Questions assumptions implicit in the fifth objective of National Education Goal 5, calling for critical thinking, communication and problem-solving abilities. Outlines strategies for a national assessment/improvement program, including setting goals, preparing faculty to foster student learning, gathering evidence on outcomes, and using…

This document provides a model for the national assessment of higher order thinking and consists of a preface and four main sections. The preface discusses the problem of lower order learning, summarizes the state of research into critical thinking and instructional reform, and explains the structure of the paper. Section 1 of the paper describes…

Reports on the controversy about the National History Standards, released in 1994 as part of the Goals 2000 program. Argues that the standards encourage critical thinking skills, active learning, use of primary sources, and integration of art and literature into history. (CFR)