Teaching Critical Thinking & Logical Reasoning in Undergraduate STEM Courses

Introduction

Critical thinking (CT) and logical reasoning (LR) skills are important for student success in college STEM courses. However, explicit instruction and assessment of critical and logical reasoning are generally not a part of introductory science classes. This project will address this disconnect by creating a broad and diverse network of educators and researchers, the aim of which will be to develop a robust set of print and digital course materials for helping students in introductory biology courses build these skills. The creation of high-quality resources that improve a vital educational pathway at a foundational stage will result in a better prepared and more diverse STEM-educated workforce.

The members of the network created by this project will collaborate to develop and disseminate the logical reasoning resources and instructional materials. To that end, network members will first develop common definitions of critical thinking and logical reasoning that are informed by existing frameworks from the American Philosophical Society and other sources. Drawing on the framework of inoculation theory, the network will then design curricular materials that train students to recognize logical reasoning errors (e.g., common logical fallacies) and distortions or manipulations of scientific thinking (e.g., unfalsifiable pseudoscience). The materials developed will be disseminated at network-led workshops and implemented in college-level biology courses nationwide in partnership with organizations affiliated with network members and through cultivating collaborations with the broader community of STEM educators. Project products will bolster undergraduate biology education by furnishing high-quality resources that will equip students with the rigorous logical reasoning skills they need to succeed in STEM careers.

This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in "Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action."