Demonstrate a lively sense of curiosity and inquisitiveness. Key elements of teaching critical thinking are dialogue and questioning. We can encourage dialogue to take place within a person's mind or between two or more people. The questioning technique is only effective if the questions asked probe for more than a response from memory. Good questions encourage learners to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate.
Some instructional strategies foster critical thinking more effectively than others.
Table 2 lists a number of strategies Extension educators can include in their teaching. Instructional strategies for fostering critical thinking. Critique of items from the popular press related to the topic. A scene is acted out or a video clip is shown followed by interpretation, analysis, or creation of a new ending. Participants solve the conflict or problem by asking questions of the facilitator who has all the details of the situation.