Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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issue, like marijuana legalization, along with III. Contents of the Chapters
review questions for each article and discus- The book falters from the first section
sion questions for the debate as a whole. of Chapter 1, which lays out Boss’ definition
While the biographies in the “Thinking of critical thinking and logic:
Outside the Box” features are often interest- Critical thinking is a collection of skills
ing, they seem to have only a tenuous connec- we use every day that are necessary for
tion to critical thinking. For example, on page our full intellectual and personal de-
17, Boss discusses Elizabeth Cady Stanton, velopment. The word critical is derived
and it is implied that she is a critical thinker. from the Greek word kritikos, which
Unfortunately, what Boss offers is only a story means “discernment,” “the ability to
about Stanton, with no actual description of judge,” or “decision making.” Critical
her thinking critically during this episode of thinking requires learning how to think
her life. rather than simply what to think.
The exercises, with the title “Stop and Critical thinking, like logic,
Assess Yourself,” come at the send of each requires good analytical skills. Logic is
section in each chapter. They are generally a part of critical thinking and is defined
list of short essay questions which could be as “the study of the methods and prin-
assigned as homework or used as discussion ciples used in distinguishing correct
questions in class, or both. A subset of the (good) arguments from incorrect (bad)
questions have answers, or at least plausible arguments.” Critical thinking involves
model answers, which are in the “Solutions the application of the rules of logic as
Manual” at the end of the book. My main well as gathering evidence, evaluating
concern with the exercises and discussion it, and coming up with a plan of action.
questions is that the tools for completing many We’ll be studying logical arguments in
of the exercises in the early part of the book depth, in Chapters 5 through 8. (Boss
depend on tools and information not developed 2014, 6)
until later. For example, it is not until Chapter Inasmuch as this is a “definition,” this is the
6 that the reader gets to recognizing, analyzing only definition offered; immediately after this
and creating arguments; however, questions is an explanation that critical thinking is not
which involve these skills are asked in earlier the same as asserting an opinion, followed by
chapters. Consider the following question from a description of Perry’s stages of cognitive
the “Critical Thinking Issue” in Chapter 1: development. The problem with this as a defi-
3. Compare and contrast the argu- nition is two-fold. First, the implication of the
ments used by Nancy Cantor and U. very first sentence, that “[c]ritical thinking is a
S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day collection of skills we use everyday…” is that
O’Connor regarding the use of affir- we are all already critical thinkers. Of course,
mative action in college admissions. if this were true, there would be no need to
Which person makes the best argu- take a critical thinking course or read a criti-
ment? Support your answer. (Boss cal thinking textbook. Additionally, “critical
2014, 35) thinking” itself cannot be a set of skills—that
Or consider this question from Chapter 3: doesn’t make any sense. Critical thinking may
1. Evaluate Lukianof’s and Scott’s use particular skills, but to say that it is a set of
arguments for and against free-speech skills ignores the aspects that include strate-
zones on college campuses. Evaluate gies, meta-cognitive monitoring of, and dis-
which person made the stronger argu- positions to use these skills. And this leads to
ment. (Boss 2014, 99) the second problem: there is no mention of any
of the most common views of critical thinking
FALL 2013, VOL. 28, NO. 3 53
offered by researchers in the field, such as this on this front either. First, while some like
one given by Richard Paul and Linda Elder: Govier argue that teaching critical thinking is
Critical thinking is, in short, self-di- not the same as teaching informal logic, most
rected, self-disciplined, self-monitored, researchers agree that the ability to identify,
and self-corrective thinking. It presup- reconstruct and evaluate arguments is a least a
poses assent to rigorous standards of part of being a critical thinker. In Boss’ book,
excellence and mindful command of these skills are explicitly introduced in Chapter
their use. It entails effective commu- 6, “Recognizing, Analyzing, & Constructing
nication and problem solving abilities Arguments.” In particular, she writes the fol-
and a commitment to overcome our lowing about what the reader should expect to
native egocentrism and socio-centrism. learn in Chapter 6:
(Paul & Elder 2008, 2) Skill in argumentation can help us
In fact, Boss seems to make the mistake make better decisions in our personal
Trudy Govier (1989) and others have warned choices as well as in our public lives.
