about the world
Seven dimensions evaluated for the 3 different components of each C.
Aspects of the overall educational program teaching, emphasizing, and promoting the 4Cs | |
Availability and access to different means, materials, space, and expertise, digital technologies, mnemonic and heuristic methods, etc. to assist in the proper use and exercise of the 4Cs | |
Actual student and program use of available resources promoting the 4Cs | |
Critical reflection and metacognition on the process being engaged in around the 4Cs | |
The formal and informal training, skills, and abilities of teachers/trainers and staff and their program of development as promoters of the 4Cs | |
Use and integration of the full range of resources external to the institution available to enhance the 4Cs | |
Availability of resources for students to create and actualize products, programs, events, etc. that require the exercise, promotion, or manifestation of the 4Cs |
* Educational-level dependent and potentially less available for younger students or in some contexts.
The grid itself can be used in several important and different ways by different educational stakeholders: (1) by the institution itself in its self-evaluation and possible preparation for a certification or labelization process, (2) as an explicit list of criteria for external evaluation of the institution and its 4Cs-related programs, and (3) as a potential long-term development targeting tool for the institution or the institution in dialogue with the labelization process.
Dropping the component of “creative person” that is not relevant at the institutional level, this evaluation grid is based on Rhodes’ ( 1961 ) classic “4P” model of creativity, which remains the most concise model today ( Lubart and Thornhill-Miller 2019 ). The three “P” components retained are: creative process , creative environment , and creative product . Creative process refers to the acquisition of a set of tools and techniques that students can use to enhance the creativity of their thinking and work. Creative environment (also called “Press” in earlier literature) is about how the physical and social surroundings of students can help them be more creative. Finally, creative product refers to the evaluation of actual “productions” (e.g., a piece of art, text, speech, etc.) generated through the creative process.
Our evaluation grid divides critical thinking into three main components: critical thinking about the world , critical thinking about oneself (self-reflection), as well as critical action and decision making . The first component refers to having an evidence-based view of the exterior world, notably by identifying and evaluating sources of information and using them to question current understandings and solve problems. Self-reflection refers to thinking critically about one’s own life situation, values, and actions; it presupposes the autonomy of thought and a certain distance as well as the most objective observation possible with regard to one’s own knowledge (“meta-cognition”). The third and final component, critical action and decision making, is about using critical thinking skills more practically in order to make appropriate life decisions as well as to be open to different points of view. This component also addresses soft skills and attitudes such as trusting information.
Our evaluation framework for critical thinking was in part inspired by Barnett’s “curriculum for critical being” (2015), whose model distinguishes two axes: one defined by the qualitative differences in the level of criticality attained and the second comprised of three different domains of application: formal knowledge, the self, and the world. The first two components of our framework (and the seven dimensions on which they are rated) reflect and encompass these three domains. Similar to Barrett’s proposal, our third rubric moves beyond the “skills-plus-dispositions” model of competency implicit in much theorizing about critical thinking and adds the importance of “action”—not just the ability to think critically and the disposition to do so, but the central importance of training and practicing “critical doing” ( Barnett 2015 ). Critical thinking should also be exercised collectively by involving students in collective thinking, facilitating the exchange of ideas and civic engagement ( Huber and Kuncel 2016 ).
The first component of collaboration skills in the IICD grid is engagement and participation , referring to the active engagement in group work. Perspective taking and openness concerns the flexibility to work with and accommodate other group members and their points of view. The final dimension— social regulation —is about being able to reach for a common goal, notably through compromise and negotiation, as well as being aware of the different types of roles that group members can hold ( Hesse et al. 2015 ; Rusdin and Ali 2019 ; Care et al. 2016 ). (These last two components include elements of leadership, character, and emotional intelligence as sometimes described in other soft-skill and competency-related systems.) Participation, social regulation, and perspective taking have been identified as central social skills in collaborative problem solving ( Hesse et al. 2015 ). Regarding social regulation in this context, recognizing and profiting from group diversity is key ( Graesser et al. 2018 ). When describing an assessment in an educational setting of collaborative problem solving (with a task in which two or more students have to collaborate in order to solve it, each using a different set of resources), two main underpinning skills were described for the assessment: the social skill of audience awareness (“how to adapt one’s own behavior to suit the needs of the task and the partner’s requirements”, Care et al. 2016, p. 258 ) and the cognitive skill of planning and executing (developing a plan to reach for a goal) ( Care et al. 2016 ). The former is included in the perspective taking and openness rubric and the latter in the social regulation component in the IICD grid. Evans ( 2020 ) identified four main collaboration skills consistently mentioned in the scientific literature that are assessed in the IICD grid: the ability to plan and make group decisions (example item from the IICD grid: teachers provide assistance to students to overcome differences and reach a common goal during group work); the ability to communicate about thinking with the group (assessed notably in the meta-reflection strand of the IICD grid); the ability to contribute resources, ideas, and efforts and support group members (included notably in the engagement and participation as well as the social regulation components); and finally, the ability to monitor, reflect, and adapt individual and group processes to benefit the group (example item from the IICD grid: students use perspective-taking tools and techniques in group activities).
The evaluation grid for communication is also composed of three dimensions: message formulation, message delivery, and message and communication feedback . Message formulation refers to the ability to design and structure a message to be sent, such as outlining the content of an argument. Message delivery is about effectively transmitting verbal and non-verbal aspects of a message. Finally, message and communication feedback refers to the ability of students and teachers to understand their audience, analyze their social surroundings, and interpret information in context. Other components of communication skills such as theory of mind, empathy, or emotional intelligence are also relevant and included in the process of applying the grid. Thompson ( 2020 ) proposes a four-component operationalized definition of communication for its assessment in students. First, they describe a comprehension strand covering the understanding and selection of adequate information from a range of sources. Message formulation in the IICD grid captures this dimension through its focus on content analysis and generation. Second, the presentation of information and ideas is mentioned in several different modes, adjusted to the intended audience, verbally as well as non-verbally. The message delivery component of the IICD grid focuses on these points. Third, the authors note the importance of communication technology and its advanced use. The IICD grid also covers the importance of technology use in its tools and techniques category, with, for example, an item that reads: students learn to effectively use a variety of formats of communication (social media, make a video, e-mail, letter writing, creating a document). Finally, Thompson ( 2020 ) describes the recognition of cultural and other differences as an important aspect of communication. The IICD grid aims at incorporating these aspects, notably in the meta-reflection category under each of the three dimensions.
5.1. the 4cs in informal educational contexts.
So far, the focus has been on rather formal ways of nurturing the 4Cs. Although institutions and training programs are perhaps the most significant and necessary avenues of education, they are not the sole context in which 4Cs’ learning and improvement can manifest. One other important potential learning context is game play. Games are activities that are present and participated in throughout human society—by those of all ages, genders, and socio-economic statuses ( Bateson and Martin 2013 ; Huizinga 1949 ; Malaby 2007 ). This informal setting can also provide favorable conditions to help improve the 4Cs ( van Rosmalen et al. 2014 ) and should not be under-appreciated. Games provide a unique environment for learning, as they can foster a space to freely explore possibilities and one’s own potential ( de Freitas 2006 ). We argue that games are a significant potential pathway for the improvement of the 4Cs, and as such, they merit the same attention as more formal ways of learning and developing competencies.
Compared to schools and educational institutions, the focus of IICD’s evaluation framework for games (see International Institute for Competency Development 2021 ) is more narrow. Thus, it is fundamentally different from the institutional grid: games, complex and deep as they can sometimes be, cannot directly be compared to the complexity of a school curriculum and all the programs it contains. The evaluation of a game’s effectiveness for training/improving a given C rests on the following principle: if a game presents affordances conducive to exercising a given skill, engaged playing of that game should help improve that skill.
The game’s evaluation grid is scored based on two criteria. For example, as a part of a game’s rating as a tool for the development of creativity, we determine the game must first meet two conditions. First, whether or not the game allows the opportunity for creativity to manifest itself: if creativity cannot occur in the game, it is obviously not eligible to receive ratings for that C. Second, whether or not creativity is needed in order to perform well in the game: if the players can win or achieve success in the game without needing creativity, this also means it cannot receive a rating for that C. If both conditions are met, however, the game will be considered potentially effective to improve creativity through the practice of certain components of creative behavior. This basic principle applies for all four of the Cs.
