Using an Interrupted Case Study to Engage Undergraduates’ Critical Thinking Styl
Using an Interrupted Case Study to Engage Undergraduates’ Critical Thinking Style and Enhance Content Knowledge
Kelsey Hall, Ed.D. and Katherine Starzec, Ph.D.
Abstract
The interrupted case study is a structured way to engage students in active learning. Interruptions, or pauses for reflection and discussion scheduled within the case-study presentation, provide students with a chance to collaborate and engage in critical thinking. Critical thinking style, which is a measure of how one tends to think critically, provides insight into how one tackles problem solving. This article describes a pilot project that combined critical-thinking style and an interrupted case study, delivered over a two-class-period time frame, to four college courses. The project’s goals were to assess students’ self-reported knowledge, self-reported ability, changes in thinking, and intentions to use their critical thinking style in the future. The University of Florida Critical Thinking Inventory and an end-of-session evaluation were administered online, and 110 students voluntarily responded. Results indicated that many students enjoyed the discussion-based and problem-solving structure of the interrupted case study. Results also showed increases in students’ self-reported knowledge about critical thinking style and content covered in the case study. For teachers looking to pilot an interrupted case study with a critical thinking style component, two class sessions can have a positive effect on student learning and encourage critical thinking.
Keywords: interrupted case study, critical thinking style, community-based social marketing, local food, evaluation
Introduction
Training college students to engage in critical thinking and solve problems related to food and natural resources is essential (Quinn et al., 2009). Engaging critical thinking in the classroom promotes information discovery and higher-order thinking about complex issues (Snyder & Snyder, 2008), and the “heart of education lies … in the processes of inquiry, learning and thinking rather than in the accumulation of disjointed skills and senescent information” (Facione, 1990, p. 1). Issues related to agriculture, food, and natural resources are complex. Undergraduate students with agriculture-related career paths must be prepared to tackle these issues as they enter the workforce (Akins et al., 2019), and their preparation requires practice in critical thinking and problem solving.
Case studies promote active learning, problem solving, and decision making in a variety of disciplines (e.g., Fiester, 2010; Popil, 2011). Active learning engages students in more than just listening exercises; active learning requires students to discuss their new knowledge, reflect on it, and tie their learning to the real world (Zayapragassarazan & Kumar, 2012). Case studies deal with real-world issues and ask for evidence, which Herreid (2004) argues is the essence of critical thinking. In interrupted case studies, the teacher