There are several ways to identify the principles of good teaching. The teacher describes the thought processes involved in gathering, validating and organizing the information, and students are examined only on the information itself. The teacher describes the thought processes involved in gathering, validating and organizing the information, and students are required to replicate the thought processes on examinations. Students are examined on their ability to think critically, though they have not been given guided practice. Students are required to practice good thinking, and the teacher guides and evaluates the practice, applying appropriate standards of clarity, accuracy, relevance and depth.
Students learn how to think about thinking.
They learn concepts for describing and monitoring the processes, including the standards of critical thinking, and they practice thinking about thinking, guided by the teacher. By discussing how critical thinking is being guided in another's class, a faculty member can develop additional ways to guide the practice of critical thinking in his or her own classes.