The goal of providing practice at critical thinking is obviously to create better critical thinkers. Since that is the case, the criteria for becoming a critical thinker should not be a mystery to students. Sharing the criteria as well as feedback on their progress along the continuum is important.

One technique which can accomplish both is providing students with self-evaluation tools. A simple way to create a self-evaluation tool is to modify the grading rubric the instructor uses to include questions the student can answer about their own work. Paul and Elder offer some guidelines that may be helpful to student working on their skills. Their list has criteria with accompanying directions. (1) Among these are:

• All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle some question, or to solve some problem.
• All reasoning is done from some point of view.
• All reasoning is based on data, information, and evidence.
• All reasoning leads somewhere or has implications and consequences.

Lynch/Wolcott also have an self-evaluation tool which is directly related to their 4-step process. (2) For example, the Framing level is configured like this:

After evaluating themselves students can submit (email) their forms to the instructor for a comparison with the instructor's interpretation. By providing encouraging feedback, students gain a better understanding of what is expected of them and are then better able to apply the criteria to their thinking for the next contribution.

Critical thinking is a process requiring practice. By giving students the tools to improve, faculty are providing students with an invaluable skill they will use for a lifetime.