“Methods of Inquiry”: Using Critical Thinking to Retain Students

In the late 1980s a large northeastern university implemented a critical thinking course for undergraduate students. Combining insights from cognitive psychology and philosophy, this class was designed to give students concrete strategies to promote self-regulated learning and ensure academic success. The analyses in this study are based on university warehouse data for three consecutive entering freshmen cohorts, resulting in a sample of 9,665 students, 1900 of whom had successfully completed the course. Results show these students are more likely to be retained or to exit successfully by the second, third, fourth, and fifth year as compared to those students who do not complete the course.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTHSTAGES: A UNIQUE UNIVERSITY AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT COLLABORATION TO ENHANCE SUCCESSFUL AGING

HealthStages is a health promotion program of OASIS, a national arts and humanities, health, and volunteer organization for older adults. It was developed by a unique not-for-profit organization and university collaboration using state-of-the art curricula and current research to enhance successful aging. Rowe and Kahn's (1997) model of successful aging provided the overall framework for the project, and Prochaska and DiClemente (1983) Stages of Change component of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change guided our curriculum development, research questions, and program evaluation. HealthStages uses evaluations of individual courses to assess participant expectations, new areas of interest, and appropriateness of courses. Outcome measures assess participants' changes as a result of particular courses within the program. Using a longitudinal survey design, a sample of HealthStages participants is compared to a random sample of older adults not involved in the program, comparisons are made on their health, health behavior, healthcare utilization, activity, and functioning over time. HealthStages is a comprehensive health promotion program designed to provide courses in a variety of topic areas at differing levels of readiness to change and to measure changes over time. The unique collaboration offers benefits to OASIS and its members as well as to faculty and students of Washington University.