Sunday, 31 May 2015
call
CALL (computer assisted language learning)
Author: Graham Davies
© Professor Graham
Davies
Abstract
An introduction to Computer Assisted Language
Learning, including a brief history and mention of more recent trends (CD-ROMS,
DVDs, the Web) and professional associations dedicated to CALL.
Table of contents
A definition of CALL
Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is often perceived,
somewhat narrowly, as an approach to language teaching and learning in which
the computer is used as an aid to the presentation, reinforcement and
assessment of material to be learned, usually including a substantial interactive element. Levy (1997:1) defines CALL more
succinctly and more broadly as "the search for and study of applications
of the computer in language teaching and learning". Levy's definition is
in line with the view held by the majority of modern CALL practitioners. For a
comprehensive overview of CALL see ICT4LT Module 1.4, Introduction to Computer
Assisted Language Learning(CALL): http://www.ict4lt.org/.
A brief history of CALL
CALL's origins can be traced back to the 1960s. Up until the
late 1970s CALL projects were confined mainly to universities, where computer
programs were developed on large mainframe computers. The PLATO project,
initiated at the University of Illinois USA
Traditional CALL
Traditional CALL programs presented a stimulus to which the learner had to provide a response. In early
CALL programs the stimulus was in the form of text presented on screen, and the
only way in which the learner could respond was by entering an answer at the
keyboard. Some programs were very imaginative in the way text was presented,
making use of colour to highlight grammatical features (e.g. gender in French
and case endings in German) and movement to illustrate points of syntax (e.g.
position of adjectives in French and subordinate clause word order in German).
Discrete error analysis and feedback were a common feature of traditional
CALL, and the more sophisticated programs would attempt to analyse the
learner's response, pinpoint errors, and branch to help and remedial
activities. A typical example of this approach is the CLEF package for learners of French, which
was developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s by a consortium of Canadian
universities. A Windows version of CLEF has recently been released: http://www.camsoftpartners.co.uk/clef.htm Error analysis in CALL is, however, a
matter of controversy. Practitioners who come into CALL via the disciplines of computational linguistics,
e.g. Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Human Language Technologies (HLT),
tend to be more optimistic about the potential of error analysis by computer
than those who come into CALL via language teaching: see ICT4LT Module 3.5,Human Language Technologies: http://www.ict4lt.org/.
The approach adopted by the authors of CLEF was
to anticipate common errors and build in appropriate feedback. An alternative
approach is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to parse the learner's response - so-called
"intelligent CALL" (ICALL) - but there is a gulf between those who
favour the use of AI to develop CALL programs (Matthews 1994) and, at the
other extreme, those who perceive this approach as a threat to humanity (Last 1989:153).
Explorative CALL
More recent approaches to CALL have favoured a learner-centred, explorative approach rather than a
teacher-centred, drill-based approach to CALL. The explorative approach is
characterised by the use of concordance programs in
the languages classroom - an approach described as Data-Driven Learning (DLL) by Tim Johns (Johns & King 1991).
There are a number of concordance programs on the market, e.g. MonoConc, Concordance,Wordsmith and SCP - all of which are described in ICT4LT
Module 2.4, Using concordance programs in the modern foreign languages
classroom: http://www.ict4lt.org/. See also Tribble & Jones (1990). The explorative
approach is widely used today, including the use of Web concordancers and other Web-based CALL activities.
Multimedia CALL
Early personal computers were incapable of presenting authentic
recordings of the human voice and easily recognizable images, but this
limitation was overcome by combining a personal computer and a 12-inch
videodisc player, which made it possible to combine sound, photographic-quality
still images and video recordings in imaginative presentations - in essence the
earliest manifestation of multimedia CALL. The result was the development of interactive videodiscs for language learners such as Montevidisco (Schneider & Bennion 1984),
Expodisc (Davies 1991),
and A la rencontre de Philippe (Fuerstenberg 1993), all of
which were designed as simulations in which the learner played a key role.
