CSC professors write article on critical thinking

The authors are Dr. Barbara Limbach, professor of business administration, and Dr. Wendy Waugh, associate professor of management information systems.

Titled “Questioning the Lecture Format,” the article proposes that teachers must be aware of the importance of critical thinking in the learning process.

Limbach and Waugh wrote that under the lecture format, the teacher often does most of the talking and most of the thinking. Under this method, students often are placed in a passive role where they memorize the material, but contribute little to the thought process.

The article says teachers can increase the emphasis on critical thinking while using a lecturing by asking questions. The authors said questioning can stimulate interaction between the teacher and the learner, and challenge the learner to defend his or her position.

The CSC professors said critical thinking can be traced to the Socratic method that dates back more than 2,000 years. It began to be systematized with the works of Benjamin Bloom in the mid-20th century, they report.

“Critical thinking has been widely recognized and encouraged in education for many years,” Limbach and Waugh wrote. “Using questioning techniques is one way that instructors can inspire critical thinking. In fact, effective application of the questioning method to promote critical thinking may be the answer to successful teaching and student learning.”

Limbach has taught business courses at CSC since 1992. She received the Nebraska State College System’s Teaching Excellence Award in 1999. Waugh joined the CSC business faculty in January 2000.