Engaging Freshman Engineers Using the Paul-Elder Model of Critical Thinking

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AC 2012-3648: ENGAGING FRESHMAN ENGINEERS USING THE PAUL-
ELDER MODEL OF CRITICAL THINKING
Dr. Angela Thompson P.E., University of Louisville
Dr. Patricia A. Ralston, University of Louisville
Dr. Jeffrey Lloyd Hieb, University of Louisville
Jeffrey Hieb is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Fundamentals at the
University of Louisville. His research interests include the use of technology in engineering education,
secure operating systems, and cyber-security for industrial control systems.
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American Society for Engineering Education, 2012

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Engaging Freshman Engineers Using the 
Paul-Elder Framework for Critical Thinking
 
Abstract 
This paper presents an exercise, or series of exercises, developed by the authors for their Introduction to 
Engineering course. Two major course components are critical thinking and departmental presentations.
The critical thinking framework includes eight elements of thought: purpose, question at issue, 
information, inferences, concepts, assumptions, implications, and point of view. There are seven 
different engineering disciplines taught at the school, each in their own department. Each department 
gives a class long presentation as part of the course. The developed assignment is given for each 
department presentation with the intention of reinforcing elements from the university’s critical thinking 
framework and improving student engagement in departmental presentations. Student survey responses 
indicated that students found the assignment effective in meeting some of the course goals, such as 
improving their critical thinking skills. An analysis of selected students’ work on these assignments 
indicate that most students had some success in identifying salient purposes, concepts, and questions at 
issue for each engineering discipline for which there was a department presentation. It was also clear 
that point of view was an element with which students consistently struggled.