Critical Thinking
Credentialed Faculty PD Pathways with the OESIS Network
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What is Critical Thinking? Critical thinking is the most frequently mentioned competency in almost every education forum. It is striking that most people can’t even define critical thinking. Very simply, this Pathway focuses on critical thinking as the analysis of reasons and evidence to form a judgment. Argumentation uses critical thinking skills to defend a position on a given issue. The absence of critical thinking results in blind attachments to positions that often cannot be supported.
The goal of this Pathway is to provide a practical guide for teachers to teach critical thinking in their coursework, develop students’ argumentation skills, and learn how to approach students who have beliefs that are not supported by critical thinking. Lessons and units can be incorporated into any academic discipline, making this competency critical for student academic success. While critical thinking is a debated term, it is widely acknowledged that critical thinking encompasses the skills and dispositions required to reason. This form of critical thinking will be the focus of this Pathway. Schools may register academic faculty for cohort pathways that are verified by OESIS Network Leaders. Each pathway is designed to be completed within eight to 10 hours, featuring readings, videos, discussions, and assignments. There are 3 levels for each domain typically: Level 1 is Understanding the approach. Level 2 is Design and Level 3 is Implementation. Each Level earns a certificate and Level 3 earns a credential. OESIS Credentialing is Asynchronous feedback based on rubrics for level 1. Asynchronous and Synchronous with 1:1 Tutorial feedback for Level 2. An extra layer of Double Synchronous is added for Level 3. Some courses require and benefit from fieldwork assessment. Site visits are possible when a sufficient volume of teachers are involved.
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