Abstract, Assessing the Impact of a Critical Thinking Course: Instrument Development

32. Jordan Birkner ‘23, North Carolina State University

Assessing the Impact of a Critical Thinking Course: Instrument Development and Preliminary Findings

Advisor: Gary Comstock

The instrument developed during the summer of 2023 serves as an evaluative tool to gauge the efficacy of a previously devised critical thinking curriculum by an interdisciplinary research team spanning several years known as “How We Argue”. The incorporation of pre-test and post-test assessments facilitates the demonstration of the course’s impact on critical thinking skill development. On August 28, a cohort of 654 students underwent the initial assessment in conjunction with a standardized LSAT section evaluation, finding C of .70 and .73 respectively. Given the established utility of the LSAT in appraising critical thinking abilities, the comparative analysis between the new instrument and historical LSAT

data attests to the test’s validity and item quality. The amassed data revealed a moderate degree of internal consistency (r = .56) in the newly devised assessment for evaluating critical thinking. In future directions, a post-test evaluation with a commensurate structure but distinct inquiries is being formulated. Students will be randomly allocated to either the “How We Argue” course or a conventional seminar. The analysis of post-test outcomes in comparison to pre-test results will provide insight into the course’s overall effectiveness in developing critical thinking.

Presented on November 4, 2023 at the 25th Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Undergraduate Scholarship.

Abstract booklet can be found here