Simon Fraser University

EDUCATION 487-4 (Group 02): SPECIAL TOPICS 

TEACHING TO PROMOTE STUDENT THINKING 

Attached is a program description for Special Topics course on. "Thinking 

Skills" to be offered in the Windermere area in the 1985 Spring Semester. 

Please note that prospective credit students need to complete an 

"Application for Undergraduate Admission or Re-Admission" by December 6, 

1984. Forms and further information are available from Gerry Morgan of 

Windermere School District (342-9243). 

TOPIC: Teaching to Promote Student Thinking 

COURSE COORDINATORS: Mr. Gerry Morgan, Windermere School District and 

Dr. Milton McClaren, Faculty of Education, Simon 

Fraser University. 

17

SCHEDULE: Every second Saturday, beginning January 

1985 through 

April 1985. 

LOCATION: Windermere, B.C. (details to be announced) 

FURTHER INFORMATION: Mr. Gerry Morgan (342-9243) 

Attachments 

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PAGE 1 

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SPECIAL TOPICS COURSE: 

TEACHING TO 

PROMOTE STUDENT 

THINKING. 

This course is proposed for offering b 

y

the Facult 

y

of Education 

of Simon Fraser Universit 

y

as a follow up course to the FOCUS ON 

THINKING program offered in the spring of 1984 at Fairmont Hot 

Springs, ? 

B.C. 

?

It will ? 

bring together current research and 

?

curriculum in the area of 

TEACHING FOR THINKING. 

Simon Fraser 

University will 

?

offer the course with assistance of Mr. Jerry 

?

Morgan, Invermere School District 

.

, B.C. 

The course will be a credit offering of the Facult 

y

of Education 

at S.F.U. It maybe taken for undergraduate credit, or as a 

component of the Extended Studies Diploma program for students 

having advanced approval. 

The course will 

?

be valued at 4 semester hours of credit and will 

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be offered as a one semester course in the Spring (January—April). 

TOPICS 

I.

WHAT IS THINKING? What are the definitional problems of 

programs which claim to teach 

?

improved "Thinking Skill" or to 

"Extend" ? 

or

?

"Enhance" ? 

student ? 

thinking. ? 

Historical examples of 

?

attempts to improve/develop human thinking via Education. 

II.

TYPES OF THINKING. Are all t 

y

pes of thinking the same? 

What ? 

is difference between 

?

"Creative" ? 

thinking and "Critical" 

thinking, ? 

or between "Linear" vs "Lateral" thinking. Is effective 

thinking a normal consequence of "effective" teaching? Does a 

student who attains good test scores have good thinking skills or 

problem solving attributes? 

III. 

CAN THINKING BE TAUGHT? Does effective thinking arise as 

a consequence of effective learning of "content"? Should thinking 

be seen as "integral" to good teaching or should it be developed 

as a specific focus of the curriculum? What are the arguments 

"pro" and "con" and who are the major protagonists. 

IV.

THE HUN BRAIN AS THE 

ORG4 OF 

THOUGHT. What do we now 

know about the way in which the human brain functions in terms of 

memor y 

,

?

creativit 

y

,

?

synthesis, 

?

problem solving, and perception. 

Does ? 

this ? 

knowledQe ? 

have 

?

any

?

educational ? 

or

?

pedogogic 

significance? Can we teach specificall 

y

to the "Right" or "Left" 

brain? A review of the concepts and programs of DeBono, Edwards, 

Brown, Bruner, and Ricci 

V.

THINKING AND THE SCHOOLS. How does the curriculum and 

ITT

operation of schools extend/inhibit thinking. What can classroom 

teachers do to encourage student thinking. What sort of learning 

environment encourages thinking?' 

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PAGE 2 

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VI. A 

CATALOGUE OF PROGRv41S.What 

"curricula" exist now which 

claim to develop either thinking "in general" or specific aspects 

of ? 

thinking (ie. "Lateral 

?

or "creative" thinking.). How do these 

models differ and compare. Are there any generalizations. A review 

of the models of Raths, DeBono, Wassermann, Osborne, Parnes, 

Feurstein, Guilford. 