As outlined in Table 3 , below, the evaluation grid for each of the four Cs is composed of five components relevant to games that are different for each of the Cs. The grid works as follows: for each of the five components of each C, we evaluate the game on a list of sub-components using two yes/no scales: one for whether it is “possible” for that subcomponent to manifest and one for whether that sub-component is “required for success” in the game. This evaluation is done for all sub-components. After this, each general component is rated on the same two indicators. If 60% (i.e., three out of five) or more sub-components are positively rated as required, the general component is considered required. Then, the game is evaluated on its effectiveness for training and improving each of the 4Cs. If 60% or more components are positively rated as required, the game will be labelized as having the potential to be effective for training and improving the corresponding C.
Five different components evaluated for each C by the 4Cs assessment framework for games.
Originality | Divergent Thinking | Convergent Thinking | Mental Flexibility | Creative Dispositions | |
Goal-adequate judgment/ discernment | Objective thinking | Metacognition | Elaborate eeasoning | Uncertainty management | |
Collaboration fluency | Well-argued deliberation and consensus-based decision | Balance of contribution | Organization and coordination | Cognitive syncing, input, and support | |
Social Interactions | Social cognition | Mastery of written and spoken language | Verbal communication | Non-verbal communication |
The evaluation grid for creativity is based on the multivariate model of creative potential (see Section 2.1.1 and Lubart et al. 2013 for more information) and is composed of four cognitive factors and one conative factor: originality , divergent thinking , convergent thinking , mental flexibility , and creative dispositions . Originality refers to the generation of ideas that are novel or unexpected, depending on the context. Divergent thinking corresponds to the generation of multiple ideas or solutions. Convergent thinking refers to the combination of multiple ideas and the selection of the most creative idea. Mental flexibility entails changing perspectives on a given problem and breaking away from initial ideas. Finally, creative dispositions concerns multiple personality-related factors conducive to creativity, such as openness to experience or risk taking.
The evaluation grid for critical thinking echoes Halpern’s ( 1998 ) as well as Marin and Halpern’s ( 2011 ) considerations for teaching this skill, that is, taking into consideration thinking skills, metacognition, and dispositions. The five components of the critical thinking grid are: goal-adequate discernment, objective thinking, metacognition, elaborate reasoning, and uncertainty management. Goal-adequate discernment entails the formulation of inferences and the discernment of contradictions when faced with a problem. Objective thinking corresponds to the suspension of one’s own judgment and the analysis of affirmations and sources in the most objective manner possible. Metacognition, here, is about questioning and reassessing information, as well as the awareness of one’s own cognitive biases. Elaborate reasoning entails reasoning in a way that is cautious, thorough, and serious. Finally, uncertainty management refers to the dispositional propensity to tolerate ambiguity and accept doubt.
The evaluation grid for collaboration is based on the quality of collaboration (QC) method ( Burkhardt et al. 2009 ; see Section 2.4.2 for more details) and is composed of the following five components: collaboration fluidity, well-argued deliberation and consensus-based decision, balance of contribution, organization and coordination, and cognitive syncing, input, and support. Collaboration fluidity entails the absence of speech overlap and the presence of a good flow in terms of turns to speak. Well-argued deliberation and consensus-based decision is about contributing to the discussion and task at hand, as well as participating in discussions and arguments, in order to obtain a consensus. Balance of contribution refers to having equal or equivalent contributions to organization, coordination, and decision making. Organization and coordination refers to effective management of roles, time, and “deadlines”, as well as the attribution of roles depending on participants’ skills. Finally, cognitive syncing, input, and support is about bringing ideas and resources to the group, as well as supporting and reinforcing other members of the group.
The five components used to evaluate communication in games include both linguistic, pragmatic, and social aspects. Linguistic skills per se are captured by the mastery of written and spoken language component. This component assesses language comprehension and the appropriate use of vocabulary. Pragmatic skills are captured by the verbal and non-verbal communication components and refer to the efficient use of verbal and body signals in the context of the game to achieve one’s communicative goals ( Grassmann 2014 ; Matthews 2014 ). Finally, the grid also evaluates social skills with its two last components, social interactions and social cognition, which, respectively, refer to the ability to interact with others appropriately—including by complying with the rules of the game—and to the understanding of other people’ mental states ( Tomasello 2005 ).
Each of the 4Cs is a broad, multi-faceted concept that is the subject of a tremendous amount of research and discussion by a wide range of stakeholders in different disciplines, professions, and parts of the educational establishment. The development of evaluation frameworks to allow support for the 4Cs to be assessed and publicly recognized, using a label, is an important step for promoting and fostering these skills in educational contexts. As illustrated by IICD’s 4Cs Framework for educational institutions and programs, as well as its games/activities evaluation grid, the specific criteria to detect support for each C can vary depending upon the educational context (e.g., formal and institutional level or informal and at the activity level). Yet considering the 4Cs together highlights some additional observations, current challenges, and opportunities for the future that are worthy of discussion.
One very important issue for understanding the 4Cs and their educational implementation that can be simultaneously a help and a hindrance for teaching them—and also a challenge when assessing them—is their multidimensionality and interrelatedness. In other words, the 4Cs are not entirely separate entities but instead, as Figure 2 shows, should be seen as four interlinked basic “elements” for future-oriented education that can help individuals in their learning process and, together, synergistically “bootstrap” the development of their cognitive potentials. Lamri and Lubart ( 2021 ), for example, found a certain base level of creativity was a necessary but not sufficient condition for success in managerial tasks, but that high-level performance required a combination of all four Cs. Some thinkers have argued that one cannot be creative without critical thinking, which also requires creativity, for example, to come up with alternative arguments (see Paul and Elder 2006 ). Similarly, among many other interrelationships, there is no collaboration without communication—and even ostensibly individual creativity is a “collaboration” of sorts with the general culture and precursors in a given field. As a result, it ranges from impossible to suboptimal to teach (or teach towards) one of the 4Cs without involving one or more of the others, and this commingling also underscores the genuine need and appropriateness of assessing them together.
“‘Crea-Critical-Collab-ication’: a Dynamic Interactionist Model of the 4Cs”. (Illustration of the interplay and interpenetration of creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication shown in dimensional space according to their differing cognitive/individual vs. social/interpersonal emphases; (© 2023, Branden Thornhill-Miller. All Rights Reserved. thornhill-miller.com; accessed on 20 January 2023)).
From this perspective, Thornhill-Miller ( 2021 ) proposed a “dynamic interactionist model of the 4Cs” and their interrelated contributions to the future of education and work. Presented in Figure 2 , this model is meant to serve as a visual and conceptual aid for understanding the 4Cs and their interrelationships, thereby also promoting better use and understanding of them in pedagogical and policy settings. In addition to suggesting the portmanteau of “crea-critical thinking” as a new term to describe the overlap of much of the creative and critical thinking processes, the title of this model, “Crea-Critical-Collab-ication”, is a verbal representation of the fluid four-way interrelationship between the 4Cs visually represented in Figure 2 (a title meant to playfully repackage the 4Cs for important pedagogical and policy uses). This model goes further to suggest some dimensional differences in emphases that, roughly speaking, also often exist among the 4Cs: that is to say, the frequently greater emphasis on cognitive or individual elements at play in creativity and critical thinking in comparison to the social and interpersonal aspects more central to communication and collaboration ( Thornhill-Miller 2021 ).
Similarly focused on the need to promote a phase change towards future-oriented education, Lucas ( 2019 ) and colleagues have suggested conflating creative thinking and critical thinking in order to propose “3Cs” (creative thinking, communication, and collaboration) as new “foundational literacies” to symmetrically add to the 3Rs (Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic) of previous educational eras. Although we applaud these efforts, from our applied research perspective, we believe that the individual importance of, and distinct differences between, creative thinking and critical thinking support preserving them both as separate constructs in order to encourage the greatest development of each of them. Moreover, if only three categories were somehow required or preferable, one could argue that uniting communication and collaboration (as “collab-ication” suggests) might be preferable—particularly also given the fact that substantial aspects of communication are already covered within the 3Rs. In any case, we look forward to more such innovations and collaborations in this vibrant and important area of work at the crossroads between research, pedagogy, and policy development.
The rich literature in each of the 4Cs domains shows the positive effects of integrating these dimensions into educational and professional curricula. At the same time, the complexity of their definitions makes them difficult to assess, both in terms of reliability (assessment must not vary from one measurement to another) and of validity (tests must measure that which they are intended to measure). However, applied research in this area is becoming increasingly rigorous, with a growing capacity to provide the necessary tools for evidence-based practice. The development of these practices should involve interdisciplinary teams of teachers and other educational practitioners who are equipped and trained accordingly. Similarly, on the research side, further exploration and clarification of subcomponents of the 4Cs and other related skills will be important. Recent efforts to clarify the conceptual overlap and hierarchical relations of soft skills for the future of education and work, for example, have been helpful and promising (e.g., Joie-La Marle et al. 2022 ; Lamri et al. 2022 ). But the most definitive sort of taxonomy and measurement model that we are currently lacking might only be established based on the large-scale administration of a comprehensive battery of skill-measuring psychometric tests on appropriate cross sections of society.
