Many instructors are eager to help students develop critical skills that extend beyond the classroom or the major. This is sometimes explained as teaching students to “think like a scientist” or “think like an engineer”, but how do we actually accomplish this goal? In this workshop, we will highlight the value of “communicating to learn” and show how communication-based assessments and activities can promote critical thinking and foster deeper learning of technical content. By the end of this workshop, participants will be prepared to:
- articulate the benefits of using communication-based assessments and activities in STEM courses
- identify higher-order learning goals in your discipline that can be served by communication-based assessments and activities
- design a communication-based assessment or activity for your course
