Exercises in Critical Thinking: Library User Education for Biomedical Students

The author describes how he encouraged critical thinking skills in library user education. Exercises were designed to introduce students to finding and assessing information, and communicating the results appropriately. In the first year of the course the research was undertaken in small groups, where discussion played a significant part. In the second year, where the work was completed individually, the emphasis on dialogue was retained as the primary learning method. By learning to ask questions, by thinking critically and taking responsibility for their own learning, the students became effective and enthusiastic users of information.