Teaching Observations
Teaching Observations
It cannot be assumed that all dental faculty members have global thinking skills themselves. Thus, it is also important to assess faculty members' critical thinking skills and offer professional development opportunities so that faculty can develop expertise in teaching critical thinking skills 67. These practices should apply to current faculty as well as newly recruited faculty. The goal of teaching critical thinking skills is to raise the level of student instruction and ultimately patient care.
A convenience sample of dental faculty was recruited for participation in videotaping their instructional practice. In exchange for their service, participants received written peer observations of their teaching. Faculty in pediatric dentistry, periodontology, oral medicine, and facial pain were recruited.
Videotaped Examples of CTS in the Clinic
Observation #1
Looking in: A Pediatric Dentist and a Dental Student
Keep the following questions in mind as you view Observation #1.
1. In what ways does the professor promote the student's critical thinking?
2. What strategies does the professor use?
3. What other strategies could have been used to promote the student's ability to use critical thinking?
4. What have you learned about the teaching of critical thinking skills in the clinical learning environment from viewing this video clip?
5. How could CT be further expanded in this scenario?
Click to view video of Observation #1.
Observation #2
Looking in: A Periodontologist and a Dental
Student
Keep the following questions in mind as you view Observation
#2.
1. In what ways does the professor promote the student's critical
thinking?
2. What strategies does the professor use?
3. What other strategies could have been used to promote the
student's ability to use critical thinking?
4. What have you learned about the teaching of critical thinking
skills in the clinical learning environment from viewing this video
clip?
5. How could CT be further expanded in this scenario?
Click to view video of Observation #2.
Videotaped Examples of CTS in the Classroom
Observation #3
Looking in: Oral Medicine
Keep the following questions in mind as you view Observation
#3.
1. In what ways does the professor promote the student's critical
thinking?
2. What strategies does the professor use?
3. What other strategies could have been used to promote the
student's ability to use critical thinking?
4. What have you learned about the teaching of critical thinking
skills in the classroom environment from viewing this video
clip?
5. How could CT be further expanded in this scenario?
Click to view video of Observation #3.
Observation #4
Looking in: Craniofacial Anomalies
Keep the following questions in mind as you view Observation
#4.
1. In what ways does the professor promote the student's critical
thinking?
2. What strategies does the professor use?
3. What other strategies could have been used to promote the
student's ability to use critical thinking?
4. What have you learned about the teaching of critical thinking
skills in the classroom environment from viewing this video
clip?
5. How could CT be further expanded in this scenario?