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The development of a "Taxonom 

y

" of teaching 

for thinking programs. 

VII. 

IMPLEMENTATION. What does the average classroom teacher 

have to do to become more effective in supporting thinking. What 

evidence exists that these changes actuall y 

produce an 

y

benefits. 

VIII. 

CREATIVITY.' Creativit y 

is one of the great "mysteries" 

of the human species. What do we mean when we sa 

y

that someone is 

creative. Can we measure/evaluate/ or develop creativit 

y

. What 

programs exist which claim specific value as agents in the 

promotion of "creativity." 

IX.

EVALUATION.It is often said that what is tested is what is 

taught. Do tests, especialy standardized measures of acheivement 

reflect ? 

student 

?

abilit 

y ?

in ? 

thinkin 

g

, ?

in creativit y 

, or in only 

very narrow segments of human thinking. What can teachers do to 

encourage and evaluate thinkng via evaluation measures. 

X.

THE TEACHER AS RESEARCHER. How can teachers devise means 

evaluating their efforts to become more effective in teaching for 

thinking. How can we get be 

y

ond good intentions to specific 

results ? 

which can attract and sustain support. What 

?

is an 

appropriate ? 

agenda ? 

for ? 

school/teaching ? 

improvement in the 

?

development 

thinking. 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS. 

This course will require the students to read a number of works in 

the field of ? 

"thinking", ? 

ranging from those of a theoretical 

nature, 

?

to those of classroom practice. Each student will be 

expected ? 

to demonstrate familiarity with the terminology of 

cognitive p 

y

scholo 

gy

,

?

to understand the major journals in which 

reports in "thinking", "problem solving" and "creativit 

y

" are 

reported, and to be able to identif y 

and describe some of the 

major schools of thought and opinion in this area. The course will 

also introduce the student to sources of curriculum materials, 

networks, and evaluation devices. The course will entail written 

tests, oral reports, written reports, and class participation. The 

course will also likel 

y

entail one weekend "THINK TANK" 

session ? 

with 

?

resource ? 

people ? 

at

?

the

?

Fairmont 

?

Hot

Springs/Banff!Cranbrook!Calgar 

y ?

area. 

SPRING 1985 SEMESTER 

EDUCATION 487-4 (Group 02): SPECIAL TOPICS 

TEACHING TO PROMOTE STUDENT THINKING 

(Windermere, B.C.) 

NEW STUDENT and FORMER STUDENT REQUIRING RE-ADMISSION: 

New students to the University and students who have not completed S.F.U. courses 

within the last three semesters. An Application for Admission or Re-Admission accompanied 

by official transcripts must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by November 9 for 

Pre-registration or by December 6 for In-person Registration. Please note that a fee of 

$25.00 is assessed all applicants whose academic records in whole or in part, originate 

outside of the Province of Br'itish Co3umbia. 

TUITION ? 

FEES: 

Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents: 

Per semester 

hour (normal ? 

credit)             

$39.00 

Per semester hour (audit or special ? 

audit)        

$19.50 

International 

Students 

?

(admitted as of Fall ? 

1984): 

Per semester hour (normal ? 

credit)             

$58.00 

Per semester hour 

(audit or special ? 

audit)        

$29.00 

STUDENT ACTIVITY FEE: 

4 credit hours or more 

?

$24.00 

3 credit hours or less 

?

$12.00 

Audit or special audit only 

?

nil

Designated "off-campus" courses only $12.00 

ATHLETIC-RECREATION FEE: 

4 credit hours or more ? $ 9.00 

3 credit hours or less 

?

$ 4.50 

Audit or special audit only ? 

nil

Designated "off-campus" courses only 

?

nil

AN IN-PERSON REGISTRATION WILL BE HELD AT THE FIRST 

CLASS ON JANUARY 13, 1985. CONTACT: GERRY MORGAN 

(342-9243) FOR DETAILS OF TIME AND LOCATION. 