Facilitating Critical Thinking: Sharpening Questions, Guiding Minds

This 6-hour course, designed specifically for Polytechnic and ITE lecturers, is a hands-on workshop focused on transforming classroom facilitation to cultivate critical thinking skills in students. Instead of simply defining critical thinking, the course immerses participants in a series of engaging activities and discussions centred around relevant, real-world issues like the impact of AI, sustainability, and digital ethics.

This course emphasizes a practical approach to the art of effective questioning, equipping you with a toolkit of techniques to probe for deeper understanding, challenge assumptions, and encourage diverse perspectives. You will analyse different facilitation strategies and practise them in a collaborative, peer-to-peer setting. The ultimate goal is for you to leave with a clear, personalized action plan to immediately integrate these powerful techniques and foster a more inquisitive and analytical mindset in your students.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

• Deconstruct Critical Thinking: Identify the core components of critical thinking (e.g., analysis, evaluation, and self-regulation) and understand how they apply within your specific discipline.

• Lead Engaging Discussions: Facilitate dynamic discussions on current issues that are relevant to your students, encouraging critical analysis and respectful debate.

• Master Questioning Techniques: Employ a variety of questioning techniques—such as clarifying, probing, and hypothetical questions—to promote deeper thinking and guide students toward diverse perspectives.

• Design Thought-Provoking Activities: Create learning activities that integrate current issues and are specifically designed to foster and develop critical thinking skills.

• Reflect and Refine Your Practice: Critically reflect on your current facilitation style, identify areas for professional growth, and develop a concrete plan to apply new strategies in your teaching.

Target Audience: ITE and Polytechnic Lecturers