Introduction
Critical thinking has been an integral part of the education system for quite a long period now. Within the field of medical practitioners where there exists a rich source of information material, devising discipline based critical thinking skills is vital to deal with information surplus. This paper therefore seeks to elucidate more on the educational feature of critical thinking and the learning theories relating to critical thinking and how they apply to diagnostic imaging practitioners. The paper begins with a simple description of critical thinking together with the supporting theories and then proceeds into an argument regarding the development of critical thinking discipline concerning the diagnostic imaging practitioners.
Characterization of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking could essentially be treated as being capable to make a distinction between the truths from the false. In spite of being fundamental to both intellectual and diagnostic imaging practitioners, critical thinking is in diminutive supply (van Gelder, 2001). Critical thinking is also defined by Bogdan (2000) as an exceptional nature of focused thinking where the thinker steadily and consistently imposes criteria and thinking principles. Dewey (1933), philosophical contemplation ought to be persistent, active and must factor in cautious deliberation of any conviction or hypothetical nature of knowledge in the view of basis that sustain it and the auxiliary conclusion where it seems to end. In the same way, critical thinking must factor in the assessment of the value, truthfulness, or genuineness of several suggestions, resulting to a manageable resolution or route for action. Kolb Experimental learning theory also proposes a four stage tentative learning theory that factors in cognition, behavior, experience and perception hence a critical thinking discipline must factor in the four stages.
As per the 1980 Executive order of California State University which pronounced for the first time the need of official critical thinking training (Dumke, 1980), Critical thinking puts more emphasis on the mental attitude of criticizing, analysis and promoting ideas and way of thinking through induction, deduction and coming to an informed or hypercritical conclusions on the basis of factual inferences emanating from clear cut knowledge statements. Likewise, Paul et al. (1997), Lampert (2005), Ennis (2002) and Perry (1999) describe critical thinking as understanding the diverse points of view, being logically thoughtful and willing to amplify information sources as well as coming up with significant questions to put together credible conclusions.
The above conventional critical thinking definitions emanates from an informed point of view that factors in everything significant to the assessment of a logical product into the perception of a person (Cohen, Adelman, Salas, Riedel, Bresnick, Marvin, 2004). Consequently, critical thinkers uphold cognizant and premeditated admittance to the reasons for their actions and attitudes. The externalist point of view on the other hand, concentrates more on procedures connected to spontaneous and acknowledgement processes that might be much trustworthy for realizing goal in recognizable surrounding or when time is inadequate (Cohen, Adelman, Salas, Riedel, Bresnick, Marvin, 2004). This perception concentrates on the dependability of various types of processes in coming up with beliefs in distinct scenarios.
Freire (1984) confirms that critical thinking may result via the mutual process of association, questioning and relations between teachers and learners as opposed to passing on knowledge to the brains of learners. Hence a critical thinker must be able to distinguish between truth and hearsays, scrutinize the assumptions, be open-minded and flexible, be conscious of deceptive opinions and remain alert on the broader picture. Meyers (1985), says that critical thinking is a skill that is learnable hence individuals can come together to broaden their thinking. He also confirms that though courses ought to be assignment oriented, text centered goals ought to focus more on the use of material rather than just acquiring it.
The Cognitive Apprenticeship constructivism learning theory terms learning as a personal construction under the learner’s atmosphere. Savery & Duffy (1995) also state that the two major key drivers of the instructional standards originated from the constructivism framework are to promote the testing thoughts alongside secondary opinions and scenarios to give a chance for reflection on the learned material together with the learning process. The ideologies are also linked to developing vital skills in critical thinking. With respect to the attainment of these important skills, literature has substantially agreed that critical thinking knowledge can be enhanced with adequate practice within the conditions stipulated below (van Gelder, 2001): first, students or learners must be motivated to enhance their skills in critical thinking, learners ought to be also guided on what they should do next. Second, laid down procedures must be availed to prevent unsuitable activities particularly during the premature stages, task convolution should also increase steadily. Finally, leaner ought to be given comments regarding the implications of their activities.
