Improving Critical Thinking in the SIT-Study Abroad program: An Experiential Learning on Teaching the Vietnam War
Description
Improving Critical Thinking has been a frequent theme in teaching of liberal arts and humanities. Experts on critical thinking at the college level, such as Diana Halpern , stresses that promoting critical thinking is not simply a matter of teaching critical thinking skills or operations. Trying to teach critical thinking skills or operation in isolation to college students is difficult at best. Even if learning of such skills does occur, the skills are not likely to be applied in real-world settings.
A convincing case can be made for emphasizing critical thinking through the model of Experiential Learning on Teaching the Vietnam War in the SIT-Study Abroad in Vietnam. Our experiences from classes and field based learning have promoted students of critical thinking on a topic of Vietnam War about which they know little or still difficult to discuss in group. Certainly, there is a diversity of viewpoints about the Vietnam War among parents and other adults in the lives of students today. Through the selected readings, film, group discussions and most importantly through the direct interactions with the local people in different parts of Vietnam, American college students tried to make some sense of that diversity of opinions both from American and Vietnamese perspectives.
Students’ attitudes and interests about the Vietnam War and its influences on different social fabrics of the contemporary Vietnam, do support higher-level thinking and, most importantly, knowledge used in carrying it out is crucial to the success of critical thinking.
Improving Critical Thinking in the SIT-Study Abroad program: An Experiential Learning on Teaching the Vietnam War
Improving Critical Thinking has been a frequent theme in teaching of liberal arts and humanities. Experts on critical thinking at the college level, such as Diana Halpern , stresses that promoting critical thinking is not simply a matter of teaching critical thinking skills or operations. Trying to teach critical thinking skills or operation in isolation to college students is difficult at best. Even if learning of such skills does occur, the skills are not likely to be applied in real-world settings.
A convincing case can be made for emphasizing critical thinking through the model of Experiential Learning on Teaching the Vietnam War in the SIT-Study Abroad in Vietnam. Our experiences from classes and field based learning have promoted students of critical thinking on a topic of Vietnam War about which they know little or still difficult to discuss in group. Certainly, there is a diversity of viewpoints about the Vietnam War among parents and other adults in the lives of students today. Through the selected readings, film, group discussions and most importantly through the direct interactions with the local people in different parts of Vietnam, American college students tried to make some sense of that diversity of opinions both from American and Vietnamese perspectives.
Students’ attitudes and interests about the Vietnam War and its influences on different social fabrics of the contemporary Vietnam, do support higher-level thinking and, most importantly, knowledge used in carrying it out is crucial to the success of critical thinking.