<p>I was reviewing my daughter's prospective University self assessment for Freshmen critical thinking skills, and the result was that less than 10% of students were proficient at Critical Thinking and less than 50% at graduation. What was interesting was that the Arts and Sciences programs produced more critical thinkers than engineering and computer science. </p>
<p>The figures are worse at many other masters level Universities. This is obviously a serious problem in our country given how clear it is that so many people buy into ridiculous conspiracy theories about or President, etc. and so much other garbage one can read on the internet.</p>
<p>More than anything, I want to ensure my daughter gets out of college the ability to think for herself in a critical manner so she does not become a sheeple like so many people unfortunately are. So does this mean I push a degree in Arts and Sciences despite the fact these students are the hardest hit on lack of employability? Suggestions?</p>
<p>How is she doing on the whole critical thinking thing right now? That would be your best indicator for the future. If you haven’t encouraged rational thought at home, it seems foolhardy to expect the college to do the whole job for you. For all you know, she could end up in the 50% who still haven’t mastered those skills at graduation.</p>
<p>Depends on how “critical thinking” is defined and assessed…</p>
<p>Major choice appears to correlate to college selectivity, based on the majors offered and their popularity at colleges of varying levels of selectivity.</p>
<p>Liberal arts / science tend to be most popular at the most selective colleges. Engineering also appears to be common at the more selective colleges, but appears to be less common at the very top level of selectivity. Non-engineering preprofessional majors tend to become more popular as the selectivity level goes down.</p>
<p>Maybe the lack of critical thinking for engineers, is the key to making a lot of money.
kidding aside… I know there are critical thinkers in every major, so maybe it is the type of institution and the teaching style of professors/teachers versus the actual field of study that fosters critical thinking skills. I think we have been teaching to pass standardized tests for quite awhile in an effort to improve education and assess teacher quality, which does not foster critical thinking for students, but teaches them to pass tests. I guess critical thinking is an important asset to filter all of this research, since studies show one thing and then other studies contradict it. It’s certainly keeping the research going.</p>
<p>I think that you talk to your kids and ask them questions and see how they answer. You do this in the car, at the dinner table, working out together or when they ask you for help with something.</p>
<p>I think another question is how do they judge critical thinking? Is it critiquing a piece of literature? Looking at a political debate in an unbiased manner? Evaluating whether a claim on a box has scientific merit? Figuring out if a calculated number seems reasonable?</p>
<p>“What was interesting was that the Arts and Sciences programs produced more critical thinkers than engineering and computer science.”</p>
<p>I wouldn’t pay attention to that study. I’m sure you could find another one somewhere that states the opposite. I also wouldn’t push any particular major/degree. Let your D figure what she wants to study. I’ve worked with people that ended up getting a degree in what their parents thought they should…it doesn’t always work out for the best.</p>
<p>I can see that. Most kids do well in high school doing mindless busy work to get good grades or memorize concepts to get good test scores. The people who try to get creative and come up with their own ideas are punished or discouraged.</p>
<p>Every time I read a post from a 2300+ SAT person wondering if he should retake, I believe it. Standard testing has turned everyone into memorizing machines. Actual thinking has been reduced to A, B, C or D.</p>
<p>Exactly, SosaWatling. Loss of critical thinking skills was a predictable consequence of the standardized testing scourge which has engulfed our schools for the last decade. Now even the birthplace of the testing craze, Texas, is beginning to rethink what it hath wrought.</p>
<p>The fan fiction is extremely interesting and well-written, and anyone who reads it will pick up a thing or two. I’ve read it and like it, and recommend it for absolutely anyone / everyone. My son introduced me. The real goal is to get people so interested that they go to the author’s blog.</p>
<p>The author also has the blog “Less Wrong”, with this explanation:
</p>
<p>Thanks for the reminder… I’m going back to the blog for more!</p>
<p>This sound like: “Did you know that they removed the word ‘gullible’ from the dictionary?”</p>
<p>“University self assessment” - problem #1: “self assessment”. You don’t know what you don’t know.</p>
<p>"What was interesting was that the Arts and Sciences programs produced more critical thinkers than engineering and computer science. " - Did you know that most people rate themselves above average? One could argue that engineers (or STEMs in general) have learned to look for the “proof” or supporting information, and thus are more aware of their own limitations (rate themselves lower).</p>
<p>“The figures are worse at many other masters level Universities” - The more you know, the more you realize what you don’t know.</p>
<p>"So does this mean I push a degree in Arts and Sciences despite the fact these students are the hardest hit on lack of employability? " - I think the employment issue is more for “arts” than it is for “sciences”. If you can push her towards the sciences, it would be better for her.</p>
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<p>The tests measure reading, writing, and math, although much of the stuff measured is stuff that high school graduates should know. There are three grading levels in each category.</p>
<p>“Critical thinking” is defined as the level 3 (top level) of reading:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The correlation with majors is likely mostly based on the strength of students choosing the majors, rather than the majors themselves.</p>
<p>Most social science classes that teach discourse analysis are excellent for honing critical thinking skills. A lot of a computer / science /engineering majors are required to take such courses as part of a core curriculum, but kind of cruise through them without taking them seriously. You can get a lot out of that kind of class, but only if you put something into it.</p>
