 4/6 20% Small group presentation 1/2 10% Final research paper 5.000 w 40%

12. Presentation Assessment Criteria • Assessment designed to give a more nuanced evaluation of student skill set • Identifies what needs work • Content 25% • Research skills 25% • Discussion skills 25% • Presentation skills 25%

13. Issues and problems • Teaching model – potentially too up close and personal! • Students have to expose their intellectual and other vulnerabilities to a greater degree than in more traditional learning environments • Positives and negatives • Greater possibility of conflict over grades • Public nature of learning environment de-mystifies evaluation • Academic credibility and reputation more vulnerable? • Allowing for interdisciplinary projects requires goodwill and support of colleagues within and outside home department?

14. ‘What’s this podcast thing?’ Learning model not always embraced by fellow academics or external examiners! Exhausting ‘Complicates’ or ‘enriches’ the relationship with students Issues and problems

15. Questions