The rapid development and integration of new technologies will also aid and change the contexts, resources, and implementation of the 4Cs. For example, the recent developments make it clear that the 4Cs will be enhanced and changed by interaction with artificially intelligence, even as 4Cs-related skills will probably, for the same reason, increasingly constitute the core of available human work in the future (see, e.g., Ross 2018 ). Similarly, research on virtual reality and creativity suggest that VR environments assist and expand individual and collaborative creativity ( Bourgeois-Bougrine et al. 2022 ). Because VR technologies offer the possibility of enhanced and materially enriched communication, collaboration, and information availability, they not only allow for the enhancement of creativity techniques but also for similar expansions and improvements on almost all forms of human activity (see Thornhill-Miller and Dupont 2016 )—including the other three Cs.
Traditional educational approaches cannot meet the educational needs of our emergent societies if they do not teach, promote, and assess in line with the new learner characteristics and contexts of the 21st century ( Sahin 2009 ). The sort of future-oriented change and development required by this shift in institutional practices, programming, and structure will likely meet with significant resistance from comfortably entrenched (and often outdated) segments of traditional educational and training establishments. Additional external evaluation and monitoring is rarely welcome by workers in any context. We believe, however, that top-down processes from the innovative and competition-conscious administrative levels will be met by bottom-up demands from students and education consumers to support these institutional changes. And we contend that efforts such as labelizing 4C processes will serve to push educators and institutions towards more relevant offerings, oriented towards the future of work and helping build a more successful future for all.
In the end, the 4Cs framework seems to be a manageable, focused model for modernizing education, and one worthy of its growing prevalence in the educational and research marketplace for a number of reasons. These reasons include the complexity and cumbersome nature of larger alternative systems and the 4Cs’ persuasive presence at the core of a number of early and industry-driven frameworks. In addition, the 4Cs have benefitted from their subsequent promotion by organizations such as the OECD and the World Economic Forum, as well as some more direct support from recent empirical research. The promotion, teaching, and assessment of the 4Cs will require a complex social intervention and mobilization of educational resources—a major shift in pedagogy and institutional structures. Yet the same evolving digital technologies that have largely caused the need for these massive, rapid changes can also assist in the implementation of solutions ( van Laar et al. 2017 ). To the extent that future research also converges on such a model (that has already been found pedagogically useful and policy-friendly by so many individuals and organizations), the 4Cs framework has the potential to become a manageable core for 21st century skills and the future of education and work—one that stakeholders with various agendas can already begin building on for a better educational and economic future together.
This research received no external funding.
Conceptualization, B.T.-M. and T.L.; writing—original draft preparation, B.T.-M., A.C., M.M., J.-M.B., T.M., S.B.-B., S.E.H., F.V., M.A.-L., C.F., D.S., F.M.; writing—review and editing, B.T.-M., A.C., T.L., J.-M.B., C.F.; visualization, B.T.-M.; supervision, B.T.-M., T.L.; project administration, B.T.-M., T.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Not applicable.
Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.
B.T.-M. and T.L. are unpaid academic co-founder and project collaborator for the International Institute for Competency Development, whose labelization frameworks (developed in cooperation with Afnor International and the LaPEA lab of Université Paris Cité and Université Gustave Eiffel) are used as examples in this review. S.E.H. and M.A.-L. are employees of AFNOR International. No funding was received to support this research or article, which reflects the views of the scientists and researchers and not their organizations or companies.
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Are you looking for some critical thinking team building activities ?
Employees who can think critically and solve complex problems are valuable assets to any company. With this skill, they can objectively analyze data and make informed decisions.
This will ease your job as a leader, right?
In this article, let’s see 10 critical thinking activities for your employees.
Critical thinking helps employees to assess situations accurately and make sound decisions. When it is incorporated into the workplace, it can help teams become more collaborative and productive. Moreover, they can think strategically under pressure.
Here are 10 activities that will help your teams develop their critical thinking skills:
This activity requires teams to debate a controversial topic and come to a consensus.
Time: You decide
Materials: None
Participants: 3-10 people per group
Instructions
• Break the participants into small groups and assign each group a controversial topic to debate.
• Give them some time to research their topics and discuss possible arguments.
• During the debate, encourage all group members to participate and cooperate while developing their arguments.
• Finally, each group should come up with a consensus.
Discuss how the groups reach a consensus. Ask them how they overcame disagreements to come to an agreement.
This activity requires employees to answer questions and solve puzzles to reach a common goal.
Materials: Questions, puzzles, and clues about the given subject.
Participants: 3-10 people in a team
• Break the participants into teams and give each one a set of questions, puzzles, and clues related to a given topic. For example, the topic could be sustainability in the workplace.
• Give the teams time to discuss and answer each question or puzzle.
• Once they’ve answered all the questions, they must come up with a plan to reach a common goal.
During the debrief, see how each team worked together and what strategies they used to solve the puzzles. Encourage them to think strategically and in an orderly manner.
This team building activity requires employees to come up with solutions to a given problem.
Materials: Questions, topics, and discussion prompts
Participants: 5-15 people per group
• Choose a person to be in the center of the circle that everyone else can see. Everyone else stands around them in a circle.
• Ask the group a question or provide a discussion prompt, and allow the person in the center to begin discussing their thoughts.
• Everyone else takes turns providing input and suggestions, helping the individual in the center reach a solution or conclusion.
Discuss how the group worked together to come up with ideas and solutions. Talk about what strategies were used, how people communicated, and any key points that came up during the discussion.
This exercise requires employees to use their strategic planning skills. Here groups must complete tasks quickly in order to win the game.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: Cards with various tasks, such as creating a budget or developing a marketing plan
Participants: 5-10 people divided into teams of 2-3
• Ask teams to pick one card from the deck and assign each team the task indicated.
• Give them some time to complete their tasks.
• After the time is up, ask each team to present their results.
• Award points to the teams based on how well they completed the task, and choose the winner!
Discuss how each group planned and worked together to complete the task. Also, talk about the importance of thinking critically and strategically under pressure.
In this activity, employees must quickly brainstorm ideas in order to come up with solutions.
Time: 5 minutes
Materials: Problem and discussion prompts
Participants: 4-10 people per team
• Initially, present a problem to the group. Next, give them 2-3 minutes to brainstorm as many solutions as possible.
• Have each team present their ideas.
• Ask the teams to discuss each solution and vote on the best one.
Have employees reflect on the ideas that were generated during the activity. Discuss how open and honest communication can help groups come up with creative solutions in a short amount of time.
This team building exercise encourages employees to think creatively while crafting a story.
Materials: Story prompts and writing utensils
Participants: 4-10 people in a group
• Give each group a short story or scenario to work with.
• Have the groups discuss potential plot points, character traits, and other creative aspects of the story.
• Each group should write the completed story collaboratively.
Evaluate the effectiveness of teamwork and recognize any biases or patterns noticed while writing the stories. Talk about how important it is to communicate openly and consider different perspectives while solving problems.
This exercise requires teams to work together by exchanging and reallocating items.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Any items needed to complete the task such as cards, balls, puzzles, etc.
Participants: At least two teams of any size
• Give each team a different task to complete. For example, building the highest tower or creating the most complex puzzle.
• Provide a set of items to each team.
• Allow them to exchange items with the other teams until they have created their final product.
Evaluate the team members’ problem-solving abilities and recognize any biases that may have impacted their decisions. Also, assess what they learned about communication and collaboration during the exercise.
This team building activity encourages groups to think creatively by generating ideas for a particular challenge.
Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: Any items needed to complete the task such as construction paper, tape, scissors, etc.
Participants: 3-10 members in a team
• Assign each team a set of items and ask them to come up with an innovative idea or invention using the materials provided.
• Encourage them to brainstorm and generate ideas with their team members.
• Allow each team to create prototypes or models of their idea if desired.
Evaluate the creative problem-solving skills displayed by team members. Also, identify any potential areas for improvement.
This activity encourages employees to collaborate and think critically in order to solve a case study.
Materials: Case study, research materials, and discussion prompts
Participants: Any number of members per group
• Present the groups with a case study that requires critical thinking to solve.
