PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The DIAGNOSTIC is a one-hour online module designed to give university leaders the information they need to begin scaling critical thinking instruction at their institutions.
Designed for pre-entry and entering college students, the DIAGNOSTIC allows leadership to measure students’ critical thinking using ready-made assessment tools.
Students then work through a few short lessons, gaining a small set of critical thinking skills they need to succeed in college-level coursework and the motivation to pursue deeper critical thinking training in the future.
PILOT PROGRAM LAUNCHING SUMMER 2025
JOIN THE PILOT
ThinkerAnalytix is seeking orientation and pre-entry programs to pilot the DIAGNOSTIC in summer 2025. As part of this free pilot, the ThinkerAnalytix team will:
- Meet with university faculty, leadership, and staff to demo the DIAGNOSTIC
- Onboard those in supervisory positions to the DIAGNOSTIC platform
- Provide support for supervisors and IT staff as they make the DIAGNOSTIC available to students through university platforms
- Administer (brief) pre and post-testing and surveys to gauge students' critical thinking skills and confidence
- Give tech support through an online chat
- Debrief with program leaders to gather feedback about the DIAGNOSTIC experience
- Support pilot design of follow-up programs that can deepen and strengthen students' critical thinking skills in first & second years
Please email [email protected] to request more information.
MODULE OUTLINE
Why complete the DIAGNOSTIC?
In this short introduction, each student selects an introductory video from a variety of student-created options. Videos point to different motivations students might have to take the module, including the motivation to: find college success, have a productive civic life, attend graduate school, gain employment, and more.
Following the introductory videos, each student takes a short diagnostic assessment that will help university leaders gauge entering students’ critical thinking skills.
Through animated video and a short, reflective self-assessment, students practice critical thinking by working through a Classic Game: The Monty Hall Problem.
Students leave part 1 having reflected on their confidence in argumentative reasoning.
In the latter half of part 2, students use a visual method to assess the reasons that motivated their moves in the game. This lesson drives home a key skill: the ability to identify faulty reasoning in our own arguments and change our minds accordingly.
A video and short set of practice exercises help students dissect arguments visually into their component parts: reasons and conclusions.
A short conclusion summarizes the skills students have surveyed, and aims to motivate future critical thinking development throughout their college years. Students finish the module with a short survey asking about their experience in the DIAGNOSTIC.
TRUSTED BY LEADERS IN EDUCATION
AFTER THE DIAGNOSTIC, WHAT'S NEXT?
The DIAGNOSTIC is the first part of thinkARGUMENTS, an online program designed to build critical thinking skills for pre-college and enrolled college students.
BUILD CRITICAL THINKERS
Through our course's Analysis Track and optional puzzle game, students master a deep set of reasoning skills in a custom, personalized learning platform.
Optional advanced course content synthesizes the skills and explores applications to more complex academic and policy topic areas.
We foster a network of faculty and education leadership to help us innovate for future students.
BUILD DISCOURSE
A step-by-step method for students to engage productively with peers over controversial issues.
The goal? To build a culture of productive discourse, collaboration, and innovation, even in the face of strong disagreement.
This track is designed to easily integrate with courses and extra-curricular programs for students across a college or university.
COMING FALL 2025
ABOUT US
thinkDIAGNOSTIC is offered by ThinkerAnalytix, a non-profit organization spun out of the Harvard University Department of Philosophy. We leverage thousands of years of tools from philosophy and custom technology to offer a portfolio of programs that teach critical thinking and productive disagreement as an essential part of learning and working communities.
