INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / DECEMBER 19, 1989

 

tions will be limited, even crude.
But their atternpts lie on the frontier
of their knowledge, where all real
learning takes place. Textbooks and
library materials become resources
for that inquiry rather than boring
encyclopediae of disembodied in-
formation to be memorized for ex-
aminations.

Small group work, class discus-
sions, and writing can be used to
help students deepen their under-
standing of the subject, generate new
questions, and reflect on the inquiry
process. Small groups (4-6 students)
can be used with good results even
in very large classes (Bouton and
Garth, 1983). Groups provide a fo-
rum where all students can argue
about questions and develop their
ideas. Reports from group repre-
sentatives stimulate lively whole-
class discussion since group mem-
bers become invested in their work
and want to test it in the public fo-
rum. Differences thatinevitably arise
lend new impetus to the inquiry.
The professor's roleis to mediate the
discussion, encouraging students to
check their facts, listen thoughtfully
to divergent views, and evaluate
their reasoning.

Frequent, short writing assign-
ments helpstudents clarify concepts,
prepare for discussion, and practice
critical thinking skills such as inter-
preting data (Griffith, 1982). Writ-
ing short essays in response to ana-
lytical questions fosters more learn-
ing and thinking than does notetak-
ing or responding to study ques-
tions, and students with the least
background knowledge gain most
(Newell, 1984). For longer assign-
ments, students can exchange drafts
of work in progress, gaining mul-
tiple benefits of giving and receiving
criticism and learning about each
others’ projects. Sharing their writ-
ing helps students to discover that to
know a subject involves more than
accumulating information about it.

The quality of students’ work
improves when they have argued
their ideas in class and discussed
work in progress, which may make
grading less traumatic and even

RRR pam PS PEE NE TESTS

12

potentially satisfying. You can still
test “content.” Students learn it
because they have been using it to
develop their ideas and bolster their
arguments.

Courses that use questioning to
integrate knowledgeacquisitionand
thinking contradict widely shared
assumptions about learning. But the
benefits of learning based on ques-
tions are being recognized. For
example, two major medical schools,
McMaster and Harvard, have de-
signed their programs to involve
students in active problem-solving
rather than memorization. Other
examples can be found in Bouton
and Garth (1983), Kurfiss (1988) and
Weaver (1989).

The Russian psychologist Lev
Vygotsky said that what a child can
do with assistance today, she can do
by herself tomorrow. Conversely,
what she does not receive assistance
to do today, she is unlikely to do on
her own in the future. College pro-
fessors are the people most qualified
to assist students in learning to think
critically. The responsibility is as
great as the rewards.

JOANNE GAINEN KurrFiss
SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

References

Barnes, C. P. “Questioning in Col-
lege Classrooms.” In Studies of
College Teaching, edited by C.L.
Ellner & C. P. Barnes. Lexington,
MA.: Lexington Books. 1983.

Bouton, C. and R. Y. Garth, eds.
Learning in Groups. New Direc-
tions for Teaching and Learning
No. 14. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass. 1983.

Griffith, C. W. Teaching Writing in
All Disciplines. New Directions
for Teaching and Learning No.
12. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
1982.

Kurfiss, J. G. Critical Thinking: The-
ory, Research, Practice, and Possi-
bilities. ASHE-ERIC Higher Edu-
cation Report No. 2. Washington,
D.C.: Association for the Study of
Higher Education. 1988.

Newell,G. “Learning from Wniting
in Two Content Areas: A Case
Study/Protocol Analysis.” Re-
search in the Teaching of English 18
(3), 265-287. 1984.

Weaver, F.W., ed. Promoting Inquiry
in Undergraduate Learning. New
Directions for Teaching and
Learning No. 38. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass. 1989.

For further information, contact the
author at The Teaching and Learn-
ing Center, Santa Clara University,
Santa Clara, CA 95053.

 

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