• Provide them with research materials and discussion prompts to come up with solutions.
• Each group should present their findings and solutions to the other groups.
Assess how well the teams worked together, and evaluate their strategies for problem-solving. Also, discuss which solution was the most effective.
This exercise encourages employees to work together and think critically in order to survive in the desert.
Materials: A list of items, paper, and pen
Participants: Teams of 3-8 members
• Each team should assume that they are stuck in a desert. Their goal is to come up with solutions for survival.
• Now, provide a list of 10 items to each team. Some of the items can be food, shelter, water, etc.
• Instruct them to choose five items from the list that they value the most.
• After a few minutes, ask each team to present their solution.
• Award points to the teams based on how effectively they used the items to survive.
Discuss how the teams used their problem solving skills to come up with solutions and ask them what other strategies they could have used in this situation. Also, talk about the importance of being able to think critically and strategically under pressure.
If you want some unique team building exercises for your employees, you can get my new e-book:
The Busy Leader’s Guide of Unique Team Building Activities: 30 Fully Customizable Exercises That You Can Conduct with Any Group of Employees, Anywhere
If you want some unique activities to equip your employees with leadership skills, qualities, and mindset, you can get my new e-book:
The Empowering Guide of Unique Leadership Development Activities: 100 Fully Customizable Exercises That You Can Conduct with Any Group of Employees, Anywhere
Teams can enhance their critical thinking skills by taking part in the above-mentioned activities in a fun and collaborative environment. Since everyone has varying viewpoints, you must exercise patience and respect while exchanging ideas. Finally, conducting a debrief after each activity is essential to help everyone gain insight from the experience and incorporate it into future scenarios.
You might have these questions in mind.
These are exercises that can help your teams to think outside the box and solve complex problems. They will help your employees work under pressure and make the right decisions.
Some 5-minute activities that can help your employees think critically are Idea Generation Game, Quick Brainstorming, and The Challenge Quest.
Having good critical thinking skills helps employees think strategically and analyze data efficiently. They also become better problem solvers and are able to generate innovative solutions more quickly. All of this helps to improve overall workplace performance and productivity.
Begin a story that incorporates whatever happens to be on your assigned photo. The next student continues the story, incorporating their photo, and so on.
by TeachThought Staff
One of education’s primary goals is to groom the next generation of little humans to succeed in the ‘real world.’
Yes, there are mounds of curricula they must master in a wide breadth of subjects, but education does not begin and end with a textbook or test.
Other skills must be honed, too, not the least of which is how to get along with their peers and work well with others. This is not something that can be cultivated through rote memorization or with strategically placed posters.
Students must be engaged and cooperation must be practiced, and often. The following team-building games can promote cooperation and communication, help establish a positive classroom environment and — most importantly — provide a fun, much-needed reprieve from routine.
See also Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School
10 Team-Building Games That Promote Collaborative Critical Thinking
You can purchase a classroom-ready version of team-building games that promote critical thinking here .
1. If You Build it…
This team-building game is flexible. First, divide students into teams and give them equal amounts of a certain material, like pipe cleaners, blocks, or even dried spaghetti and marshmallows.
Then, give them something to construct. The challenge can be variable (think: Which team can build the tallest, structurally-sound castle? Which team can build a castle the fastest?). You can recycle this activity throughout the year by adapting the challenge or materials to specific content areas.
Skills: Communication; problem-solving
2. Save the Egg
This activity can get messy and may be suitable for older children who can follow safety guidelines when working with raw eggs. Teams must work together to find a way to ‘save’ the egg (Humpty Dumpty for elementary school students?) — in this case, an egg dropped from a specific height. That could involve finding the perfect soft landing, or creating a device that guides the egg safely to the ground.
Let their creativity work here.
Skills: Problem-solving, creative collaboration
Zoom is a classic classroom cooperative game that never seems to go out of style. Simply form students into a circle and give each a unique picture of an object, animal, or whatever else suits your fancy. You begin a story that incorporates whatever happens to be on your assigned photo. The next student continues the story, incorporating their photo, and so on.
Skills: Communication; creative collaboration
4. Minefield
Another classic team-building game. Arrange some sort of obstacle course and divide students into teams. Students take turns navigating the ‘minefield’ while blindfolded, with only their teammates to guide them. You can also require students to only use certain words or clues to make it challenging or content-area specific.
Skills: Communication; trust
See also 10 Team-Building Games For A Friendlier Classroom
5. The Worst-Case Scenario
Fabricate a scenario in which students would need to work together and solve problems to succeed, like being stranded on a deserted island or getting lost at sea. Ask them to work together to concoct a solution that ensures everyone arrives safely. You might ask them to come up with a list of 10 must-have items that would help them most, or a creative passage to safety. Encourage them to vote — everyone must agree to the final solution.
Skills: Communication, problem-solving
6. A Shrinking Vessel
This game requires a good deal of strategy in addition to teamwork. Its rules are deceptively simple: The entire group must find a way to occupy a space that shrinks over time until they are packed creatively like sardines. You can form the boundary with a rope, a tarp or blanket being folded over, or small traffic cones. (Skills: Problem-solving; teamwork)
7. Go for Gold
This game is similar to the ‘If you build it’ game: Teams have a common objective but instead of each one having the same materials, they have access to a whole cache of materials. For instance, the goal might be to create a contraption with pipes, rubber tubing, and pieces of cardboard that can carry a marble from point A to point B in a certain number of steps, using only gravity.
Creative collaboration; communication; problem-solving
8. It’s a Mystery
Many children (and grown-ups) enjoy a good mystery, so why not design one that must be solved cooperatively? Give each student a numbered clue. In order to solve the mystery — say, the case of the missing mascot — children must work together to solve the clues in order. The ‘case’ might require them to move from one area of the room to the next, uncovering more clues.
Skills: Problem-solving, communication
9. 4-Way Tug-of-War
That playground classic is still a hit — not to mention inexpensive and simple to execute. For a unique variation, set up a multi-directional game by tying ropes in such a way that three or four teams tug at once. Some teams might choose to work together to eliminate the other groups before going head-to-head.
Skills: Teamwork; sportsmanship
10. Keep it Real
This open-ended concept is simple and serves as an excellent segue into problem-based learning. Challenge students to identify and cooperatively solve a real problem in their schools or communities. You may set the parameters, including a time limit, materials, and physical boundaries.
Skills: Problem-solving; communication
While education technology is a basic and crucial component of the 21st-century classroom, educators must still ensure that students are engaging with each other in meaningful ways. Team-building exercises are a great way to do this, and because of this, they will never go out of style.
Aimee Hosler is a writer and mother of two living in Virginia. She specializes in a number of topics, but is particularly passionate about education and workplace news and trends. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and is a contributor to several websites including OnlineSchools.com; 10 Team-Building Games For Kids, Teenagers, or Adults
TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in education through the growth of outstanding teachers.
By: Michael Alexis | Updated: April 17, 2024
You found our list of teamwork skills for work.
Teamwork skills are abilities that help folks work well with others to achieve common goals. For example, these skills include effective communication and problem-solving abilities. The purpose of these skills is to help colleagues work together effectively. These skills are also known as “collaboration skills” and “high-performance team skills.”
These teamwork skills for work are similar to good team player characteristics , collaboration skills , and team building skills .
This list includes:
Let’s get to it!
From communication to clear feedback, here is our list of the best skills that improve teamwork.
Effective teamwork depends a lot on good communication. Strong communication means sharing ideas, information, and feedback among team members. With these techniques, workers can work together toward common goals. It is important to speak clearly, listen actively, and handle disagreements in a positive way. When team members understand each other, trust each other, and cooperate, it makes work more successful. To build strong teams, colleagues must practice active listening, speak clearly, and have open conversations.
Learn internal communication tips .
Reliability is essential in teamwork. When workers are reliable, they show up consistently, meet deadlines, and provide quality work. Reliable employees can count on each other, building trust. Being reliable demonstrates accountability, reinforces team integrity, and boosts overall productivity. This skill is vital for teamwork in any professional setting.
Get our free team building toolbox
Active listening involves fully engaging with and understanding others during conversations. These listeners give colleagues their complete attention, maintain eye contact, and do not interrupt. These employees also show empathy by acknowledging and validating the speaker’s feelings.
This skill fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and enhances collaboration within a team. Through active listening, individuals gather information, identify concerns, and generate innovative solutions together. Developing active listening skills is crucial for effective teamwork in the workplace.
Check out these active listening activities .