The techniques learned in the 1980s by the developers of
interactive videodiscs were adapted for the multimedia personal computers (MPCs), which incorporated CD-ROM
drives and were in widespread use by the early 1990s. The MPC is now the
standard form of personal computer. CD-ROMs were used in the 1980s initially to
store large quantities of text and later to store sound, still images and
video. By the mid-1990s a wide range of multimedia CD-ROMs for language
learners was available, including imaginative simulations such as the Who is Oscar Lake
Web-based CALL
In 1992 the World Wide Web was
launched, reaching the general public in 1993. The Web offers enormous
potential in language learning and teaching, but it has some way to go before
it catches up with the interactivity and speed of access offered by CD-ROMs or
DVDs, especially when accessing sound and video files. For this reason, Felix (2001:190) advises adopting hybrid approaches to CALL, integrating
CD-ROMs and the Web and running audio conferencing and video conferencing in
conjunction with Web activities. The Web Enhanced Language Learning (WELL)
project, which has been funded under the FDTL programme of the HEFCE, aims to
promote wider awareness and more effective use of the Web for teaching modern
languages across higher education in the UK
See also the following ICT4LT modules: http://www.ict4lt.org/
1.5 Introduction to the Internet
2.3 Exploiting World Wide Web resources online and offline
3.2 Creating a World Wide Web site
CALL authoring programs
CALL authoring programs offer a do-it-yourself approach to CALL.
They were originally developed to enable programmers to simplify the entry of
data provided by language teachers. Modern CALL authoring programs are designed
to be used by language teachers who have no knowledge of computer programming.
Typical examples are authoring packages that automatically generate a set of
pre-set activities for the learner, e.g. Camsoft's Fun with Texts (Camsoft) and The Authoring Suite (Wida Software). Generic packages such
as Macromedia's Director(http://www.macromedia.com/)
are more sophisticated and enable the user to create a full-blown course, but
they are probably too complex for most language teachers and are best suited to
the template approach to authoring, as described in ICT4LT
Module 3.2, CALL software design and implementation: http://www.ict4lt.org/ Web authoring packages are also available, e.g. Hot Potatoes software: http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked. See ICT4LT Module 2.5,Introduction to CALL authoring programs. See also
Bickerton (1999) and
Bickerton, Stenton & Temmermann (2001).
- 1-Inquiry-Based Learning
- This is a learning process that is based on inquiry or asking questions. Through asking challenging questions learners get intrinsically motivated to start delving deeper to find answers for these questions and in doing so they are exploring new avenues of knowledge and insight.
- Inquiry-based learning is a cyclical learning process composed of many different stages starting with asking questions and results in asking more questions. Inquiry based learning is not just asking questions, but it is a way of converting data and information into useful knowledge. A useful application of inquiry based learning involves many different factors, which are, a different level of questions, a focus for questions, a framework for questions, and a context for questions.
- Watch this video learn more about inquiry-based learning
- 2- Problem-based learning
- In a problem-based learning (PBL) model, students engage complex, challenging problems and collaboratively work toward their resolution. PBL is about students connecting disciplinary knowledge to real-world problems—the motivation to solve a problem becomes the motivation to learn.
- Watch this video to learn more on problem-based learning
- 3- Project-based Learning
- “ an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. These activities are designed to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.”
- Watch this video to learn more on Project Based Learning
styles of teaching
What are the different styles of teaching?
The following list of teaching styles highlights the five main
strategies teachers use in the classroom, as well as the benefits and potential
pitfalls of each respective teaching method.
Authority, or lecture style
The authority model is teacher-centered and frequently entails
lengthy lecture sessions or one-way presentations. Students are expected to
take notes or absorb information.
- Pros: This style is acceptable
for certain higher-education disciplines and auditorium settings with
large groups of students. The pure lecture style is most suitable for
subjects like history that necessitate memorization of key facts, dates,
names, etc.
- Cons: It is a questionable model
for teaching children because there is little or no interaction with the
teacher.
Demonstrator, or coach style
The demonstrator retains the formal authority role while
allowing teachers to demonstrate their expertise by showing students what they
need to know.
- Pros: This style gives teachers
opportunities to incorporate a variety of formats including lectures,
multimedia presentations and demonstrations.
