Improving Student Engagement
Through Critical Thinking
16th International Conference on the
First-Year Experience
July 7-10, 2003
Vancouver, British Columbia
Dr. Joseph Burke, Director of Residence Life
Jenny Hall-Jones, Assistant Director Residence Life
Ohio University
Deterministic Thinking
Critical Thinking
 Students who are critical thinkers question their
underlying assumptions.
 Students who think critically are more open to diversity.
 Students who think critically imagine, wonder, discover
and question.
 Students who think critically are more engaged students.
 Engaged students learn, and contribute to the learning of
others.
Critical Thinking
Situation
Interpretation
Assumptions
Critical
Thinking
Imagine, wonder…
Professor asks You must be
you to stay
in trouble.
after class.
The phone
rings at
4:00am
Only people
in trouble
have to stay
after class.
-did well on
paper
-special project
-in trouble
Critical Thinking
Situation
Interpretation
Assumptions
Critical
Thinking
Imagine, wonder…
Overhear
support of
KKK speaker
Person must
support KKK
Only KKK
supporters
would want
the speaker
Overhear
person going
to Gay Pride
rally
Must be gay
Only gay
people go to
those rallies
Connections
 Departmental Theme
 First-Year Common Reading
 Residential Learning Communities
 Judicial Meetings and Sanctions
 Supervisions/Programming
 CATVision Movies (cable system)
 Poster Campaign
Department Theme
First Year Common Reading
 Einstein’s Dreams by
Alan Lightman
 RLC, UC115, English
151, Chem 151 and
others
 Pre-College
 Discussion Groups
Residential Learning
Communities
RLC Course Syllabus
Class
1 (Sept. 8/9)
2 (Sept. 10/11)
3 (Sept. 15/16)
4 (Sept. 17/18)
5 (Sept. 22/23)
6 (Sept. 24/25)
7 (Sept. 29/30)
8 (Oct. 1/2)
9 (Oct. 6/7)
10 (Oct. 8/9)
11 (Oct. 13/14)
12 (Oct. 15/16)
13 (Oct. 20/21)
14 (Oct. 22/23)
15 (Oct. 27/28)
16 (Oct. 29/30)
17 (Nov. 3/4)
18 (Nov. 5/6)
19 (Nov. 10/13)
20 (Nov. 12/17)
Topic
Course Overview/Introduce theme
Profile of College Students/Einstein’s Dreams
Campus Resources
Theme
Learning
Learning and Thinking Through Writing
Theme
Communication
Time Management
Theme
Critical Thinking
Theme
Community Responsibility
Community Responsibility
Personal Values
Theme
Diversity
Diversity
Theme
Evaluations/CLA/Wrap-up
RLC Community Life
Assessment Results
RLC%
First-Year %
I am satisfied with the educational programs in my residence hall
strongly agree/agree
76
52
I have participated in floor section/hall activities and programs
strongly agree/agree
64
57
The Resident Director (RD) is friendly and approachable
strongly agree/agree
89
67
The RD is responsive to my questions and concerns
strongly agree/agree
82
57
RLC Grade Point Average
4
3.5
RLC 3.02
gpa
3
2.5
All 1st yr
2.85 gpa
2
1.5
1
RLC App.
2.74 gpa
0.5
0
Fall Quarter 2002 GPA
Judicial Meetings and
Sanctions
 Critical Thinking philosophy in judicial
meetings
 Einstein’s Dreams Sanctions
 Drinking Thinking
Drinking Thinking
Situation
Interpretation
Assumption
Critical
Thinking
Imagine, wonder…
Student bent over
treadmill in
recreation center,
gasping
Student bent over
toilet in residence
hall, gasping
Student is “out of
shape”
Students work-out
all the time, “over
doing it” is
common and OK
Student is vomiting Everyone drinks in
from drinking too college, “over
much
doing it” is
common and OK
-asthma attack
-smoker
-emergency
-first-time work-out
-drinking
-sick
-work-out
Supervision and Programming
 Weekly reports
 Staff Meeting editorials
 One on One conversations using the chart
 Bulletin Boards
 Porn/Beer and Pizza
 “Box” – volunteer programming group
CATVision Movies
 CATVision movies and discussion guides
 The Paper Chase
Think about the study group and how it is initially set up --- the
conditions – and how the relationships change over time. Why do
the
relationships change? Have you experienced this change in your life
with individuals here at college?
What “paper” is Hart chasing? At times, do you feel like you are
“chasing some paper” (a diploma) and perhaps missing the
larger purpose of education?
Critical Thinking in Practice
Level of
Difficulty
Connections
Behavior
Example
Easy
Not connected
Critical of others
Realize that
Hustler is
exploitive of
women
Medium
Somewhat
connected
Critical of others I stop buying
and somewhat of Hustler
self
Hard
Connected
Critical of self
I boycott
companies that
advertise in
Hustler
Poster Campaign


To Think Critically is to
Question
Fall Quarter
Critical Thinking =
question
Poster Campaign

Winter Quarter -defining critical
thinking
Poster Campaign

Winter Quarter -defining critical
thinking

Introduce “Think
Outside the Flock”
Poster Campaign

Spring Quarter -- Think Outside the Flock
Poster Campaign

Spring Quarter – Alcohol Spoofs
Critical Thinking in Practice
Level of
Difficulty
Connections
Behavior
Easy
Not connected
Focus on other
Example
To Think Critically
is to
Question
Medium
Somewhat
connected
Focus on others
and somewhat on
self
Hard
Connected
Focus on self
Connections
 Departmental Theme
 First-Year Common Reading
 Residential Learning Communities
 Judicial Meetings and Sanctions
 Supervisions/Programming
 CATVision Movies (cable system)
 Poster Campaign
Conclusions
“Truth gains more even by the errors of one
who, with due study and preparation, thinks
for himself, than by the true opinions of
those who only hold them because they do
not suffer themselves to think.”
On Liberty
-John Stuart Mill