To Believe or Not to Believe: A Shift in Students' Understanding and Valuing of Evidence

• In Event: 16.061 - Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: 16.061-8 - Belief Systems

Abstract

Though teaching critical thinking is highly valued by professors (Bok, 2006), students entering often struggle to think critically (Dietering & Jameson, 2008). This research studies critical thinking through college students developing arguments towards a final paper using reasons and evidence. As instructors in seminars, we instructed students to learn a variety of types of evidence, identify them in research, and compose papers using reasons and evidence. Data included both qualitative and quantitative measures. Results indicated that students shifted their overdependence on statistical evidence and began to value qualitative evidence. They began to question sources, used the language of argumentation, and became more skeptical of online information and shifted from consumers to producers of information.

Authors

• Rebecca Shargel, Towson University

• Lisa Anne Twiss, Towson University