Argumentation is the thought process used to develop and present arguments. It is closely related to critical thinking and reasoning. Argument skills belong among the essential 21st century cognitive skills. We face complex issues that require careful, balanced reasoning to resolve. Perhaps … [Read more...] about Argument Skills and How to Teach Them
What is Expertise and How Can You Develop it?
Everybody’s an expert these days. Pest Control Expert, Plumbing Expert, Weather Expert, and so on. But what is expertise, really? A common conception is that experts know more and perform better than those around them. From this standpoint, expertise refers to the knowledge and skills that … [Read more...] about What is Expertise and How Can You Develop it?
Guided Discovery Learning: Balancing Student Freedom and Support
In days of old, a good bit of learning was done by rote memorization. The lesson is given. Recite and repeat over and over until you’ve got it down. Rote learning still exists. It gets used in some places and for some topics. A radically different approach is discovery learning. With discovery … [Read more...] about Guided Discovery Learning: Balancing Student Freedom and Support
Spotting Fallacious Arguments
Starting an argument with someone can be a great way to learn more about a topic. Arguments help us check our own thinking, come to terms with someone else’s reasoning, and occasionally even arrive at a shared understanding about what we believe to be true. Being open to debate is a great way to … [Read more...] about Spotting Fallacious Arguments
What is Cognition and What Good is it?
You never used to hear anyone say the word cognition. More and more, it seems to crop up in all kinds of places. I see cognition crop up in newspapers, magazines, and letters from my kid’s school. As someone who makes his living off of cognition, that’s comforting. But what is cognition really … [Read more...] about What is Cognition and What Good is it?
Why Overconfidence Occurs and How to Overcome It
Overconfidence happens to all of us. Ever have a plan that just couldn’t go wrong? And then you get a kick in the butt. Ever know that something must be true, only to find out later that you had it backwards? Overconfidence is when you think you are more likely to be right than you actually … [Read more...] about Why Overconfidence Occurs and How to Overcome It