Respecting others is one of the top skills for collaboration. Respect means valuing and appreciating what others bring to the table. Workers with this skill appreciate their colleagues’ ideas, perspectives, and contributions. When team members have respect for each other, it creates a positive work environment.
Respectful communication helps team members collaborate effectively. This communication style encourages open dialogue, which leads to better problem-solving and decision-making. Respecting boundaries and embracing diversity also promotes a sense of belonging. By practicing respect in the workplace, individuals can build stronger relationships.
Browse these quotes about respect and teamwork .
Problem-solving is a crucial team skill. Employees who are able to address issues logically and effectively add value to their team. Workers with good problem-solving skills can assess scenarios and come up with innovative solutions. Further, these individuals can resolve issues quickly and efficiently. Promoting open communication will ensure collective problem-solving and success.
Here is a list of books about problem-solving .
Leadership is one of the most important teamwork skills. Effective leaders can inspire and guide their teams to success. These workers can clearly express their goals and expectations. Moreover, leaders excel at assigning tasks, identifying individual strengths, and promoting collaboration. By being a positive role model and offering guidance, leaders help their teams achieve their maximum potential. In the end, strong leadership creates a united and efficient work environment.
Here are more key leadership skills .
Creativity has great value in the workplace. This skill helps individuals think innovatively, generate ideas, and find solutions. In a team environment, creativity promotes collaboration and inspires different viewpoints. By encouraging creative thinking, teams can develop new approaches to challenges. Being creative also fosters innovation within the organization. Embracing creativity can improve productivity, engage employees, and boost workplace success.
Browse these quotes about creativity .
Being helpful is one of the most essential teamwork skills. This asset can contribute to a productive work environment. Helpfulness means willingly offering assistance to colleagues. Workers could provide guidance, share knowledge, or lend a hand. When team members are helpful, they foster collaboration and build positive relationships. These bonds lead to increased efficiency and effectiveness. Plus, having helpful workers creates a supportive atmosphere where the whole team feels valued and supported. Ultimately, helpfulness promotes unity and enhances overall team performance.
Being flexible is an important skill for teamwork. Flexible employees can adapt to changes in tasks, roles, and circumstances. A flexible team member can easily take on new responsibilities and handle unexpected challenges. This skill helps teams achieve their goals. Additionally, flexibility promotes collaboration and open-mindedness. Ultimately, being flexible improves teamwork and contributes to the team’s overall success.
Making decisions is a vital skill in teamwork. Good decision-making involves analyzing information and choosing what matches the team’s goals. Workers must use critical thinking and weigh the pros and cons of each option. By making informed choices, teams can handle challenges and take advantage of opportunities.
Further, thoughtful decision-makers can balance taking their time with being decisive when needed. Open communication and input from team members can also improve the decision-making process. In the end, strong decision-making skills contribute to efficient teamwork and positive results.
Here is a list of decision-making books .
Responsibility is an important skill for teamwork. Responsible workers take ownership of their actions and are accountable for assigned tasks. These team members meet deadlines, fulfill commitments, and deliver quality work. This skill builds trust and reliability within the team, creating a positive work environment. By embracing responsibility, individuals show their commitment to the team’s success. Taking responsibility also promotes personal growth and development.
Being organized is a crucial skill for teamwork in the workplace. Organization involves managing time, resources, and tasks effectively. This planning ensures a smooth workflow and high productivity. Organized team members can prioritize their responsibilities, set realistic goals, and meet deadlines.
By keeping schedules, documents, and information in order, teams can reduce confusion and avoid mistakes. Additionally, being organized promotes efficiency by improving processes and reducing wasted time. Strong organizational skills benefit individuals and contribute to the team’s overall success.
Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial for effective teamwork. When individuals have a positive mindset, they approach challenges with optimism. Further, these workers stay positive in the face of challenges. This attitude boosts individual morale and motivates others. A positive attitude supports better communication, collaboration, and problem-solving within a team. Being positive also creates an environment where members can share ideas and resolve conflict. Embracing positivity contributes to a successful team dynamic.
Learn how to create a positive workplace .
Accountability is among the top collaboration skills. Accountable workers take responsibility for their actions, decisions, and results. When team members are accountable, they complete their tasks and achieve outcomes. This behavior builds trust and dependability within the team. Additionally, accountability creates an environment where individuals hold themselves responsible for meeting objectives. By practicing accountability, teams can succeed by ensuring the whole team contributes.
Working together toward a common goal is an essential skill in the workplace. Cooperation involves effective communication, active listening, and contributing ideas and expertise. This skill fosters a positive work environment, builds trust, and enhances productivity. Collaboration and cooperation are closely linked. Both skills allow teams to appreciate diverse perspectives and skills. By practicing cooperation, you can strengthen professional relationships and achieve success.
Here are ways to improve cooperation at work .
Adaptability is important for teamwork in the workplace. Employees with this skill can adjust and succeed during changing situations. These workers thrive when starting a new project, working with different colleagues, or facing challenges. Being adaptable helps individuals and teams stay productive and effective in any situation. Adaptable individuals are open-minded, flexible, and willing to accept new ideas. By developing adaptability, teams can quickly react to changes and develop creative solutions to problems. Adaptability promotes resilience, growth, and success at work.
Project management is a pivotal teamwork skill. Managing projects involves overseeing tasks, managing resources, and aligning team goals. A good project manager maintains the workflow and fosters a positive working environment. Further, these workers ensure they distribute tasks equally to encourage proper execution. This skill contributes significantly to a productive and harmonious team environment.
Read more about project management skills .
Leaders interested in ways to improve team skills should focus on conflict resolution. This behavior is the ability to handle disputes and disagreements constructively. Resolving conflicts successfully requires empathy, active listening, and problem-solving abilities. Proper resolution can increase trust among team members, fostering a healthier work environment.
Check out these conflict resolution activities .
Cultural understanding is a valuable skill for teamwork in the workplace. Workers with this skill are able to understand, appreciate, and work well with colleagues from different cultures. In today’s globalized world, workplaces are becoming more diverse. By developing cultural understanding, team members can improve collaboration. This skill helps prevent misunderstandings and promote inclusivity at work. Ultimately, cultural understanding promotes diversity and makes team members feel more comfortable.
In that same spirit, here is a list of inclusion moment ideas .
Motivation is one of the most important parts of effective teamwork in the workplace. Motivated employees have the determination and enthusiasm to accomplish goals. These members often take initiative, put in effort, and maintain a positive mindset. Further, these employees inspire others and contribute to a productive work setting.
Leaders can encourage motivation by clearly communicating objectives and recognizing accomplishments. Management can also offer growth prospects and foster a supportive environment.
Browse this list of employee motivation tips .
Celebrating successes means recognizing and acknowledging workplace achievements. Teams can express appreciation for individual and team efforts, whether big or small. Folks should also highlight the positive outcomes of their work. Celebrating successes boosts morale, motivates team members, and fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment. This behavior reinforces teamwork and encourages continued effort toward achieving goals.
For example, here are some ways to celebrate job promotions .
Constructive feedback involves providing helpful and supportive input to help folks achieve better results. This feedback focuses on specific behaviors, actions, or outcomes. Leaders should offer suggestions for improvement respectfully and constructively. Constructive feedback promotes growth, learning, and development. On the flip side, it is important for workers to understand how to receive constructive feedback. Respecting and implementing feedback can make employees better team players.
Read more about giving constructive feedback .
Delegation is the process of assigning tasks or responsibilities to others. Folks who delegate a task also retain accountability for the outcome. This process involves identifying the right tasks for delegation. Then, leaders should select the right individual or team to perform the task. Finally, delegators should provide clear instructions and support to ensure success. Delegation allows leaders to use the skills and strengths of their team members. This process encourages leaders to get to know their teams. Further, teams will have more opportunities to work together and learn new skills.
Time management involves planning, organizing, and prioritizing tasks and activities. Folks with strong time management skills set clear goals and objectives. These team members break tasks down into manageable steps and use their time to meet deadlines. Time management skills help folks avoid procrastination, minimize distractions, and maximize their resources. By managing time effectively, individuals can complete tasks on time and improve team performance.
Brush up on more time management tips .
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings and experiences of others. Empathetic colleagues listen actively, show compassion, and care about others. Empathy fosters strong relationships, trust, and collaboration. This skill creates a sense of connection and mutual understanding. In the workplace, empathy helps build rapport with colleagues, resolve conflicts, and enhance teamwork and communication. This ability also promotes inclusivity, respect, and a supportive work environment.
Here are more ways to show empathy at work .
