Part 1 - Getting Students to Think

The third chapter in Kenneth Eble’s The Craft of Teaching, and the first chapter to be summarized on this teaching blog, is entitled ‘Getting Students to Think.’ To be brief, this chapter is simply about the means of encouraging thought and different practices that could help students both absorb, process, and learn. As Ruinstein and Firstenberg state at the opening of this chapter, “thinking constitutes the performance skills that we use in order to apply our intelligence to a knowledge base derived from the totality of our experience.” Summed up, thinking is a primary means of learning. Without thought, we cannot apply our intelligence and knowledge to, as they state, the totality of our experience. Thinking, as defined by Eble, “involves both process and stuff,” and “put simply, getting people to think, however thinking is defined, is an enduring goal not just for teachers, but for human beings in general.” So, teaching is about promoting thought and encouraging it among one’s students.

Continuing with his subject of thought, Eble identifies what he believes the term ‘critical thinking’ means. For good or ill, he states that “I have some suspicions about the term critical thinking, as not so much sharpening a teacher’s conception of thinking as maybe narrowing it to the kind of thinking the teacher wants.” It seems as though critical thinking may both be a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it promotes thought on a specific subject or idea, to a critical level, yet on the other hand, it narrows the student’s range of thought – foregoing and possibly overlooking areas of thought which could prove to be beneficial. Within Eble’s writing, he quotes D’Angelo’s thoughts on critical thinking, having stated that “‘the development of critical thinking,’ he goes on, ‘will provide the means of carefully examining moral, social, and religious points of view.’ This last illustrates what I mean by narrowing one’s attitude toward thinking, for though ‘moral, social, and religious’ cover a wide territory, they are but a small part of what exists within the vast domain of thought.” Basically, critical thinking may be used to concentrate thought on a specific topic, but by using critical thinking, students may ignore potential outside information, which could have, in turn, greatly affected the students’ thoughts and their ability to learn and absorb.

Jumping back to thinking in general, Eble reminds us that “one thinks of things because one is always thinking,” and that “much of human thinking is composed of idle thought, random thoughts going in and out of our heads.” While this holds true for most every human, “thinking must often be forced, and forced on the college campus in face of the many excuses and alternatives provided to keep students from thinking.” This is an interesting situation, as we must come up with ways to encourage thought on a specific subject matter, without forcing this concept of ‘critical thinking,’ as that may, as we learned, limit the student’s thought to a point where key ideas and influences may be ignored. Eble seems to have an answer to this, and it’s fairly simple and straightforward. He points out that “every discipline furnishes similar models that can give interest and tangibility to the elusiveness of trying to foster thought. Problems and puzzles, brain-teasers and conundrums are time-honored ways of stimulating thinking.”

This may seem far too obvious, that puzzles and brain teasers can encourage thought, but that may be because it is so often overlooked. By playing games with the mind, we are encouraging thought without limiting its potential. As simple as it may be, “there are an infinite number of questions in any discipline that have a puzzle quality about them that is almost certain to stimulate student thought.” It’s simple, but it's true. Coming up with these tasks and challenges can truly promote the idea of thinking, and it keeps the students’ minds working while they learn – keeping the mind active and alert. Eble reminds us that “thought must have some embodiment, some connection with the tangible, to realize and enforce itself.” By giving students these thoughtful tasks, we are giving them something more tangible to deal with – to a point.

Nearing the end of his chapter, Eble talks momentarily on the idea of discussion, and its place within the classroom. He highly regards this practice as an excellent means of encouraging thought. He states that “a good discussion draws in students because the teacher creates an atmosphere in which students are not punished for thinking, and in fact are rewarded – rewarded by the dynamics of the discussion – for thinking in contrary ways.” Here, students are able to hold different points of view. While everything stated within the discussion may not be ‘correct,’ it encourages the students to learn in a non-threatening, self-directed way. Eble even points out that “giving students encouragement to make mistakes in an atmosphere where going down the tube is an ever-present threat surely is a first step in encouraging thought.” It allows the students to draw their own conclusions, which can promote the effectiveness of thinking, and serves as a form of self-encouragement.

Not everything a student learns comes from a classroom or a library. Eble illustrates it best when he states that “students are not likely to question what they find in the library. In discussion among peers and with a wise teacher both entering and staying out, supporting and playing devil’s advocate when necessary, students can not only gain a firmer command of whatever topic is under discussion but gain some insight into ways and ends of thinking.” Discussion, here, truly supports learning in a safe environment, where opposing views are often encouraged instead of discouraged. Conclusions reached in this matter may stick longer, as the students themselves had a hand in crafting them. Even when there is no ‘correct’ conclusion, “pondering with students, thinking at that point closest to pinning it down, may be the best way of proceeding.”

Concluding, Eble touches on the concept of lectures, pointing out that they can be a useful teaching tool to encourage thought, as well as being a deterrent. He reminds us that “a common defense of the lecture method is that, done well, and particularly done not by reading from notes but by thinking as one goes along, a lecture can be a powerful way of demonstrating processes of thought.” Thinking goes both ways: for both the student and the teacher. By using thoughts as part of this lecture, lecturing becomes a positive experience, as it, simply put, promotes thinking while thinking becomes an example and a means by which one may reach it.