This week I had the opportunity to facilitate a short session with my peer group (nurse educators) in the audience. It took me a day or two to think of a history related topic which will interest them all. Finally it came to me that I often hear nurse managers and nurse educators contemplating how critical thinking skills can be encouraged in the clinical setting and in class rooms. So this is what I came up with:
In the 20 minute session we had one objective: use historical inquiry in the class room to stimulate critical thinking. We came to the conclusion that:
- The effect/social impact of the historical event is more important than the event itself
- History in the class room does not always have to be in the form of a lecture: make it interesting by introducing it as an ice breaker and/or an energizer during the course of the lecture.
In a very active 10 minute session we used the historical inquiry methodology to guide us in planning critical thinking exercises for the learners. We used historical figures such as Alexander Fleming, Joseph Lister and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek to commence the discussion. At the end of the session each group had a mind map they created by commencing with
identifying the topic of interest and ending with ideas of
how to write the narrative.
It was wonderful to realize that not only were my colleagues actively debating and thinking about history, but they were also considering historical inquiry as a teaching method that can enhance critical thinking skills in learners.
History sessions stimulate critical thinking
