Diggs Teaching Scholar Award -Virginia Tech- 2007
Annual Diggs Teaching Scholar Roundtable
26 October 2007
3-5pm, Hillcrest Dining Room
Each year the roundtable features informal presentations and follow-up discussion led by the recent recipients of the Diggs Teaching Scholar Award.
Brian R. Murphy
Can We Improve Students' Critical Thinking?
Brian Murphy is a Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, and Director of the Conservation Management Institute for the College of Natural Resources. His presentation today will focus on the use of case-study teaching and learning to enhance students' critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities. Faculty in Natural Resources are trying a new approach to engage students in deeper thinking about the topics they are learning, and they are addressing some interesting questions in the process. Do we have to sacrifice course content to use this active-learning technique? Can we impact students' thinking abilities? How can we assess changes in students' thinking? Can this approach be adapted to other fields?
PowerPoint Presentation: Critical Thinking and Cases - 26 October 2007
Supplemental Materials
Published teaching cases:
Graham, L. J., and B. R. Murphy. 2007. The decline of beluga sturgeon: a case study about fisheries management. Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education 36: 66-75.
Hitt, N. P., and B. R. Murphy. 2007. An inquiry-based case study for conservation biology. Journal of Virginia Science Education 2(1): in press (page proof, not for distribution).
Other teaching cases:
Murphy, B. R. 2005. A tale of two oceans: the demise of bluefin tuna.
Murphy, B. R. 2002. Communism meets the tragedy of the commons: a fisheries management conflict in rural China.