Honing teamwork skills is essential in today’s collaborative workplaces. These skills can significantly improve workers’ ability to work in an office. Employees with these abilities improve productivity and create a supportive environment. Success at the workplace is often the result of many hands working together toward a common goal.
Next, check out our posts on collaboration definitions , ways to improve teamwork , and songs about teamwork .
Here are frequently asked questions about teamwork skills for work.
The most important teamwork skills include effective communication, active listening, and respect for others’ ideas and perspectives.
You can improve your teamwork skills through regular practice in group settings. Feedback from peers and superiors can also be helpful. Finally, participating in team building activities or workshops can enhance collaboration.
Communication plays a crucial role in effective teamwork. Clear communication means all members understand their roles and responsibilities. Plus, this skill helps prevent misunderstandings or conflicts.
Leadership affects teamwork by encouraging collaboration. A good leader creates an environment where every member feels valued and encouraged to contribute their ideas freely.
You can use teamwork skills at the office by participating in team discussions, respecting and valuing the ideas of others, and taking responsibility for your tasks.
Author: Michael Alexis
CEO at teambuilding.com. I write about my experience working with and leading remote teams since 2010.
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Scientific Reports volume 14 , Article number: 20287 ( 2024 ) Cite this article
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Assessing and cultivating students’ HOTS are crucial for interior design education in a blended learning environment. However, current research has focused primarily on the impact of blended learning instructional strategies, learning tasks, and activities on the development of HOTS, whereas few studies have specifically addressed the assessment of these skills through dedicated scales in the context of blended learning. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive scale for assessing HOTS in interior design major students within the context of blended learning. Employing a mixed methods design, the research involved in-depth interviews with 10 education stakeholders to gather qualitative data, which informed the development of a 66-item soft skills assessment scale. The scale was administered to a purposive sample of 359 undergraduate students enrolled in an interior design program at a university in China. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were also conducted to evaluate the underlying factor structure of the scale. The findings revealed a robust four-factor model encompassing critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and practical innovation skills. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.948–0.966) and satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. This scale provides a valuable instrument for assessing and cultivating HOTS among interior design major students in blended learning environments. Future research can utilize a scale to examine the factors influencing the development of these skills and inform instructional practices in the field.
Introduction.
In the contemporary landscape of the twenty-first century, students face numerous challenges that necessitate the development of competitive skills, with a particular emphasis on the cultivation of HOTS 1 , 2 , 3 , this has become a crucial objective in educational reform. Notably, it is worth noting that the National Education Association (NEA, 2012) has clearly identified critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation as key competencies that students must possess in the current era, which are considered important components of twenty-first century skills 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . As learners in the fields of creativity and design, students in the interior design profession also need to possess HOTS to address complex design problems and the evolving demands of the industry 8 , 9 .
Currently, blended learning has become an important instructional model in interior design education 10 , 11 . It serves as a teaching approach that combines traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning, providing students with a more flexible and personalized learning experience 12 , 13 . Indeed, several scholars have recognized the benefits of blended learning in providing students with diverse learning resources, activities, and opportunities for interaction, thereby fostering HOTS 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 . For example, blended learning, as evidenced by studies conducted by Anthony et al. 10 and Castro 11 , has demonstrated its efficacy in enhancing students' HOTS. The integration of online resources, virtual practices, and online discussions in blended learning fosters active student engagement and improves critical thinking, problem solving, and creative thinking skills. Therefore, teachers need to determine appropriate assessment methods and construct corresponding assessment tasks to assess students' expected learning outcomes. This decision requires teachers to have a clear understanding of students' learning progress and the development of various skills, whereas students have knowledge of only their scores and lack awareness of their individual skill development 18 , 19 .
Nevertheless, the precise assessment of students' HOTS in the blended learning milieu poses a formidable challenge. The dearth of empirically validated assessment tools impedes researchers from effectively discerning students' levels of cognitive aptitude and developmental growth within the blended learning realm 20 , 21 , 22 . In addition, from the perspective of actual research topics, current studies on blended learning focus mainly on the "concept, characteristics, mechanisms, models, and supporting technologies of blended learning 23 . " Research on "measuring students' HOTS in blended learning" is relatively limited, with most of the focus being on elementary, middle, and high school students 24 , 25 . Few studies have specifically examined HOTS measurement in the context of university students 26 , 27 , particularly in practical disciplines such as interior design. For example, Bervell et al. 28 suggested that the lack of high-quality assessment scales inevitably impacts the quality of research. Additionally, Schmitt 29 proposed the “Three Cs” principle for measurement, which includes clarity, coherence, and consistency. He highlighted that high-quality assessment scales should possess clear and specific measurement objectives, logically coherent items, and consistent measurement results to ensure the reliability and validity of the data. This reflects the importance of ensuring the alignment of the measurement goals of assessment scales with the research questions and the content of the discipline in the design of assessments.
The development of an assessment scale within the blended learning environment is expected to address the existing gap in measuring and assessing HOTS scores in interior design education. This scale not only facilitates the assessment of students' HOTS but also serves as a guide for curriculum design, instructional interventions, and student support initiatives. Ultimately, the integration of this assessment scale within the blended learning environment has the potential to optimize the development of HOTS among interior design students, empowering them to become adept critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, and competent professionals in the field.
Therefore, this study follows a scientific scale development procedure to develop an assessment scale specifically designed to measure the HOTS of interior design students in blended learning environments. This endeavor aims to provide educators with a reliable instrument for assessing students' progress in cultivating and applying HOTS, thus enabling the implementation of more effective teaching strategies and enhancing the overall quality of interior design education. The research questions are as follows:
What key dimensions should be considered when developing a HOTS assessment scale to accurately capture students' HOTS in an interior design major blended learning environment?
How can an advanced thinking skills assessment scale for blended learning in interior design be developed?
How can the reliability and validity of the HOTS assessment scale be verified and ensured, and is it reliable and effective in the interior design of major blended learning environments?
The research results indicate that in the blended learning environment of interior design, this study identified 16 initial codes representing key dimensions for enhancing students' HOTS. These codes were further categorized into 8 main categories and 4 overarching themes: critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork skills and practical innovation skills. They provide valuable insights for data comprehension and analysis, serving as a comprehensive framework for the HOTS scale. Analyzing category frequency and assessing its significance and universality in a qualitative dataset hold significant analytical value 30 , 31 . High-frequency terms indicate the central position of specific categories in participants' narratives, texts, and other data forms 32 . Through interviews with interior design experts and teachers, all core categories were mentioned more than 20 times, providing compelling evidence of their universality and importance within the field of interior design's HOTS dimensions. As shown in Table 1 .
Critical thinking skills constitute a key core category in blended learning environments for interior design and are crucial for cultivating students' HOTS. This discovery emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in interior design learning. This mainly includes the categories of logical reasoning and judgment, doubt and reflection, with a frequency of more than 8, highlighting the importance of critical thinking skills. Therefore, a detailed discussion of each feature is warranted. As shown in Table 2 .
The research results indicate that in a blended learning environment for interior design, logical reasoning and judgment play a key role in cultivating critical thinking skills. Logical reasoning refers to inferring reasonable conclusions from information through analysis and evaluation 33 . Judgment is based on logic and evidence for decision-making and evaluation. The importance of these concepts lies in their impact on the development and enhancement of students' HOTS. According to the research results, interior design experts and teachers unanimously believe that logical reasoning and judgment are very important. For example, as noted by Interviewee 1, “For students, logical reasoning skills are still very important. Especially in indoor space planning, students use logical reasoning to determine whether the layout of different functional areas is reasonable”. Similarly, Interviewee 2 also stated that “logical reasoning can help students conduct rational analysis of various design element combinations during the conceptual design stage, such as color matching, material selection, and lighting application”.
As emphasized by interviewees 1 and 2, logical reasoning and judgment are among the core competencies of interior designers in practical applications. These abilities enable designers to analyze and evaluate design problems and derive reasonable solutions from them. In the interior design industry, being able to conduct accurate logical reasoning and judgment is one of the key factors for success. Therefore, through targeted training and practice, students can enhance their logical thinking and judgment, thereby better addressing design challenges and providing innovative solutions.