- Cons: Although it’s well-suited
for teaching mathematics, music, physical education, arts and crafts, it
is difficult to accommodate students’ individual needs in larger
classrooms.
Facilitator, or activity style
Facilitators promote self-learning and help students develop
critical thinking skills and retain knowledge that leads to self-actualization.
- Pros: This style trains students
to ask questions and helps develop skills to find answers and solutions
through exploration; it is ideal for teaching science and similar
subjects.
- Cons: Challenges teacher to
interact with students and prompt them toward discovery rather than
lecturing facts and testing knowledge through memorization.
Delegator, or group style
The delegator style is best-suited for curriculum that requires
lab activities, such as chemistry and biology, or subjects that warrant peer
feedback, like debate and creative writing.
- Pros: Guided discovery and
inquiry-based learning places the teacher in an observer role that
inspires students by working in tandem toward common goals.
- Cons: Considered a modern style
of teaching, it is sometimes criticized as newfangled and geared toward
teacher as consultant rather than the traditional authority figure.
Hybrid, or blended style
Hybrid, or blended style, follows an integrated approach to
teaching that blends the teachers’ personality and interests with students’
needs and curriculum-appropriate methods.
- Pros: Achieves the inclusive
approach of combining teaching style clusters and enables teachers to
tailor their styles to student needs and appropriate subject matter.
- Cons: Hybrid style runs the risk
of trying to be too many things to all students, prompting teachers to
spread themselves too thin and dilute learning.
Because teachers have styles that reflect their distinct
personalities and curriculum — from math and science to English and history —
it’s crucial that they remain focused on their teaching objectives and avoid
trying to be all things to all students.
What you need to know about your teaching style
Although it is not the teacher’s job to entertain students, it
is vital to engage them in the learning process. Selecting a style that
addresses the needs of diverse students at different learning levels begins
with a personal inventory — a self-evaluation — of the teacher’s strengths and
weaknesses. As they develop their teaching styles and integrate them with
effective classroom management skills, teachers will learn what works best for
their personalities and curriculum.
Our guide encapsulates today’s different teaching styles and
helps teachers identify the style that’s right for them and their students.
Browse through the article or use these links to jump to your desired
destination.
- What is a
teaching style inventory, and how have teaching styles evolved?
- What
teaching method is best for today’s students?
- How does
classroom diversity influence teachers?
Emergence of the teaching style inventory
How have teaching styles evolved? This is a question teachers
are asked, and frequently ask themselves, as they embark on their careers, and
occasionally pause along the way to reflect on job performance. To understand
the differences in teaching styles, it’s helpful to know where the modern
concept of classifying teaching methods originated.
The late Anthony F. Grasha, a noted professor of psychology at
the University of Cincinnati
Grasha understood that schools must use a consistent, formal
approach in evaluating a teacher’s classroom performance. He recognized that
any system designed to help teachers improve their instructional skills
requires a simple classification system. He developed a teaching style
inventory that has since been adopted and modified by followers.
- Expert: Similar to a coach,
experts share knowledge, demonstrate their expertise, advise students and
provide feedback to improve understanding and promote learning.
- Formal authority: Authoritative teachers
incorporate the traditional lecture format and share many of the same
characteristics as experts, but with less student interaction.
- Personal model: Incorporates blended
teaching styles that match the best techniques with the appropriate
learning scenarios and students in an adaptive format.
- Facilitator: Designs participatory
learning activities and manages classroom projects while providing
information and offering feedback to facilitate critical thinking.
- Delegator: Organizes group learning,
observes students, provides consultation, and promotes interaction between
groups and among individuals to achieve learning objectives.
Although he developed specific teaching styles, Grasha warned
against boxing teachers into a single category. Instead, he advocated that
teachers play multiple roles in the classroom. He believed most teachers
possess some combination of all or most of the classic teaching styles.
How does differentiated instruction impact
teaching styles?
Carol Ann Tomlinson, a professor at the University of Virginia
In the simplest terms, differentiated instruction means keeping
all students in mind when developing lesson plans and workbook exercises,
lectures and interactive learning. These student-focused differences
necessitate instructional styles that embrace diverse classrooms for students
at all learning levels and from various backgrounds without compromising the teacher’s
strengths.
