Essay Questions and Critical Thinking

Jennifer Pettit, an instructor at Middle Tennessee State University, discusses the careful crafting of essay questions for a course. These questions are released in advance to align with course objectives and support both teachers and students. The focus is on developing critical thinking skills, preparing students for college, and introducing historical methods. The structure of the questions encourages students to create their own answers, promoting advanced critical thinking. The aim is to model interpretive work done by historians, fostering discussion and interest in historical topics.

What is the primary reason for releasing essay questions in advance according to Jennifer Pettit?

• To reduce the workload of teachers

• To make exams easier for students

• To highlight course objectives and support success

• To ensure students memorize answers

Which skills are emphasized by the team in crafting the essay questions?

• Critical thinking skills

• Technical skills

• Mathematical skills

• Artistic skills

How does releasing essay prompts help students?

• By allowing students to skip classes

• By making the connection between learning objectives and exams clearer

• By providing answers to exam questions

• By reducing the number of questions in exams

What is the structure of the essay questions?

• A list of definitions

• Multiple unrelated questions

• A primary STEM question with associated questions

• A single question with multiple answers

What does the question structure encourage students to do?

• Rely on memorization

• Engage in advanced critical thinking by creating their own answers

• Focus solely on historical dates

• Copy answers from textbooks

What is one of the goals of the essay questions according to the instructor?

• To focus on rote learning

• To limit student discussion

• To simplify historical content

• To model the interpretive work of historians