Skepticism and reflection play crucial roles in cultivating students' critical thinking skills in a blended learning environment for interior design. Doubt can prompt students to question and explore information and viewpoints, whereas reflection helps students think deeply and evaluate their own thinking process 34 . These abilities are crucial for cultivating students' higher-order thinking skills. According to the research findings, most interior design experts and teachers agree that skepticism and reflection are crucial. For example, as noted by interviewees 3, “Sometimes, when facing learning tasks, students will think about how to better meet the needs of users”. Meanwhile, Interviewee 4 also agreed with this viewpoint. As emphasized by interviewees 3 and 4, skepticism and reflection are among the core competencies of interior designers in practical applications. These abilities enable designers to question existing perspectives and practices and propose innovative design solutions through in-depth thinking and evaluation. Therefore, in the interior design industry, designers with the ability to doubt and reflect are better able to respond to complex design needs and provide clients with unique and valuable design solutions.
The research findings indicate that problem-solving skills constitute a key core category in blended learning environments for interior design and are crucial for cultivating students' HOTS. This discovery emphasizes the importance of problem-solving skills in interior design learning. Specifically, categories such as identifying and defining problems, as well as developing and implementing plans, have been studied more than 8 times, highlighting the importance of problem-solving skills. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss each function in detail to better understand and cultivate students' problem-solving skills. As shown in Table 3 .
The research findings indicate that in a blended learning environment for interior design, identifying and defining problems play a crucial role in fostering students' problem-solving skills. Identifying and defining problems require students to possess the ability to analyze and evaluate problems, enabling them to accurately determine the essence of the problems and develop effective strategies and approaches to solve them 35 . Interior design experts and teachers widely recognize the importance of identifying and defining problems as core competencies in interior design practice. For example, Interviewee 5 emphasized the importance of identifying and defining problems, stating, "In interior design, identifying and defining problems is the first step in addressing design challenges. Students need to be able to clearly identify the scope, constraints, and objectives of the problems to engage in targeted thinking and decision-making in the subsequent design process." Interviewee 6 also supported this viewpoint. As stressed by Interviewees 5 and 6, identifying and defining problems not only require students to possess critical thinking abilities but also necessitate broad professional knowledge and understanding. Students need to comprehend principles of interior design, spatial planning, human behavior, and other relevant aspects to accurately identify and define problems associated with design tasks.
The research results indicate that in a blended learning environment for interior design, developing and implementing plans plays a crucial role in cultivating students' problem-solving abilities. The development and implementation of a plan refers to students identifying and defining problems, devising specific solutions, and translating them into concrete implementation plans. Specifically, after determining the design strategy, students refine it into specific implementation steps and timelines, including drawing design drawings, organizing PPT reports, and presenting design proposals. For example, Interviewee 6 noted, “Students usually break down design strategies into specific tasks and steps by refining them.” Other interviewees also unanimously support this viewpoint. As emphasized by respondent 6, developing and implementing plans can help students maintain organizational, systematic, and goal-oriented problem-solving skills, thereby enhancing their problem-solving skills.
The research results indicate that teamwork skills constitute a key core category in blended learning environments for interior design and are crucial for cultivating students' HOTS. This discovery emphasizes the importance of teamwork skills in interior design learning. This mainly includes communication and coordination and division of labor and collaboration, which are mentioned frequently in the interview documents. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss each function in detail to better understand and cultivate students' teamwork skills. As shown in Table 4 .
The research results indicate that communication and collaboration play crucial roles in cultivating students' teamwork abilities in a blended learning environment for interior design. Communication and collaboration refer to the ability of students to effectively share information, understand each other's perspectives, and work together to solve problems 36 . Specifically, team members need to understand each other's resource advantages integrate and share these resources to improve work efficiency and project quality. For example, Interviewee 7 noted, “In interior design, one member may be skilled in spatial planning, while another member may be skilled in color matching. Through communication and collaboration, team members can collectively utilize this expertise to improve work efficiency and project quality.” Other interviewees also unanimously believe that this viewpoint can promote students' teamwork skills, thereby promoting the development of their HOTS. As emphasized by the viewpoints of these interviewees, communication and collaboration enable team members to collectively solve problems and overcome challenges. Through effective communication, team members can exchange opinions and suggestions with each other, provide different solutions, and make joint decisions. Collaboration and cooperation among team members contribute to brainstorming and finding the best solution.
The research results indicate that in the blended learning environment of interior design, the division of labor and collaboration play crucial roles in cultivating students' teamwork ability. The division of labor and collaboration refer to the ability of team members to assign different tasks and roles in a project based on their respective expertise and responsibilities and work together to complete the project 37 . For example, Interviewee 8 noted, “In an internal design project, some students are responsible for space planning, some students are responsible for color matching, and some students are responsible for rendering production.” Other interviewees also support this viewpoint. As emphasized by interviewee 8, the division of labor and collaboration help team members fully utilize their respective expertise and abilities, promote resource integration and complementarity, cultivate a spirit of teamwork, and enable team members to collaborate, support, and trust each other to achieve project goals together.
The research results indicate that practical innovation skills constitute a key core category in blended learning environments for interior design and are crucial for cultivating students' HOTS. This discovery emphasizes the importance of practical innovation skills in interior design learning. This mainly includes creative conception and design expression, as well as innovative application of materials and technology, which are often mentioned in interview documents. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss each function in detail to better understand and cultivate students' practical innovation skills. As shown in Table 5 .
The research results indicate that in the blended learning environment of interior design, creative ideation and design expression play crucial roles in cultivating students' practical and innovative skills. Creative ideation and design expression refer to the ability of students to break free from traditional thinking frameworks and try different design ideas and methods through creative ideation, which helps stimulate their creativity and cultivate their ability to think independently and solve problems. For example, interviewee 10 noted that "blended learning environments combine online and offline teaching modes, allowing students to acquire knowledge and skills more flexibly. Through learning and practice, students can master various expression tools and techniques, such as hand-drawn sketches, computer-aided design software, model making, etc., thereby more accurately conveying their design concepts." Other interviewees also expressed the importance of this viewpoint, emphasizing the importance of creative ideas and design expression in blended learning environments that cannot be ignored. As emphasized by interviewee 10, creative ideation and design expression in the blended learning environment of interior design can not only enhance students' creative thinking skills and problem-solving abilities but also strengthen their application skills in practical projects through diverse expression tools and techniques. The cultivation of these skills is crucial for students' success in their future careers.
Research findings indicate that the innovative application of materials and technology plays a crucial role in developing students' practical and creative skills within a blended learning environment for interior design. The innovative application of materials and technology refers to students' exploration and utilization of new materials and advanced technologies, enabling them to overcome the limitations of traditional design thinking and experiments with diverse design methods and approaches. This process not only stimulates their creativity but also significantly enhances their problem-solving skills. Specifically, the innovative application of materials and technology involves students gaining a deep understanding of the properties of new materials and their application methods in design, as well as becoming proficient in various advanced technological tools and equipment, such as 3D printing, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR). These skills enable students to more accurately realize their design concepts and effectively apply them in real-world projects.
For example, Interviewee 1 stated, "The blended learning environment combines online and offline teaching modes, allowing students to flexibly acquire the latest knowledge on materials and technology and apply these innovations in real projects." Other interviewees also emphasized the importance of this view. Therefore, the importance of the innovative application of materials and technology in a blended learning environment cannot be underestimated. As emphasized by interviewee 1, the innovative application of materials and technologies is crucial in the blended learning environment of interior design. This process not only enables students to flexibly acquire the latest materials and technical knowledge but also enables them to apply these innovations to practice in practical projects, thereby improving their practical abilities and professional ethics.
In summary, through research question 1 research, the dimensions of the HOTS assessment scale in blended learning for interior design include four main aspects: critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and practical innovation skills. Based on the assessment scales developed by previous scholars in various dimensions, the researcher developed a HOTS assessment scale suitable for blended learning environments in interior design and collected feedback from interior design experts through interviews.
The above research results indicate that the dimensions of the HOTS scale mainly include critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork skills and practical innovation skills. The dimensions of a scale represent the abstract characteristics and structure of the concept being measured. Since these dimensions are often abstract and difficult to measure directly, they need to be converted into several concrete indicators that can be directly observed or self-reported 38 . These concrete indicators, known as dimension items, operationalize the abstract dimensions, allowing for the measurement and evaluation of various aspects of the concept. This process transforms the abstract dimensions into specific, measurable components. The following content is based on the results of research question 1 to develop an advanced thinking skills assessment scale for mixed learning in interior design.
