Critical Thinking: Executive Summary 

Process Used to Develop the QEP

Since the fall of 2007, over 2,200 faculty, staff, department chairs, students, alumni, board of trustee members, and employers have participated in input sessions and completed QEP surveys. Presentations to the Board of Trustees, Chancellor’s Cabinet, Deans Council, department Chairs Forum, and various faculty and student groups have provided updates on the QEP development.

Identification of the Topic

The analysis of data from the general education courses, Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP), Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, Factbook, the National Survey of Student Engagement, and input from the University community helped determine the student learning that needed to be improved. The QEP topic, Critical Thinking:  Learning to Make Informed Decisions, emerged.

Desired Student Learning Outcomes

Five critical thinking learning outcomes will focus on students’ abilities to analyze critical thought, evaluate information, design strategies to solve problems, synthesize findings, and communicate effectively in written and oral communications.

Actions to be Implemented

A stratified random sample of ten departments and the School of Nursing, representing each of the seven academic schools and colleges, will integrate the desired student learning outcomes into selected freshman to senior years’ courses. Professional development will acquaint faculty with strategies for teaching critical thinking, integrating these skills into courses, and assessing student learning outcomes.

Timeline

Implementation of the QEP will begin in the summer of 2010 with professional development for department chairs. Professional development for faculty will begin in the fall 2010 and include the revision and development of syllabi and assessment tools. Course instruction will begin in spring 2011 in four of the eleven QEP departments.

Organizational Structure

The QEP Coordinator will have oversight for implementation of the QEP and will chair the QEP Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from Institutional Planning, Assessment, and Research, the Faculty Senate, each school and college, and a student. The QEP Coordinator will be appointed to serve on the Institutional Effectiveness Council (IEC). The Academy for Teaching and Learning will coordinate the professional development component.

Resources

The University has committed $418,776 to the first two years of the QEP and $625,534 in the final three years for a total of $1,044,310.

Assessment

The VALUE rubrics for critical thinking and inquiry will be used for in-class, formative assessment and the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT), administered at three benchmark assessment points, will provide summative assessment benchmark data.