Bosses Seek ‘Critical Thinking,’ but What Is That?
By MELISSA KORN
We talk about critical thinking and how hands-on, project-based and relevance are the keys to learning well. We have seen the benefits and processes, carefully observing all students, especially those who have been at TKG for four years. We see it happening right before our eyes, yet one of the challenges in describing this sort of learning is in ‘quantifying’ the learning in a way that translates for the lens of the ‘real world.’ Are the skills we foster applicable ‘real world’? Of course but even the ‘real world’ is trying to figure it out:
Critical thinking is a critical skill for young workers these days.
What that means, though—and how to measure it—is less clear. Employers complain that colleges are not producing graduates who can solve problems and connect the dots on complex issues, but bosses stumble when pressed to describe exactly what skills make critical thinkers. That leaves job seekers wondering what employers really want and, once on the job, unsure of whether they’re supposed to follow the rules or break them.
Mentions of critical thinking in job postings have doubled since 2009, according to an analysis by career-search site Indeed.com. The site, which combs job ads from several sources, found last week that more than 21,000 health-care and 6,700 management postings contained some reference to the skill. READ MORE…
This was featured in our newsletter as Resource Of The Week – Constructivism, week #18.