Evaluating Critical Thinking Skills: Two Conceptualizations

In this study two complementary models, which were based on the strengths of existing models, were developed to analyze students’ critical thinking skills. One model was used to categorize the types of critical thinking displayed by students; the other was used to evaluate the quality of the critical thinking. The models were refined and tested for usefulness through an analysis of students’ messages posted in two sequential two-week computer conferences. The study also examined the level of critical thinking displayed compared with that shown by other studies and highlighted critical thinking skills that were not frequently demonstrated by participants. Dans cette etude, deux modeles complementaires, bases sur les points forts de modeles existants, ont ete developpes pour analyser la capacite de pensee critique des etudiants. Un modele a ete utilise pour categoriser les types de pensee critique demontres par les etudiants, alors que l’autre a ete utilise pour evaluer la qualite de la pensee critique. Les modeles ont ete raffines et testes en fonction de leur utilite grâce a une analyse des messages des etudiants places dans deux forums numeriques sequentiels de deux semaines. L’etude a aussi examine le niveau de pensee critique demontre en comparaison avec celui indique dans d’autres etudes et a mis en lumiere des habiletes de la pensee critique peu frequentes chez les participants.

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