The main challenge in developing a critical thinking discipline is that acquired skills in one area may not necessarily apply to a certain area. So as to deal with this problem, learners must adequately get used to applying their skills over other different scenarios (van Gelder, 2001). This perception of disseminating universal thinking skills is in contradiction with Cognitivism learning theory point of which proposes that all thinking is restricted to particular physical scenarios and that we cannot transfer learning to other secluded contexts. But then by utilizing technology, feedback, guidance and scaffolding, the activities of learners relating to critical thinking skills can be enhanced.
Within the scenario of diagnostic imagery, equipping the learner with critical thinking skills has more meaning than just the critical analysis of diagnostic imagery equipment. Since knowledge is transferred best when contextualized into the material common to the learner, instructions based on inquiry with pre-existing application in the real world within an involving atmosphere would provide a perfect prospect for teaching skills relating to critical thinking. Such an example would be an involving designed classroom equipped with instructors from the areas of diagnostic imaging discipline suggesting real-life problems that practitioners can provide solutions jointly.
Development of critical thinking discipline concerning the diagnostic imaging practitioners
Today’s healthcare atmosphere is much different that it was 20 years back. The national policies and reduced compensation for services by insurance firms have yielded a change from in-patient strategies to incorporation of out-patient equipment and services. Medical equipment together with knowledge and technology has advanced to a greater extent, thus transitioning diagnostic imaging image forever. The need for proper education has become more necessary. As the world witness’s complexity and huge workloads of diagnostic imaging measures and equipment, it also commands students to take longer periods of time within an imaging facility, undertaking measures on real patients so as to gain the nature of competency anticipated from them. Since much of what we regard as competency is connected to good decision making, effective and cognitive critical thinking components must also be inculcated into diagnostic imaging practitioners.
Skills in psychometrics may develop within a period of time and can even be practiced more; however, other measures must be put in place so as to make sure that diagnostic imaging practitioners understand how to think deeply. Due to the fact that hours for clinical contact have been reduced, the diagnostic imaging programs must ensure that they devise a substantial amount of pre-clinical knowledge which could be practiced and internalized within a classroom setting before handling real world problems. This will enhance the practitioner confidence in dealing with real world problems. More focus should then be drawn towards the outcomes of learning and must be followed by a massive awareness of the vitality to teach practitioners to think; and be alert learners as opposed to being passive knowledge recipients. Educators must strive to inculcate effective reasoning, evaluation and analysis of emerging situations skills to students and participating in lifetime learning. Hence, since active educational process enhances improved thinking, it is important to transition the strategies of teaching rather than constantly revising the curricular material and depending on conventional teaching techniques.
Conventional teaching techniques have been used for quite a long time, despite indications of its inefficiencies for durable knowledge retention thus offering little support to critical thinking. Tutorial teaching cultivates a norm where students are always passive knowledge recipients while the lecturer is exclusively in charge of learning. Several strategies exist therefore that develop a critical thinking discipline and even though they are distinct in way of implementation, they are much more similar in what they factor in adequate student interaction and engagement with one another.
In developing critical thinking, unequivocal endeavor must be focused towards curriculum development that systematically and particularly centers on these skills. Institutions must shift from formal classes and adopt activities that are clinically based which factor in bureaucratic adaptation and critical reflection as a vital organ for critical thinking development as suggested by the activity learning theory. Through subjecting students to individual learning accountability, instructors foster learning via events and techniques that facilitate critical thinking. There can only be learning if students are encouraged to critically think.
Inculcating skills required for critical and logic thinking to students may not ascertain their ability to apply these skills elsewhere within areas of clinical practice. Hence there should be discipline specific frameworks to teach critical thinking. Diagnostic imaging practitioner’s critical thinking ought to relate with the scientific techniques thus generally distinct character wise to non discipline specific settings. Scenarios that call for critical thinking maybe like making a decision according to patient condition changes that call for treatment procedure alterations or when equipment fails to function correctly.
Therefore in a bid to disseminate optimum diagnostic imaging, with its swiftly dynamic technology together with several superior modalities calls for critical thinkers who are independent. This is all achieved by moving away from the lecturer centric activities to student focusing activities which draws the learning duty to students.
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