Critical and creative thinking Assessment Tool How could
schools use the tool? Sharon Foster
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The purpose of the tasks is to assess the Critical and Creative
Thinking continuum
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Critical and Creative Thinking continuum Strands Inquiring
Identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
Generating idea, possibilities and actions Reflecting on thinking
and processes Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and
procedures Sub-strandsPose questions Imagine possibilities and
connect ideas Think about thinking (metacognition) Apply logic and
reasoning Identify and clarify information and ideas Consider
alternativesReflect on processes Draw conclusions and design and
course of action Organise and process information Seek solutions
and put ideas into action Transfer knowledge into new contexts
Evaluate procedures and outcomes Source: Critical and Creative
Thinking, ACARA Structured by strands and sub-strands
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ACARA strands within each task
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Introducing the tasks There are 32 tasks Tasks are divided into
stages, which have a nominal relationship to year level Each task
is comprised of a number of items Indicative time allocation
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What do the tasks look like? Each task has an electronic
interface that includes some stimulus material and a series of
questions. Each task is based around one or more pieces of stimulus
material such as a video, pictures, written information, or sound
files. The stimulus materials are designed to be appropriate for
the corresponding levels. Students complete a series of questions
for each task. Most of the questions require a short written
answer. There are also multiple choice and drag-and-drop questions.
Each task is designed to be completed by an individual student.
There are no group tasks.
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Tasks Stage 1 Stage 1: end of Year 2
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Tasks Stage 2 Stage 2: end of Year 6
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Tasks Stage 3 Stage 3: end of Year 10
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Packaging tasks The tasks may be used individually or
administered in one of the designated sets in order to derive scale
scores.
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Primary set
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Secondary set
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Lets talk about skills The following skills are more likely to
be easy: Locating and comparing directly stated information
Providing reasons for personal preferences Generating imaginative
ideas in an imaginative content Ranking given ideas against a given
criteria, for example, numbering five ideas from the best to the
worst as the solution to a stated problem Responding on the basis
of simple, given criteria
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The following skills are more likely to be hard: Making logical
deductions Thinking outside the conventional boundaries of a
context Thinking divergently to provide several different reasons
when the obvious reasons have been given Generating ideas and then
critiquing the ideas giving several different reasons Identifying
reasons for and against the same given idea Generating and then
critiquing the criteria used as basis of reasoning
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Terminology Students working at different levels of proficiency
need to understand some basic thinking terminology. A general list
of terminology is shown below. Teachers need to use their judgement
about the terminology their students need to understand: Ordering
or ranking (highest to lowest, best to worst) Classifying
(important versus unimportant, acceptable versus unacceptable
relative to some criterion) The idea of basing a decision on
criteria Generating new ideas (as opposed to paraphrasing existing
ideas) Identifying problems or weaknesses with an argument,
suggestion or course of action Distinguishing fact from opinion and
persuasion Giving arguments for and against a position What it
means to give evidence to support a statement Comparing versus
contrasting Reliability, relevance, usefulness of information
Understanding consequences or implications of a proposal and
drawing conclusions from given facts
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Sample task show how you do your thinking You dont need
specific knowledge
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Prompt
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Item 1: arguments for and against
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Item 2: process information, apply logic and draw
conclusion
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Item 3: new prompt and interactive
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Item 3: asks for written explanation - metacognition
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Item 4: considering alternative context
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Item 5: reasoning
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Discussion points How might you be able to change the content
and continue to use the questions to assess Critical and Creative
Thinking? How might schools integrate these assessment tasks into
their teaching and learning programs?
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Whole school curriculum planning the big picture There is a
distinction between the curriculum and a schools teaching and
learning program. The curriculum is the common set of knowledge and
skills that are required by all students for life-long learning,
social development and active and informed citizenship. As such,
the curriculum is a part or subset of the schools teaching and
learning program which is the school-based plan for delivering,
expanding and extending this common set of knowledge and skills in
ways that best utilise local resources, expertise and contexts.
Schools have considerable flexibility in the design of their
teaching and learning program. This enables schools to develop
particular specialisations and areas of expertise and innovation
while ensuring the curriculum is delivered. Source: F-10 curriculum
planning and reporting guidelines
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Example of whole school curriculum plan (excerpt)
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Does the school have a diagram or table to represent its
teaching and learning program: for all year levels or stages of
schooling? across all AusVELS domains? showing approximate time
allocations for domains? Source: Curriculum Planning Resource,
self-assessment tool
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By Domain Does the teaching and learning program for each
AusVELS domain: provide an overview of the overarching
concepts/ideas to be developed across the years of schooling?
outline the contexts/topics that will be used for the development
of the knowledge and skills? outline the sequencing of the key
knowledge? outline the sequencing of the key skills? include the
achievement standards? include the approximate time allocations for
contexts/topics? For more information, search for the curriculum
planning resource online or use the following URL:
http://curriculumplanning.vcaa.vic.edu.au/home
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Contacts Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)
Office hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm p. (03) 9032 1700 f. (03) 9032 1799
e. [email protected] w.www.vcaa.vic.edu.au Department of
Education and Training (DET) General Enquiries (general
switchboard) (03) 9637 2000 Access to the CCT Tools is available
via the Student Learning mailbox: e.
[email protected]
