Experts' Thinking: How Physics Experts Think Differently

[rpthomps]

Good afternoon,

I am interested in developing the critical thinking of my students further and I was thinking the focus for this line of attack would be to try and train them similarly to how experts in the physics field think. For example, scientists continuously wonder if the data they collect is "good" and go back to their measurement equipment, models and relationships to inform whether or not it is. Are there any other "skills" that differentiate a physics expert?

 

[Dr_Nate]

I've seen literature on how experts vs novices solve physics problems. I'm sure you can find it online.

I find (and I really should do this more often) that just saying what you are thinking helps. If I put up a graph, I tell them that first I'm looking at the axes and the units, then I tell them what else I see. You can also try solving a problem in front of them that you haven't attempted yet, and as you read and solve the problem tell them what you are thinking.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Good afternoon,

I am interested in developing the critical thinking of my students further and I was thinking the focus for this line of attack would be to try and train them similarly to how experts in the physics field think. For example, scientists continuously wonder if the data they collect is "good" and go back to their measurement equipment, models and relationships to inform whether or not it is. Are there any other "skills" that differentiate a physics expert?

You didn't mention the age/grade group you are working with, there are some materials out there about teaching 'the sociology of scientific reasoning' and 'expert-like practice':

https://www.nap.edu/read/11625/chapter/8
https://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_080105.pdf
https://books.google.com/books?id=A... reasoning" mastery sociology science&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=G...page&q="expert-like practice" science&f=false

Is that what you have in mind?

 

[gleem]

First go to https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766 and read the definitions of critical thinking if you have not yet done so.

To start I believe the characterization of thinking as critical should be considered redundant. How many time have you said to your children or a student " You are not thinking"! You did not say you are not thinking critically.

Anyway I think it is useful for students to "see" how experts think. But first you have to get the students to think, to engage their minds and really participate the the learning process. This seems to be lacking to a large extent in the lecture halls. Critical thinking is a skill and is discipline dependent . It is a many faceted skill. Programs that have focused only on critical thinking have not brought the reward anticipated. You must critically think about something. Critical thinking involve assessing such things as information sources. evaluating assumptions, applying rational logical thought processes, recognizing biases. Critical thinking is a skilled developed over ones lifetime that improves one quality of life and indeed the quality of society.

Critical thinking is largely dependent on comprehension of the information you cannot think effectively about that which you do not understand. In her book Natalie Wexler " The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It" she reviews the failure the educational systems that do not emphasize knowledge of our world .

So I would say that critical thinking is a skill that emerges from a well taught course. You must teach a course that requires them to think critically, a course that engages them and challenges them.

 

[rpthomps]

I've seen literature on how experts vs novices solve physics problems. I'm sure you can find it online.

I find (and I really should do this more often) that just saying what you are thinking helps. If I put up a graph, I tell them that first I'm looking at the axes and the units, then I tell them what else I see. You can also try solving a problem in front of them that you haven't attempted yet, and as you read and solve the problem tell them what you are thinking.

Those are good ideas. Thanks for your time.

 

[rpthomps]

Thanks for your response @gleem and for the book recommendation. I will check it out!

 

[rpthomps]

You didn't mention the age/grade group you are working with, there are some materials out there about teaching 'the sociology of scientific reasoning' and 'expert-like practice':

https://www.nap.edu/read/11625/chapter/8
https://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_080105.pdf
https://books.google.com/books?id=AuDMDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=teaching+"scientific+reasoning"+mastery+sociology+science&source=bl&ots=XOifFrOTPP&sig=ACfU3U1jMxw7eENxlnPFPqxwGKhTNE37Sg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwie6cW3iKnnAhUSX80KHbodB9QQ6AEwDHoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&q=teaching "scientific reasoning" mastery sociology science&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=Gt5CDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT51&lpg=PT51&dq="expert-like+practice"+science&source=bl&ots=q0qhCDZVP1&sig=ACfU3U1HqDAYrIZ5Gc7JnpX1ahboaZbkPw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiD8uGviannAhWScc0KHf8-BrEQ6AEwAnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q="expert-like practice" science&f=false

Is that what you have in mind?

It was for high school students mainly. Thanks for posting your suggested links!