Evaluating Biological Claims to Enhance Critical Thinking through Position Statements

• Main Authors: Tracie M. Addy, Maura O. Stevenson
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 2013-11-01
• Series: Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education
• Subjects: critical thinking; writing exercises; scientific claims
• Online Access: http://jmbesubmissions.asm.org/index.php/jmbe/article/view/663

Critical thinking is an important skill for undergraduates to learn, yet rarely is it formally taught in the classroom. Here we explain how critical thinking can be fostered within an undergraduate biology course by encouraging students to evaluate biological claims related to current topics within the course. We found that with the completion of two writing assignments within a four-week period, students demonstrated a significantly greater ability to analyze the evidence within the claims. These results support the notion that even short-term learning experiences focused upon critical thinking can enhance students’ skills beyond discipline-specific knowledge.