against—conflating critical thinking with for- In Chapter 6 we will learn how to
mal or informal logic. recognize, analyze, and construct argu-
There are many other areas in which ments. Specifically, we will:
THiNK falls short as well. For example, in the • Learn how to identify an issue
very next section of Chapter 1, Boss lists the • Learn how to recognize the parts of
characteristics of a good critical thinker. This an argument, including the premise,
is a list of eight skills, and, at least for the first the conclusion, and premise and
four, an indication of where in the book these conclusion indicators
skills will be described: • Distinguish among an argument,
1. Analytical Skills (Chapters 2, 5-9) an explanation, and a conditional
2. Effective Communication (Chapter 3) statement
3. Research and Inquiry Skills (Chapter 4) • Break down an argument into its
4. Flexibility and Tolerance for Ambigu- premises and conclusion
ity (Chapter 1) • Diagram arguments
5. Open-Minded Skepticism • Construct our own arguments
6. Creative Problem Solving • Explore the basics of evaluating
7. Attention, Mindfulness, and Curiosity arguments (Boss 2014, 170-1)
8. Collaborative Learning Consider the first item on the list:
It seems odd that Boss does not give an indica- “Learn how to identify an issue.” The text
tion whether or where the last four skills will under the “Identifying an Issue” section three
be covered in the book. In fact, these last four paragraphs long. It contains the suggestion that
are never mentioned again, except in passing, this “requires clear thinking and good com-
in the book at all. munication skills” (Boss 2014, 171), with no
A critical thinking textbook could, further explanation, and an example in which
of course, lack a clear definition of “critical Boss provides the first paragraph of a text and
thinking,” but still fulfill the goals of exploring a suggestion of what the issue in the text might
many of the important aspects of critical think- be. Two pages later, the second exercise in the
ing. After all, there is no universally accepted “Stop and Assess Yourself” section, the second
concise definition of critical thinking, even question asks the reader to “[i]dentify the is-
though there is broad agreement by research- sues in the following passages. Word all issues
ers in the field about the kinds of skills, atti- in the form of short questions” (Boss 2014,
tudes and dispositions that are a part of critical 173), and lists a number of quotations from
thinking. THiNK, however, does not deliver various media outlets. The skill of identifying
54 INQUIRY: CRITICAL THINKING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES
milk for people of all ages, many medi- mass, direct investigation of the effects
cal experts, including researchers at of diet on bone fractures is warranted
the Harvard School of Public Health11 because characteristics of bone other
and the Physicians Committee for than mass, such as microscopic fatigue
Responsible Medicine, argue, based damage and the loss of connectivity in
on research, that milk may actually supporting trabeculae, contribute to
accelerate the process of bone loss in fracture risk. Furthermore, foods high
adults. In light of these findings, the in calcium may contain other factors
Federal Trade Commission, a govern- that influence fracture risk. (Feskanich,
ment agency charged with protecting et al. 1997, 992)
consumers and eliminating unfair But this doesn’t answer our question because
and deceptive marketplace practices, the authors have not said anything here about
ordered the National Dairy Council to milk per se; they have only made a very quali-
withdraw its ads that claimed drinking fied claim about “calcium supplementation.”
milk can prevent bone loss in adults. In addition, Boss claims that research-
(Boss 2014, 107) ers at the Physicians Committee for Responsi-
The footnote #11 above on Public Health ble Medicine (PCRM) also argue that milk ac-
refers us to a 1997 study titled “Milk, Dietary celerates bone loss. However, she neither gives
Calcium, and Bone Fractures in Women: A references for this, nor explains that the PCRM
12-Year Prospective Study,” by D. Feskanich, is a group that advocates a vegan lifestyle and
W.C. Willett, M.J. Stampfer, and G.A. Colditz. has been censured by the American Medical
In the abstract of this study, the authors say: Association (AMA) for being a “pseudo-phy-
Objectives. This study examined sicians group” and giving advice that could be
whether higher intakes of milk and dangerous to Americans (AMA 1991).
