Reasoning together: A dialogic theory & pedagogy of critical thinking
Conference Tracks
Learning Theories and Pedagogy – Research
Abstract
The development of critical thinking is widely regarded as a central goal of higher education. Yet decades of research have failed to yield consensus on an adequate theoretical construct or on the effectiveness of any specific instructional techniques for promoting student learning. New metatheoretical work in cognitive science suggests, contrary to received views, that the primary adaptive functions of reasoning are not individual and intellectual but rather social and dialogical: producing arguments to persuade others and evaluating arguments made by others. This presentation explores the pedagogical implications of this social conception of critical thinking and reports on ongoing intervention research.
Session Format
Research Brief and Reflection Panels
Location
Room 4
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Dacey, Austin, "Reasoning together: A dialogic theory & pedagogy of critical thinking" (2019). SoTL Commons Conference. 47.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2019/47
Reasoning together: A dialogic theory & pedagogy of critical thinking
Room 4
The development of critical thinking is widely regarded as a central goal of higher education. Yet decades of research have failed to yield consensus on an adequate theoretical construct or on the effectiveness of any specific instructional techniques for promoting student learning. New metatheoretical work in cognitive science suggests, contrary to received views, that the primary adaptive functions of reasoning are not individual and intellectual but rather social and dialogical: producing arguments to persuade others and evaluating arguments made by others. This presentation explores the pedagogical implications of this social conception of critical thinking and reports on ongoing intervention research.
