Goal of Learning: "2. Thinking activities that construe, modify and use this knowledge to interpret situations in that domain."

Read Why students think they understand when they don't.

Read What Are the Seven Reading Comprehension Strategies?

In ideal cases, the two elements of learning (1. Remembering and 2. Higher Order Thinking) occur in the same setting and students use knowledge stored in memory as a foundation for higher order thinking (critical thinking, problem solving and creative thinking.) Higher order thinking is a key requirement for Backward Thinking, one of the clinical reasoning processes.


The best ways to teach students to think more deeply about a topic are:

1. Ask higher order, open ended questions

2. Assist students to create their own pattern knowledge about how content relates to other content instead of memorizing your patterns

3. Make your thinking explicit by demonstrating how you would think through a difficult case (Intentional Role Modeling)

4. Use techniques such as group problem solving, structured controversy, case-based reasoning (integrated case learning), precepting using microskills, chart stimulated recall and discovery-based learning

5. Shake them up (cognitive dissonance).








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