other calcium-rich foods during adult
years can reduce the risk of osteopo- IV. Textbook “Innovation”
rotic fractures…. Conclusions: These There are several ways in which Mc-
data do not support the hypothesis Graw-Hill has been marketing Judith Boss’
that higher consumption of milk or THiNK, as well as a number of their other
other food sources of calcium by adult books in their “M series.” The first is the in-
women protects against hip or forearm novative design of the books themselves, the
fractures. (Feskanich, et al. 1997, 992) second is the connections with McGraw-Hill’s
So, to what is Boss referring when she says suite of online learning tools, and the last is the
that researchers argue that milk may acceler- reported learning outcomes of students who
ate bone loss? The authors of this study do not have used the books in courses at universities
come to that conclusion, but they do make the and colleges across the country. Specifically, in
following claims their introduction: 2009 McGraw-Hill marketed the first edition
Numerous clinical investigations have of Boss’ THiNK as follows:
demonstrated that calcium supplemen- “Real Thinking for Real Life”
tation can retard bone loss among adult For your classes in Critical
women. However, inconsistent results Thinking, McGraw-Hill introduces
from prospective studies and interven- THiNK, the latest in its acclaimed M
tions trials have not provided strong Series. Critical Thinking begins by
support for a positive association be- listening and we began THiNK by
tween adult calcium intake and osteo- listening to and observing students and
porotic fractures. Though bone fragility instructors. McGraw-Hill conducted
may be largely explained by low bone extensive research to gain insight into
56 INQUIRY: CRITICAL THINKING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES
students’ studying and buying behavior, your classroom. With extensive op-
as well as instructor challenges. Stu- portunity for application and practice,
dents told us they wanted more porta- and groundbreaking digital content,
ble texts with innovative visual appeal THiNK directs students to make con-
and content that is designed according nections between skill development
to the way they learn. Instructors told and apply it to their college studies,
us they wanted a way to engage their careers, and personal lives. (McGraw-
students without compromising on high Hill Publishing 2014)
quality content. Connect Critical Thinking is McGraw-Hill’s
THiNK is critical think- course management system (á la Blackboard,
ing come to life. This innovative text etc.) specifically designed to work with their
provides instructors with scholarly yet critical thinking texts. It includes the textbook,
succinct content on critical thinking online assignments, and a bank of quiz and
and logical argumentation in a format exam questions. McGraw-Hill bills Smart-
that captivates students. With current book as an “adaptive reading experience” and
examples, exercises, and applications, LearnSmart as an “adaptive learning system.”
and powerful pedagogy that links In layman’s terms, Smartbook is an e-reader
concepts within and between chapters, that incorporates exercises into the reading
THiNK directs students to make con- process and LearnSmart is a platform for stu-
nections between skill development and dents to quiz themselves on course content.
application to their college studies, On its higher education website, Mc-
careers, and personal lives. Graw-Hill offers a summary of its “McGraw-
More current, more portable, Hill Education Connect Effectiveness Study
more captivating, plus a rigorous 2013.” The first summary aggregates the find-
and innovative research foundation ings from studies done at 34 different colleges
adds up to: more learning. When you and universities across the country (http://
meet students where they are, you can connect.customer.mcgraw-hill.com/studies/ar-
take them where you want them to be. chive/subject/). Each of these studies was done
(McGraw-Hill Publishing 2009) by individual instructors, independently from
one another (although it is not clear whether
And the third edition of THiNK was described they are independent of McGraw-Hill). In
like this: these studies, average student grades, pass
THiNK offers instructors core content rates, attendance rates and retention rates for a
and pedagogy in a succinct magazine particular course of students who used Connect
format that teaches them the impor- (sometime with LearnSmart and/or Smartbook,
tance of overcoming feelings and sometimes without) are compared with those
opinions to commit to positions based did not use Connect. Average student grades,
on reason and logic. Boss’s 3rd edition pass rates, attendance rates and retention rates
is powered by Connect Critical Think- all seemed to improve, although the results of
ing, a state of the art digital learning significance tests are not given.
