Welcome to the Tuesday Teaching Tip, an easy-to-implement tool that you can use immediately in your classroom teaching. 

TUESDAY TEACHING TIP: Fostering Analytical Thinking

Whether it is climate change, vaccination, and the shape of our planet, our students are increasingly confronted with a dizzying flood of conflicting information and misinformation. As faculty, how can we foster analytical thinking among our students so they can assess arguments and detect misleading information that often are entangled with trending issues? Our ability to cultivate analytical thinking in the classroom can help our students to ask critical questions and distinguish between scientific evidence and opinions.   

This week, we challenge you to create and develop an analytical classroom environment for students to employ critical thinking skills in navigating complex information, identify misinformation, and discuss their views and concerns on issues of the day based on robust data. 

Here’s one way to do it 

• Utilize Library Resources: Encourage your students to ask a question to Ask A Librarian (rather than ChatGPT!)
• Concept Mapping: Have students create a visual map showing relationships between ideas, theories, or historical events of relevance to your class this week. This helps them see structures and connections.
• Use Open-Ended Questions: Regularly ask students "why," "how," and "what if" questions to prompt deeper thinking. For example, instead of asking for a summary of a reading, ask, “What assumptions underlie the author's argument, and are they justified?”

DID YOU DO IT?

Let us know how it went. We would love to hear your feedback about how you implemented today’s Tuesday Teaching Tip in your classroom. Click here to fill out our 3-question survey. The survey is anonymous, but if you choose to enter your name, you’ll be entered in a drawing at the end of the quarter to win a new book from Faculty Development!

UPCOMING EVENTS 

• Please join us this Friday at 12:45 pm for our CAFE on Information Literacy in the Context of Change - and AI. Sign up here.
• Share your input about the new Center for Teaching Excellence through this brief (5 question) survey by the end of the month. Also: mark your calendars for the upcoming Center for Teaching Excellence Town Hall on May 28th at 2 pm in St. Clare room. Your voice matters, and your insights will help ensure the center reflects your interests and aspirations.

WANT TO READ A LITTLE MORE?

• Information literacy at SCU
• Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching – Critical Thinking Resources offers strategies, sample assignments, and links to further readings on developing critical and analytical thinking skills.
• Concept mapping (BYU)

This week’s Tuesday Teaching Tip was prepared by Long Le on behalf of the Faculty Collaborative.

Missed a teaching tip? Read them all here. Don’t forget to check out our Faculty Associates office hours here.

And check out our full calendar of CAFEs and other Faculty Development and Faculty Collaborative events.