• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
SRI logo
  • About
    • Press room
    • Our history
  • Expertise
    • Advanced imaging systems
    • Artificial intelligence
    • Biomedical R&D services
    • Biomedical sciences
    • Computer vision
    • Cyber & formal methods
    • Education and learning
    • Innovation strategy and policy
    • National security
    • Ocean & space
    • Quantum
    • QED-C
    • Robotics, sensors & devices
    • Speech & natural language
    • Video test & measurement
  • Ventures
  • NSIC
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • 日本支社
Search
Close
Education & learning publications January 1, 2009 Tech Report

Measuring How A College Education Lays The Foundation For “Thinking Like An Expert”

Citation

Copy to clipboard


Yarnall, L., Haertel, G., & Gallager, L. (2009). Measuring how a college education lays the foundation for “thinking like an expert.” SRI International, Menlo Park, CA.

Introduction

A college education has long been viewed as a way to improve students’ capacity to think critically and argue rationally. Yet cognitive psychologists and philosophers studying the development of general reasoning have found such skills to be profoundly shaped by the depth of students’ core content knowledge of the “big ideas” in different domains (Chi, Glaser, & Farr, 1988; McPeck, 1981). Knowing big ideas differs from one’s capacity to recall the random facts, procedures, and concepts of any given domain. Rather, studies of expert thinking suggest that “big ideas” serve as schematic organizers of facts, procedures, and concepts, enhancing the efficiency of higher forms of reasoning, such as argumentation, problem solving, and creativity.

↓ Download poster

↓ Download report

Share this

How can we help?

Once you hit send…

We’ll match your inquiry to the person who can best help you.

Expect a response within 48 hours.

Career call to action image

Make your own mark.

Search jobs

Our work

Case studies

Publications

Timeline of innovation

Areas of expertise

Institute

Leadership

Press room

Media inquiries

Compliance

Careers

Job listings

Contact

SRI Ventures

Our locations

Headquarters

333 Ravenswood Ave
Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA

+1 (650) 859-2000

Subscribe to our newsletter


日本支社
SRI International
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • DMCA
  • Copyright © 2022 SRI International