What teaching style is best for today’s students?
Whether you’re a first-year teacher eager to put into practice
all of the pedagogical techniques you learned in college, or a classroom
veteran examining differentiated instruction and new learning methodologies,
consider that not all students respond well to one particular style. Although
teaching styles have been categorized into five groups, today’s ideal teaching
style is not an either/or proposition but more of a hybrid approach that blends
the best of everything a teacher has to offer.
Here is a recap from the list of teaching methods described
earlier.
- Authority, or lecture style: This traditional, formal
approach to teaching is sometimes referred to as “the sage on the stage.”
- Demonstrator, or coach style: This style retains the
formal authority role while allowing teachers to demonstrate their
expertise by showing students what they need to learn.
- Facilitator, or activity
style:
This approach encourages teachers to function as advisors who help
students learn by doing.
- Developer, or group style: This style allows teachers
to guide students in a group setting to accomplish tasks and learn what
works or doesn’t.
- Hybrid, or blended style: This approach incorporates
different aspects of the various styles and gives teachers flexibility to
tailor a personal style that’s right for their coursework and students.
The traditional advice that teachers not overreach with a
cluster of all-encompassing teaching styles might seem to conflict with today’s
emphasis on student-centered classrooms. Theoretically, the more teachers
emphasize student-centric learning the harder it is to develop a well-focused
style based on their personal attributes, strengths and goals.
In short, modern methods of teaching require different types of
teachers — from the analyst/organizer to the negotiator/consultant. Here are
some other factors to consider as teachers determine the best teaching method
for their students.
Empty vessel: Critics of the “sage on the stage” lecture
style point to the “empty vessel” theory, which assumes a student’s mind is
essentially empty and needs to be filled by the “expert” teacher. Critics of
this traditional approach to teaching insist this teaching style is outmoded
and needs to be updated for the diverse 21st-century classroom.
Active vs. passive: Proponents of the traditional lecture
approach believe that an overemphasis on group-oriented participatory teaching
styles, like facilitator and delegator, favor gifted and competitive students
over passive children with varied learning abilities, thereby exacerbating the
challenges of meeting the needs of all learners.
Knowledge vs. information: Knowledge implies a complete
understanding, or full comprehension, of a particular subject. A blend of
teaching styles that incorporate facilitator, delegator, demonstrator, and
lecturer techniques helps the broadest range of students acquire in-depth
knowledge and mastery of a given subject. This stands in contrast to passive
learning, which typically entails memorizing facts, or information, with the
short-term objective of scoring well on tests.
Interactive classrooms: Laptops and tablets,
videoconferencing and podcasts in classrooms play a vital role in today’s
teaching styles. With technology in mind, it is imperative that teachers assess
their students’ knowledge while they are learning. The alternative is to wait
for test results, only to discover knowledge gaps that should have been
detected during the active learning phase.
Constructivist teaching methods: Contemporary
teaching styles tend to be group focused and inquiry driven. Constructivist
teaching methods embrace subsets of alternative teaching styles, including
modeling, coaching, and test preparation through rubrics scaffolding. All of
these are designed to promote student participation and necessitate a hybrid
approach to teaching. One criticism of the constructivist approach is it caters
to extroverted, group-oriented students, who tend to dominate and benefit from
these teaching methods more than introverts; however, this assumes introverts
aren’t learning by observing.
Student-centric learning does not have to come at the expense of
an instructor’s preferred teaching method. However, differentiated instruction
demands that teachers finesse their style to accommodate the diverse needs of
21st-century classrooms.
The ‘sage on the stage’ meets the ‘tiger
mom’
The objective of blending teaching styles to leverage the
teacher’s strengths while meeting the demands of diverse students has become increasingly
difficult, as parents take a decidedly proactive role in child-learning
techniques.
