The Critical Inquiry Process

The Critical Inquiry Process
by Dr. Lance Grigg

Stages:

1. 1. Crafting the critical inquiry question:
   1. a. Guiding questions for teacher:

i. What is the issue to be explored?

ii. How can I translate that issue into a critical inquiry question (hereafter: CIQ)?

iii. What are some relevant related questions that will help my students address that CIQ?

1. For explicit instruction on crafting critical inquiry questions, see: http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssocirm/pdf/embeddingcriticalthinkingintoteachingandlearning.pdf
   1. (pages 3-6)
2. *Teacher note:

i. While the teacher prepares critical inquiry and related questions beforehand, it is best to brainstorm them with the entire class.

ii. Important planning note: within the unit, each individual lesson’s focus is a relatedquestion the students answer in order to address the CIQ.

1. 2. Generate working resolutions and arguments:
   1. a. Guiding questions for teacher:

i. What are my students’ working resolutions to the CIQ at this time?

1. Students identify their:
   1. working resolutions, and
   2. two or three supporting reasons (premises)

i. argument mapping will help students complete this task: http://www.jostwald.com/ArgumentMapping/ARGUMENT%20MAPPING.pdf

1. *Teacher note:

i. Formative assessment opportunity: after the brainstorming session, students individually complete their argument maps, and hand them in at the end of class.

1. This offers the teacher a way of seeing whether or not the students have constructed an actual argument; one with a conclusion and supporting reasons (premises).

ii. At this point, the teacher should do explicit instruction in basic argument identification.

1. 3. Identify learning needs:
   1. a. Guiding questions for teacher:

i. What information do my students need to address the unit’s CIQ and its related questions?

ii. Where might my students find that information?

1. Textbooks
2. Library
3. Internet
4. People

iii. How can I help my students best organize that information?

1. Note-taking templates
2. Retrieval charts
3. Concept maps
4. *Teacher note:

i. All class materials need to be prepared beforehand.

ii. Also, as formative assessment, the teacher should take in a sample of retrieval charts and concept maps to ensure students are on the right track, especially at the beginning and mid-point of the unit.

1. 4. Identify relevant new knowledge:
   1. a. Guiding questions for teacher:

i. What did my students learn that could help them resolve the CIQ?

1. Ask students to refer to information recorded on retrieval charts and note-taking templates.
2. *Teacher note:

i. Again, while the teacher prepares the relevant information beforehand, it is best to have students share the information they’ve retrieved in a large group discussion.

ii. Any relevant information not shared in that discussion should be provided by the teacher.

1. 5. Re-visit CIQ and working resolution with new knowledge:
   1. a. Guiding questions for teacher:

i. How does this new information impact my students’ working resolution to the CIQ?

1. Herein, students apply new knowledge to:
   1. working resolution to the CIQ
   2. supporting reasons for that working resolution (premises)

ii. Have my students’ re-constructed argument maps based on new knowledge?

1. Students should be revising their earlier working resolutions to the CIQ.

1. Teacher note:

i. As a formative assessment opportunity, the teacher takes in revised argument maps to ensure students are making apt revisions.

ii. At this stage, the teacher should do explicit instruction in argument identification and assessment (validity, soundness and basic formal and informal fallacies)

1. See: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/phil/logic3/ch5/

iii. Note: explicit use of intellectual standards is useful when helping students revise their argument maps.

1. See: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/universal-intellectual-standards/527

1. 6. Students translate their revised argument maps into text-based formats:
   1. a. Guiding questions for teacher:

i. What written products do I want my students producing in order to communicate their working resolutions to the CIQ?

1. 1. For example: 5 paragraph essay, position paper, blog, Op-Ed piece in a newspaper, etc.
2. b. *Teacher note:

i. Teachers should take in students’ argument maps along with their text-based assignments.

1. 7. Communicate ideas to others:
   1. a. Guiding questions for teacher:

i. How can my students show others those written products?

1. Examples:
   1. Class presentation
   2. Poster session
   3. Small-group sharing sessions
   4. Blog activity

1. 8. Individually and collectively brainstorm related issues needing further critical inquiry:
   1. a. Guiding questions for teacher:

i. What further issues need to be resolved?

ii. How might my students go about resolving them?

iii. What further questions need to be raised and answered?

1. b. *Teacher Note:

i. The teacher brainstorms questions and issues with the entire class but should prepare a list of related questions and issues beforehand.