One size fits all? The limitations of standardised assessment in critical thinking

Abstract

In today’s market-driven educational culture, universities are coming under increasing pressure to justify funding through the disclosure of measurable outcomes in education and research. One educational objective that receives particular attention is critical thinking, regarded as an essential skill in both academic and work environments. The assessment of critical thinking has become a significant enterprise, with a number of standardised tests available for both individuals and organisations. While these tests are based on well-known taxonomies of critical thinking, this paper argues that institutions should be wary of using them as a means to measure educational outcomes. First, they fail to take into account fundamentally contested issues within conceptions of critical thinking. They also have significant weaknesses in terms of validity and reliability. Finally, and most importantly, they provide only a limited assessment of critical thinking, failing to evaluate the skills exercised in real-life academic tasks. A more effective approach to critical thinking testing would be one implemented at a faculty level, with assessments carried out on coursework integral to the curricula of specific academic disciplines.

Keywords:

• critical thinking
• critical thinking assessment
• standardised testing
• validity