Experiential / Reality-based Learning / September 3, 2015

Freshmen Learn Critical Thinking

Incoming freshmen at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business got a taste of what’s looming in job and internship interviews during the second annual Critical Thinking Night, part of Smith’s ‘Welcome Week’ programming. More than 400 students packed the Riggs Alumni Center for the Aug. 31, 2015 session.

The Smith School first introduced Critical Thinking Night last year during fall 2014 new student orientation programs. The idea came from Rebecca Ratner, marketing professor and assistant dean for academic affairs, after she attended a 2013 conference with marketing executives from the likes of Pfizer and General Mills. Though Ratner said she cringed when she heard these leaders discuss the lack of critical thinking skills among today’s business undergraduates, she saw an opportunity to differentiate Smith. She designed the workshop with input from Smith students, deans and corporate partners.

This year’s event was sponsored by Deloitte – with several company representatives in attendance – and moderated by Joyce Russell, senior associate dean for learning, and Victor Mullins, associate dean for the undergraduate program. The program included student speaker, Praneet Puppala, an upperclassman who shared real-life examples of interview questions that Smith students have faced. Then Ratner drilled the freshmen on the fundamentals of critical thinking and shared a case analysis of her own research work that helped simplify and mainstream the iconic U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition guide from “MyPyramid” to “MyPlate” with the slogan: “Fill up half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal.”

Students enjoyed working through sample problems in which they needed to identify which intellectual standards were unmet. Freshmen were prompted with questions to pose to themselves and others to improve the quality of critical thinking:

Clarity: Could you explain what you mean by that? Could you give an example?

Precision: Could you give more details? Could you be more specific?

Accuracy: What is your evidence (source?) for that claim? Do data support your argument?

Relevance: How does that point connect to the problem we are trying to solve? How do those two ideas relate to each other?

Depth: Will that solution solve the problem (does it tackle the underlying issue)?

Breadth: Do we need to consider other stakeholders' views? Is there another way to look at this question?

Mullins said Critical Thinking Night complements the school’s broader commitment to helping Smith undergraduates become respectful, innovative, intellectual, influential and global.

Mullins praised Ratner and the critical thinking faculty champions, who include Curt Grimm, Judy Frels, Karen Hallows, Mark Loewenstein, Mark Wellman, Pam Armstrong, Roxanne Lefkoff, Sandra Loughlin, Shreevardhan Lele, and Subrahmaniam Tangirala. He also thanked the Smith Undergraduate Program staff involved in the program, Lindsay Cabrera and Kristin LaRiviere.

For more information about the undergraduate program at Smith visit: www.rhsmith.umd.edu/undergrad.

Carrie Handwerker, Office of Marketing Communications

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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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