Training and Professional Development

  • 20-Minute Mentor: Assess Critical Thinking

    Every Monday, Magna Publications provides UConn faculty members with access to a 20-minute video from its “Monday Morning Mentor” presentation series.  This series offers video-based programs designed to answer a specific question related to teaching and learning, delivering actionable insights in highly focused 20-minute presentations designed to fit busy schedules. 

    This week’s program, “How Can I Assess Critical Thinking with Objective Items?" presents a clear description of critical thinking and offers several ways to evaluate student achievement.  In this video, Linda Nilson, author of Teaching at its Best, leads an energetic, dynamic exploration to help us assess discipline-relevant student learning outcomes that involve critical thinking.

    The video explains how to assess most critical thinking skills using an assortment of objective items, such as true/false, matching, multiple choice, and multiple true/false tests. It also covers general guidelines for writing such items and the critical thinking skills that objective items cannot assess.  You get step-by-step instruction for designing objective items to assess particular critical thinking skills for a wide range of disciplines.  After only 20 minutes, you will walk away with a strong foundation for skillfully and competently designing critical thinking assessment items. 

    This video is available at www.mondaymorningmentors.com (password objective11) from Monday, October 24 – Sunday, October 30, 2016.

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    Please also note that the University of Connecticut now has a 20-Minute Mentor Commons Subscription.  As a member of our campus community, you now have free access to all of the 20-Minute Mentor videos, which cover a broad range of faculty development topics, at all times. Sign up today and help energize your higher education career:

    STEP 1: Activate your 20-Minute Mentor Commons subscription

    1. Go to www.magnapubs.com/sitelicense/registration.html?v=uconn0622
    2. Enter information in each of the required fields.  In the Authorization Code box, enter our group Authorization Code UCONN752 and click Submit

    Please note: entering the Authorization Code is done only once.

    STEP 2: Access the 20-Minute Mentor Commons library

    1. Go to www.magnapubs.com/profile
    2. Enter your email address & password & click Submit. If you do not know or remember your account password, use “Forget your password?” to reset it.
    3. On the left side of the screen, under My Account, My Online Access, select Subscriptions. The online content you have access to will be listed to the right. Click the appropriate link to view the content.

    Please do not share the Authorization Code with anyone outside our campus community.

    Need help?

    • Call 800-433-0499 ext. 2 (outside the U.S. & Canada call 608-246-3590 ext. 2). Magna’s office hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
    • Email support@magnapubs.com 
    For more information, contact: The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at CETL@uconn.edu