NEWS
Within The Soft Skills Program at UoB Stambaugh Stresses the Importance of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving in Education
Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Khadijah Abdusalem)
26 February 2023
Research Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University in the United States, Tamra Stambaugh, stressed the importance of familiarizing faculty members with various models of critical thinking and problem-solving, due to their impact on students’ learning and creating a successful and effective educational process.
The University of Bahrain (UoB) hosted the faculty member in special education and director of Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth at Vanderbilt University in the United States, Tamra Stambaugh, to give an interactive lecture titled “Training the trainers: Problem Solving “, within the soft skills program, which is part of the “American Institutes for Researchers ” (SUSIs) programs, on Wednesday (February 15, 2023), and it was attended by about 50 faculty members from various colleges at the University.
Dr. Stambaugh introduced Paul’s “Model of Critical Thinking,” which encourages critical and analytical thinking, using eight elements: question, objective, point of view, assumptions, concepts, evidence, inferences, and implications or consequences.
The lecturer showed the participants various examples of using this model in courses such as language and literature, mathematics, science, and others. Explaining the purpose of using it to help instructors arrange their questions and tasks, such as: evaluating solutions or results, and communicating the results in an understandable way.
In addition,She presented the “Polya’s Problem-Solving Model”, which is designed to understand the problem, develop a plan, then execute the plan, and look back and reflect on the solutions and findings.
She further added that using this model helps students think critically, question propositions and issues, and write persuasively. In addition, it helps students look at issues in depth and through multiple points of view, study potential consequences, examine inferences and assumptions, and urge them to justify their propositions.
The Media and Cultural attaché in the Office of Cultural and Information Affairs at the US Embassy, Linda McMullen, welcomed the attendees at the session, which was moderated by the Director of the Unit for Excellence in Education and Leadership Skills, Dr. Diana Abdelkarim Al-Jahromi, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Systems, Dr. Amal Mohammed Al-Rayes, and it was attended by a number of members of the embassy, including the educational specialist at the Cultural Attaché at the US Embassy in Manama, Samar Hassan.
