Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Based on Bloom's Digital Taxonomy

Example learning objective: The student will write a compound sentence using conjunctions.

Knowledge: The student will write a list of conjunctions from memory.

Understanding: The student will write a sentence describing the purpose of a conjunction.

Application: The student will write a compound sentences about conjunctions, using conjunctions.

Analysis: The student will analyze a list of compound sentences and organize the conjunctions used into 3 main categories.

Evaluation: The student will judge a classmate's compound sentences and determine the validity of their conjunctions.

Creativity: The student will design a short presentation explaining the uses, and how to use conjunctions.

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A Disturbing Discovery: The Case of Paul and the Astronomy Exam

Were the students less capable than he had assumed? Were they not paying attention even though they seemed to be interested in the topic of astronomy? Was there something about having to put their thoughts into writing that caused them to do poorly? Given that he would be teaching the course the next year, was there something he should do differently? And if so, what and why?

The students themselves were not necessarily less capable than he had assumed, but perhaps their critical thinking skills were less developed than he had assumed. It is not out of the question to suppose that the students didn't acknowledge their errors and thus weren't able to learn from them. It is possible that they weren't paying attention to that particular topic because they already thought they had a grasp on the concept, and therefore weren't able to fully acknowledge that they didn't. It isn't uncommon that when a person believes the wrong thing for a long period of time, when it is explained to them that they are incorrect, they don't always remember later on that they were incorrect, so they go back to their original way of thinking.
There is a possibility that putting their thoughts into writing caused them to do poorly, but it seems somewhat unlikely that it would cause them to completely misunderstand a concept simply because they were writing it. However, if that is the case, it may be advisable that in the future the instructor has the students write about the concepts more often so that they can become accustomed to communicating their thoughts on paper accurately. It may also help to have some kind of demonstration that makes the correct answer more clear, or find a way to relate it to something the students already have a clear grasp on. Taking these actions should help the students realize their mistakes and take corrective action so that they can more firmly cement the correct concepts into their memory and understanding.