Critical and creative thinking Assessment Tool How could schools use the tool? Sharon Foster

The purpose of the tasks is to assess the Critical and Creative Thinking continuum

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

ACARA strands within each task

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

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.

Tasks – Stage 1 Stage 1: end of Year 2

Tasks – Stage 2 Stage 2: end of Year 6

Tasks – Stage 3 Stage 3: end of Year 10

Packaging tasks The tasks may be used individually or administered in one of the designated sets in order to derive scale scores.

Primary set

Secondary set

Let’s 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

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

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

Sample task …show how you do your thinking… You don’t need specific knowledge…

Prompt

Item 1: arguments for and against

Item 2: process information, apply logic and draw conclusion

Item 3: new prompt and interactive

Item 3: asks for written explanation - metacognition

Item 4: considering alternative context

Item 5: reasoning

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?

Whole school curriculum planning – the big picture There is a distinction between the curriculum and a school’s 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 school’s 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

Example of whole school curriculum plan (excerpt)

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

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:

Contacts Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) Office hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm ​ p. (03) f. (03) e. w. ​ Department of Education and Training (DET) General Enquiries (general switchboard) (03) Access to the CCT Tools is available via the Student Learning mailbox: e.