Tim Van Gelder on using Augment NLS to teach Critical Thinking
Tim van Gelder interview on using Augment for teaching Critical Thinking to students. I wonder if we can use Seed Hypermedia in Universities to promote Critical Thinking.
Extract from the video:
I came across Engelbart's work when I was well into what turned out to be an intelligence augmentation exercise. I was unaware of that whole concept at the time. I had been working as a philosophy instructor, trying to teach undergraduates critical thinking, and finding that traditional techniques weren't working very well. I thought, well, how could we do a better job here? I thought, look, I want these students to go through certain kinds of routines, critical thinking routines, they were certain, for example, checklists that you should either explicitly or at least intuitively go through when you hear someone telling you something. Should you accept what they say, well, it depends. It depends on whether you know if they are credible, and they have a reason for deceiving you. Sort of questions like this, and I wanted my students to learn what these routines were and to be able to deploy reflectively.
Outline from ChatGPT on teaching Critical Thinking
Define Critical Thinking
Explain what critical thinking is: analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information before forming judgments.
Discuss its importance in academics, decision-making, and daily life.
Teach the Core Skills
Analysis – Break down arguments or claims into parts.
Evaluation – Assess the credibility of sources and the strength of arguments.
Inference – Draw logical conclusions from available information.
Explanation – Articulate reasoning clearly and coherently.
Reflection – Consider personal biases and assumptions.
Use Real-World Examples
Analyze news articles, advertisements, or historical decisions.
Encourage debate on current events or ethical dilemmas.
Encourage Questioning
Teach students to ask open-ended, probing questions:
Why do you think that?
What’s the evidence?
Are there alternative viewpoints?
Practice with Structured Activities
Socratic Seminars – Guided discussions that deepen analysis.
Debates – Take and defend different sides of an issue.
Case Studies – Solve real-life problems using evidence and reasoning.
Reflect and Self-Assess
Have students reflect on how their thinking changed.
Use journals or metacognitive prompts (e.g., What was my initial opinion? Did it change? Why?).