All tagged critical thinking
Thinking is hard. ... To better understand the relationship between mental effort and negative affect, David, Vassena, and Bijleveld conducted a meta-analysis of 170 studies of mental effort (1). They looked at a number of moderators to see what factors have an effect on this relationship.
When we are presented with a stressful event, a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and peptides are released in our brains. All of these things work to activate systems to help us cope with the stressor. This initial response is typically referred to as the “fight-or-flight” response. If you were walking in the woods and actually saw three bears your fight-or-flight response would put your system on high-alert. Your body diverts resources from less-pressing matters, like digestion, and focuses on giving you superhuman strength and speed…
The world will never be the same since we own digital devices. Indeed, the Internet can alter cognitive processes (1), for example, by promoting continuous division of attention - which in turn reduces our ability to maintain concentration on a particular task.
Teaching background knowledge is relatively straightforward with the right level of material and good teaching. But how do educators teach the habits of mind that involve being active and creative in the analysis and application of background knowledge as students are acquiring that knowledge?
Every so often articles like this pop up claiming that critical thinking is a soft skill and is surely not being taught in schools, despite its importance in the workplace and everyday life.
“How do I ace an exam?”… “How can I make learning more meaningful for my students?”… “How do I help my child to study?” are just a few of the many questions asked by students, teachers, and parents. And although these questions are articulated in slightly different ways, they ultimately are trying to understand the same underlying mechanism; that is, how do humans learn? … Fortunately for us, our understanding of learning has advanced significantly because of research in cognitive psychology.