The traditional authoritative/expert, or “sage on the stage”
lecture style, has come under attack by some parents — and contemporary
educational leaders — who emphasize that a more diverse approach to teaching is
necessary to engage students. This is compounded by the rise of “tiger moms,” a
term made popular by parents devoted to improving the quality of education with
laser-precision focus on A-list schools and a highly competitive job market.
Age of the proactive parent
Regardless of what style a teacher adopts, it’s important for
teachers to develop positive attitudes, set goals and establish high
expectations for students.
“Assume students can excel!” education authors Harry and
Rosemary Wong declare. As former teachers with a combined 80-plus years of
educational experience, the Wongs emphasize in their best-selling book, “The
First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher” and their more recent,
“The Classroom Management Book” that successful teachers share three common
characteristics:
- effective classroom
management skills
- lesson mastery
- positive expectations
All instructors, when developing their teaching styles, should
keep in mind these three goals, as well as the primary objective of education:
student learning.
How does classroom diversity influence teachers?
It is abundantly clear that today’s teachers are responsible for
students with a diverse range of learning abilities. The 21st-century teacher
does not have the luxury of “picking the low-hanging fruit” and then leaving
the rest of the tree for experts who specialize in children with behavioral
issues or learning disorders.
Today’s teachers must develop instructional styles that work
well in diverse classrooms. Effective teaching methods engage gifted students,
as well as slow-learning children and those with attention deficit tendencies.
This is where differentiated instruction and a balanced mix of teaching styles
can help reach all students in a given classroom — not just the few who respond
well to one particular style of teaching.
The wonderment of teaching, what author/educator Dr. Harry Wong
refers to as “that ah-ha moment” when a child “gets it,” is one of the most
rewarding and seemingly elusive benefits of becoming a teacher. This
transference of knowledge from expert to student is an art form and a skill.
Fortunately, both can be learned and perfected.
Knowing how to engage students begins with selecting the
teaching style that’s right for you. And remember, even though you may prefer
one teaching style over another, you must find the style that works best for
your students! Try different styles to meet different objectives, and always
challenge yourself to find ways to reach each student.
Friday, 22 May 2015
critical thinking
Define Critical
thinking:
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively
and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience,
reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action
standard
CLARITY: Could you
elaborate further on that point? Could you express that point in another way?
Could you give me an illustration? Could you give me an example? Clarity
is the gateway standard. If a statement is unclear, we cannot determine whether
it is accurate or relevant. In fact, we cannot tell anything about it because
we don't yet know what it is saying. For example, the question, "What can
be done about the education system in America ?" is unclear. In
order to address the question adequately, we would need to have a clearer
understanding of what the person asking the question is considering the
"problem" to be. A clearer question might be "What can educators
do to ensure that students learn the skills and abilities which help them
function successfully on the job and in their daily
decision-making?"
ACCURACY: Is that really true? How could we check that? How could we find out if that is true? A statement can be clear but not accurate, as in "Most dogs are over 300 pounds in weight."
PRECISION: Could you give more details? Could you be more specific?
A statement can be both clear and accurate, but not precise, as in "Jack is overweight." (We don’t know how overweight Jack is, one pound or 500 pounds.)
RELEVANCE: How is that connected to the question? How does that bear on the issue?
A statement can be clear, accurate, and precise, but not relevant to the question at issue. For example, students often think that the amount of effort they put into a course should be used in raising their grade in a course. Often, however, the "effort" does not measure the quality of student learning; and when this is so, effort is irrelevant to their appropriate grade.
DEPTH: How does your answer address the complexities in the question? How are you taking into account the problems in the question? Is that dealing with the most significant factors? A statement can be clear, accurate, precise, and relevant, but superficial (that is, lack depth). For example, the statement, "Just say No!" which is often used to discourage children and teens from using drugs, is clear, accurate, precise, and relevant. Nevertheless, it lacks depth because it treats an extremely complex issue, the pervasive problem of drug use among young people, superficially. It fails to deal with the complexities of the issue.
BREADTH: Do we need to consider another point of view? Is there another way to look at this question? What would this look like from a conservative standpoint? What would this look like from the point of view of . . .? A line of reasoning may be clear accurate, precise, relevant, and deep, but lack breadth (as in an argument from either the conservative or liberal standpoint which gets deeply into an issue, but only recognizes the insights of one side of the question.)