environment that helps you connect There are two things that are mislead-
your students to their coursework. ing about these results, however. First, there
Whether accessing online homework is no indication on the web site that the details
and quizzes, or assigning SmartBook of these studies have not been published in
and LearnSmart, the first and only peer-reviewed journals, on open websites or
adaptive learning experience, Connect anywhere else that I have been able to find.
provides a complete digital solution for Thus, all we have are the summaries posted
FALL 2013, VOL. 28, NO. 3 57
at the McGraw-Hill website. Because of this, was considered salient by McGraw-Hill when
the specification of the control groups for all designing the textbooks.
of these studies is vague at best. It is not clear It is exactly this “magazine-like” aspect
the control groups were using the McGraw- of the book, however, that is so off-putting. In
Hill textbook, but without Connect, or if the a critical thinking course, some of the most im-
control groups were using a different textbook, portant things the students are supposed to be
or no textbook at all. It is also not clear if the learning is to see beyond the superficial aspects
control groups had access to alternative kinds of an issue or controversy; they are supposed
of supplementary materials, like practice quiz- to be learning how marketers and advertis-
zes, even if they were not accessed thorough ers try to shape our buying habits, sway our
Connect. opinions and cater to our most uncritical biases
Second, none of these studies is done and prejudices; they are supposed to be learn-
specifically on the Connect Critical Thinking ing that real information is difficult to obtain,
platform, nor has any been done using Boss’ and that real issues are messy. They should
THiNK. The publisher’s blurb does not imply not be learning that they need to pay attention
that such studies have been done, but it takes only to what is pleasing to the eye; that all the
quite a bit of work on the McGraw-Hill web- important information about something can
site to figure out that none of the research that fit in a brightly colored box; or that thinking
has been done on Connect and the other tools critically about an issue is the same as voicing
involves any of McGraw-Hill’s critical think- their opinions. It certainly might be the case
ing textbooks and accompanying critical think- that a textbook that students like to read could
ing online platforms and materials. Thus, while help them learn, even if the “style” of the text-
it seems that a case could be made (although book seems antithetical to the objective in this
one would need much more information than case. After all, a student won’t learn anything
McGraw-Hill provides to make it) that the from a textbook she never opens, but as there
Connect platform, along with the LearnSmart is no evidence that students using Boss’ book
and Smartbook tools increase student learning are actually learning more than other students,
in some areas, there is no evidence that stu- I am not inclined to endorse a book that even
dents who use Boss’ THiNK and/or the accom- students can tell is a marketing ploy.
panying critical thinking platforms and tools
have better learning outcomes than students V. Conclusion
who use a different book and/or a different set I cannot recommend that anyone teaching a
of online tools. critical thinking course adopt THiNK: Critical
As for the design of the book itself, the Thinking for Everyday Life by Judith Boss.
implication by the publisher’s blurb is that the While it is clear is that McGraw-Hill be-
research McGraw-Hill conducted on students’ lieves that creating a textbook that looks like
study habits drove the decision to create Boss’ a magazine will sell more textbooks, it is our
THiNK to look like a magazine. According a hope as educators that students taking critical
McGraw-Hill representative, the ethnographic thinking will learn not to be swayed by such
research referenced above was done by Confier tactics. More important than the hypocritical
Research, an anthropological research com- magazine-style of the book, though, is that the
pany. They studied a diverse group of first- content of THiNK does not teach or promote
year students at various 2- and 4-year colleges the critical thinking skills that we all want our
across the country for a semester. I was not students to develop.
able to learn how many students or colleges of
each type were included in the study; nor was
I able to learn what information from the study
58 INQUIRY: CRITICAL THINKING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES