Issues in measuring critical thinking: meeting the challenge

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Assessment
• Educational Measurement

Background:

• The National League for Nursing (NLN) accreditation criteria now emphasize measuring student growth in critical thinking (CT).
• Nurse educators encounter significant challenges in selecting effective methods to assess CT within nursing programs.
• Accurate measurement of CT is crucial for program evaluation and student development in nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore major issues and decision-making processes involved in measuring critical thinking in nursing education.
• To provide guidance for nurse educators on selecting appropriate CT assessment instruments and methods.
• To review the strengths and weaknesses of various CT assessment tools and techniques.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual exploration of key issues in CT measurement.
• Discussion of defining CT, aligning it with program goals, and value-added assessment.
• Review of norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced methods, instrument selection, reliability, validity, and resource needs.

Main Results:

• Key challenges include defining CT, matching assessments to program objectives, and choosing between different measurement approaches.
• Instrument selection requires careful consideration of reliability, validity, sensitivity to growth, and alignment with the program's CT definition.
• Both commercial instruments and alternative methods like portfolios and performance assessments have distinct strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusions:

• Selecting appropriate methods for measuring critical thinking growth is complex but essential for nursing program accreditation and quality.
• Nurse educators must carefully consider multiple factors, including assessment validity, sensitivity, and resource availability, when choosing CT measures.
• A comprehensive approach considering the nuances of CT definition and program goals is necessary for effective assessment.