LOGIC: Does this really make sense? Does that follow from what you said? How does that follow? But before you implied this, and now you are saying that; how can both be true? When we think, we bring a variety of thoughts together into some order. When the combination of thoughts are mutually supporting and make sense in combination, the thinking is "logical." When the combination is not mutually supporting, is contradictory in some sense or does not "make sense," the combination is not logical.
FAIRNESS: Do I have a vested interest in this issue? Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints of others? Human think is often biased in the direction of the thinker - in what are the perceived interests of the thinker. Humans do not naturally consider the rights and needs of others on the same plane with their own rights and needs. We therefore must actively work to make sure we are applying the intellectual standard of fairness to our thinking. Since we naturally see ourselves as fair even when we are unfair, this can be very difficult. A commitment to fairmindedness is a starting place.
ACCURACY: Is that really true? How could we check that? How could we find out if that is true? A statement can be clear but not accurate, as in "Most dogs are over 300 pounds in weight."
PRECISION: Could you give more details? Could you be more specific?
A statement can be both clear and accurate, but not precise, as in "Jack is overweight." (We don’t know how overweight Jack is, one pound or 500 pounds.)
RELEVANCE: How is that connected to the question? How does that bear on the issue?
A statement can be clear, accurate, and precise, but not relevant to the question at issue. For example, students often think that the amount of effort they put into a course should be used in raising their grade in a course. Often, however, the "effort" does not measure the quality of student learning; and when this is so, effort is irrelevant to their appropriate grade.
DEPTH: How does your answer address the complexities in the question? How are you taking into account the problems in the question? Is that dealing with the most significant factors? A statement can be clear, accurate, precise, and relevant, but superficial (that is, lack depth). For example, the statement, "Just say No!" which is often used to discourage children and teens from using drugs, is clear, accurate, precise, and relevant. Nevertheless, it lacks depth because it treats an extremely complex issue, the pervasive problem of drug use among young people, superficially. It fails to deal with the complexities of the issue.
BREADTH: Do we need to consider another point of view? Is there another way to look at this question? What would this look like from a conservative standpoint? What would this look like from the point of view of . . .? A line of reasoning may be clear accurate, precise, relevant, and deep, but lack breadth (as in an argument from either the conservative or liberal standpoint which gets deeply into an issue, but only recognizes the insights of one side of the question.)
LOGIC: Does this really make sense? Does that follow from what you said? How does that follow? But before you implied this, and now you are saying that; how can both be true? When we think, we bring a variety of thoughts together into some order. When the combination of thoughts are mutually supporting and make sense in combination, the thinking is "logical." When the combination is not mutually supporting, is contradictory in some sense or does not "make sense," the combination is not logical.
FAIRNESS: Do I have a vested interest in this issue? Am I sympathetically representing the viewpoints of others? Human think is often biased in the direction of the thinker - in what are the perceived interests of the thinker. Humans do not naturally consider the rights and needs of others on the same plane with their own rights and needs. We therefore must actively work to make sure we are applying the intellectual standard of fairness to our thinking. Since we naturally see ourselves as fair even when we are unfair, this can be very difficult. A commitment to fairmindedness is a starting place.
Skills
Skill #1:
Interpretation
What it Means: Having the
ability to understand the information you are being presented with and being
able to communicate the meaning of that information to others.
Throughout your career you will be presented with a variety
of information in many different types of situations. Imagine you are looking
at demographic information, hoping to target a different group of customers for
a new product. Interpretation skills will enable you to better decode the
information and add clarity to what you have discovered - which in turn will
help you better understand any potential new customer opportunities for
your company.
Skill #2: Analysis
What it Means: Having the
ability to connect pieces of information together in order to determine what
the intended meaning of the information was meant to represent.
Imagine you are reading a companywide memo that is
discussing making changes in order to address recent movement within the
business landscape. Having this skill will better provide you with the ability
to “read between the lines” and help you understand how this will impact the
overall strategy you have in your position.
