Some subscribers to Phys-L might be interested in a discussion-list
post "Re: Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills" [Hake (2011)].
The abstract reads:
*****************************************
ABSTRACT: David Musick of the DrEd list wrote (paraphrasing): "We are
working on a project related to 'critical thinking skills' and how
they might be assessed in medical students. I am aware of the
'California Critical Thinking Skills Test series' and the
'Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal.' I would be interested in
learning more about similar instruments."
DrEd subscribers suggested the "Health Sciences Reasoning Test," a
test "developed for use by educators and researchers to assess the
critical thinking skills of health science professionals and health
science students," commercially available from "Insight Assessment"
<http://www.insightassessment.com/>.
Among other tests that might be of interest to Musick and others are:
a. Biologist Anton Lawson's "Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning"
(CTSR), a test of "ability to apply aspects of scientific and
mathematical reasoning to analyze a situation, make a prediction, or
solve a problem." The CTSR has contributed importantly to physics
education research, thanks to Coletta, Phillips, & Steinert.
b. The Council for Aid to Education's "Collegiate Learning
Assessment" (CLA) employed by Arum & Roksa to show (purportedly) that
U.S. higher education is "Academically Adrift." Arum & Roksa (2011,
p. 21) wrote: "According to its developers, the CLA was designed to
access 'core outcomes espoused by all of higher education - critical
thinking, analytical reasoning, problem solving, and writing.' "
I give academic references to all the above tests as well as to
valuable articles in the critical thinking area:
(1) "Assessing Critical Thinking Skills" [Stein et al. (2003)],
(2) "Responding Responsibly To the Frenzy to Assess Learning in
Higher Education" [Shavelson & Huang (2003)].
*****************************************
"What we assess is what we value. We get what we assess,
and if we don't assess it, we won't get it."
Lauren Resnick [quoted by Grant Wiggins (1990)]
REFERENCES [URL's shortened by <http://bit.ly/> and accessed on 24
August 2011.]
Hake, R.R. 2011. "Re: Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills,"
online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at <http://bit.ly/oMew7d>. Post
of 24 Aug 2011 09:02:59-0700 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and
link to the complete post are being transmitted to various discussion
lists and are also on my blog "Hake'sEdStuff" at
<http://bit.ly/qZ2FRc> with a provision for comments.
Wiggins, G. 1990. "The Truth May Make You Free, But the Test May Keep
You Imprisoned: Toward Assessment Worthy of the Liberal Arts," AAHE
Assessment Forum: 17-31; online at <http://bit.ly/a7g09T>.