Skill #3: Inference
What it Means: Having the
ability to understand and recognize what elements you will need in order to
determine an accurate conclusion or hypothesis from the information you have at
your disposal.
Picture yourself as a business manager; you are looking at
the latest sales forecast and you see sales have decreased. It’s important for
you to be able to understand what additional information you may need in order
to determine why that happened, including identifying internal issues, external
competition or even economic conditions. The ability to understand the
information you already have and determine what you may still need to find the
best solution is an important skill for you to have no matter what career field
you are in.
Skill #4: Evaluation
What it Means: Being able
to evaluate the credibility of statements or descriptions of a person’s
experience, judgment or opinion in order to measure the validity of the
information being presented.
Imagine you are leading a focus group at work to determine
how your customers view the organization’s products. You ask the group a few
questions that uncover several negative opinions about certain items you sell.
You will need to use this skill to evaluate those responses, so you can
determine if the information you received is valid and whether or not it needs
to be further looked into.
Skill #5: Explanation
What it
Means: Having the ability to not only restate information, but add clarity
and perspective to the information, so it can be fully understood by anyone you
are sharing it with.
Imagine you are giving two presentations for new product
ideas; one to the CEO of the company, and the other to product engineers. You
know both groups are extremely interested in hearing what you have to say, but
you will need to be able to explain these ideas in two very different ways. The
CEO may only need to hear high level ideas about the products while the
engineers will need more specific product details. Your ability to clearly
explain your ideas while keeping in mind who you are presenting to is important
for making sure the information is understood and well received.
Skill #6:
Self-Regulation
What it
Means: Having the awareness of your own thinking abilities and the
elements that you are using to find results.
Imagine you are on the phone with a customer attempting to
work through a problem they are having with your company’s software, and it’s
your first week on the job. The problem they are having is complex, and yet,
you still want to assist them in order to make a good impression at work.
Your ability to understand that perhaps transferring them to a coworker with more
knowledge on the subject is the best way to provide the customer with a
positive result.
Barriers
. Barriers to teaching
critical thinking
1. Lack of proper assessment The
difficulties involved in critical thinking education are Multifoods. One of the
obstacles is lacking proper assessment that effectively and objectively
measures students’ strength and weaknesses in critical thinking.
2. Vague conceptualization of CT As
mentioned earlier, there are competing definitions of critical thinking.
However, there is no consensus among scholars about what critical thinking
means, is it measurable, if yes, how and to what extent. These areas are still
vague and teachers are still in need of clear and tangible definition of
critical thinking.
3. Lack of organized sequence in teaching CT One
of the barriers that teachers confront in teaching critical thinking is that
there does not exist an organized approach for teaching critical thinking.
There is no magical formula for developing critical thinking [16]. The variety
of techniques presented in the special issue of Teaching of Psychology on
teaching critical thinking testifies to this point. 4 Threatening nature of CT practice
It has been argued that critical thinking threatens the calm of assumed amiability
that governs much of our interactions with one another [17]. Very rare is the
individual who is eager to have his or her reasoning placed under the bright
light of critical questions.
5.
Lack of teacher training Unless
teachers are familiar with different components of critical thinking and
approaches to teach it, they will not be able to equip students with this
precious ability. There is a lack of training on the part of the teachers as
well.
Characteristics 1.Critical Thinkers… Are honest with themselves,
2.acknowledging what they don't
know, recognizing their limitations, and being watchful of their own errors.
3.Regard problems and
controversial issues as exciting challenges. 4.Strive for understanding, keep curiosity
alive, remain patient with complexity, and are ready to invest time to overcome
confusion. 5.Base judgments on evidence rather than personal
preferences, deferring judgment 6.whenever evidence is insufficient. They
revise judgments when new evidence reveals error. 7.Are interested in other people's
ideas and so are willing to read and listen attentively, even when they tend to
disagree with the other person. 8.Recognize
that extreme views (whether conservative or liberal) are seldom correct, so
they avoid them, practice fair-mindedness, and seek a balance view Practice restraint, controlling
8.their feelings rather than being controlled
by them, and thinking before acting
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