The research results indicate that critical thinking skills constitute a key core category in blended learning environments for interior design and are crucial for cultivating students' HOTS. Critical thinking skills refer to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment 39 . Scholars tend to emphasize this concept as a method of general skepticism, rational thinking, and self-reflection 7 , 40 . For example, Goodsett 26 suggested that it should be based on rational skepticism and careful thought about external matters as well as open self-reflection about internal thoughts and actions. Moreover, the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) is widely used to measure critical thinking skills, including dimensions such as seeking truth, confidence, questioning and courage to seek truth, curiosity and openness, as well as analytical and systematic methods 41 . In addition, maturity means continuous adjustment and improvement of a person's cognitive system and learning activities through continuous awareness, reflection, and self-awareness 42 . Moreover, Nguyen 43 confirmed that critical thinking and cognitive maturity can be achieved through these activities, emphasizing that critical thinking includes cognitive skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, as well as emotional tendencies such as curiosity and openness.
In addition, in a blended learning environment for interior design, critical thinking skills help students better understand, evaluate, and apply design knowledge and skills, cultivating independent thinking and innovation abilities 44 . If students lack these skills, they may accept superficial information and solutions without sufficient thinking and evaluation, resulting in the overlooking of important details or the selection of inappropriate solutions in the design process. Therefore, for the measurement of critical thinking skills, the focus should be on cognitive skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, as well as curiosity and open mindedness. The specific items for critical thinking skills are shown in Table 6 .
Problem-solving skills constitute a key core category in blended learning environments for interior design and are crucial for cultivating students' HOTS. Problem-solving skills involve the ability to analyze and solve problems by understanding them, identifying their root causes, and developing appropriate solutions 45 . According to the 5E-based STEM education approach, problem-solving skills encompass the following abilities: problem identification and definition, formulation of problem-solving strategies, problem representation, resource allocation, and monitoring and evaluation of solution effectiveness 7 , 46 . Moreover, D'zurilla and Nezu 47 and Tan 48 indicated that attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge skills during problem solving, as well as the quality of proposed solutions and observable outcomes, are demonstrated. In addition, D'Zurilla and Nezu devised the Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI), which comprises seven subscales: cognitive response, emotional response, behavioral response, problem identification, generation of alternative solutions, decision-making, and solution implementation. Based on these research results, the problem-solving skills dimension questions designed in this study are shown in Table 7 .
The research results indicate that teamwork skills constitute a key core category in blended learning environments for interior design and are crucial for cultivating students' HOTS. Teamwork skills refer to the ability to effectively collaborate, coordinate, and communicate with others in a team environment 49 . For example, the Teamwork Skills Assessment Tool (TWKSAT) developed by Stevens and Campion 50 identifies five core dimensions of teamwork: conflict management; collaborative problem-solving; communication; goal setting; performance management; decision-making; and task coordination. The design of this tool highlights the essential skills in teamwork and provides a structured approach for evaluating these skills. In addition, he indicated that successful teams need to have a range of skills for problem solving, including situational control, conflict management, decision-making and coordination, monitoring and feedback, and an open mindset. These skills help team members effectively address complex challenges and demonstrate the team’s collaboration and flexibility. Therefore, the assessment of learners' teamwork skills needs to cover the above aspects. As shown in Table 8 .
The research results indicate that practical innovation skills constitute a key core category in blended learning environments for interior design, which is crucial for cultivating students' HOTS. The practice of innovative skills encompasses the utilization of creative cognitive processes and problem-solving strategies to facilitate the generation of original ideas, solutions, and approaches 51 . This practice places significant emphasis on two critical aspects: creative conception and design expression, as well as the innovative application of materials and technology. Tang et al. 52 indicated that creative conception and design expression involve the generation and articulation of imaginative and inventive ideas within a given context. With the introduction of concepts such as 21st-century learning skills, the "5C" competency framework, and core student competencies, blended learning has emerged as the goal and direction of educational reform. It aims to promote the development of students' HOTS, equipping them with the essential qualities and key abilities needed for lifelong development and societal advancement. Blended learning not only emphasizes the mastery of core learning content but also requires students to develop critical thinking, complex problem-solving, creative thinking, and practical innovation skills. To adapt to the changes and developments in the blended learning environment, this study designed 13 preliminary test items based on 21st-century learning skills, the "5C" competency framework, core student competencies, and the TTCT assessment scale developed by Torrance 53 . These items aim to assess students' practice of innovative skills within a blended learning environment, as shown in Table 9 .
The researchers' results indicate that the consensus among the interviewed expert participants is that the structural integrity of the scale is satisfactory and does not require modification. However, certain measurement items have been identified as problematic and require revision. The primary recommendations are as follows: Within the domain of problem-solving skills, the item "I usually conduct classroom and online learning with questions and clear goals" was deemed biased because of its emphasis on the "online" environment. Consequently, the evaluation panel advised splitting this item into two separate components: (1) "I am adept at frequently adjusting and reversing a negative team atmosphere" and (2) "I consistently engage in praising and encouraging others, fostering harmonious relationships. “The assessment process requires revisions and adjustments to specific projects, forming a pilot test scale consisting of 66 observable results from the original 65 items. In addition, there were other suggestions about linguistic formulation and phraseology, which are not expounded upon herein.
The research results indicate that there are significant differences in the average scores of the four dimensions of the HOTS, including critical thinking skills (A1–A24 items), problem-solving skills (B1–B13 items), teamwork skills (C1–C16 items), and practical innovation skills (D1–D13 items). Moreover, this also suggests that each item has discriminative power. Specifically, this will be explained through the following aspects.
The critical ratio (CR) method, which uses the CR value (decision value) to remove measurement items with poor discrimination, is the most used method in project analysis. The specific process involves the use of the CR value (critical value) to identify and remove such items. First, the modified pilot test scale data are aggregated and sorted. Individuals representing the top and bottom 27% of the distribution were subsequently selected, constituting 66 respondents in each group. The high-score group comprises individuals with a total score of 127 or above (including 127), whereas the low-score group comprises individuals with a total score of 99 or below (including 99). Finally, an independent sample t test was conducted to determine the significant differences in the mean scores for each item between the high-score and low-score groups. The statistical results are presented in Table 10 .
The above table shows that independent sample t tests were conducted for all the items; their t values were greater than 3, and their p values were less than 0.001, indicating that the difference between the highest and lowest 27% of the samples was significant and that each item had discriminative power.
In summary, based on previous research and relevant theories, the HOTS scale for interior design was revised. This revision process involved interviews with interior design experts, teachers, and students, followed by item examination and homogeneity testing via the critical ratio (CR) method. The results revealed significant correlations ( p < 0.01) between all the items and the total score, with correlation coefficients (R) above 0.4. Therefore, the scale exhibits good accuracy and internal consistency in capturing measured HOTS. These findings provide a reliable foundation for further research and practical applications.
This study used SPSS (version 28) to conduct the KMO and Bartlett tests on the scale. The total HOTS test scale as well as the KMO and Bartlett sphericities were first calculated for the four subscales to ensure that the sample data were suitable for factor analysis 7 . The overall KMO value is 0.946, indicating that the data are highly suitable for factor analysis. Additionally, Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant, further supporting the appropriateness of conducting factor analysis ( p < 0.05). All the values are above 0.7, indicating that the data for these subscales are also suitable for factor analysis. According to Javadi et al. 54 , these results suggest the presence of shared factors among the items within the subscales, as shown in Table 11 .
For each subscale, exploratory factor analysis was conducted to extract factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 while eliminating items with communalities less than 0.30, loadings less than 0.50, and items that cross multiple (more than one) common factors 55 , 56 . Additionally, items that were inconsistent with the assumed structure of the measure were identified and eliminated to ensure the best structural validity. These principles were applied to the factor analysis of each subscale, ensuring that the extracted factor structure and observed items are consistent with the hypothesized measurement structure and analysis results, as shown in the table 55 , 58 . In the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the latent variables were effectively interpreted and demonstrated a significant response, with cumulative explained variances of the common factors exceeding 60%. This finding confirms the alignment between the scale structure, comprising the remaining items, and the initial theoretical framework proposed in this study. Additionally, the items were systematically reorganized to construct the final questionnaire. Consequently, items A1 to A24 were associated with the critical thinking skills dimension, items B25 to B37 were linked to problem-solving skills, items C38 to C53 were indicative of teamwork skills, and items D54 to D66 were reflective of practical innovation skills. As shown in Table 12 below.
In addition, the criterion for extracting principal components in factor analysis is typically based on eigenvalues, with values greater than 1 indicating greater explanatory power than individual variables. The variance contribution ratio reflects the proportion of variance explained by each principal component relative to the total variance and signifies the ability of the principal component to capture comprehensive information. The cumulative variance contribution ratio measures the accumulated proportion of variance explained by the selected principal components, aiding in determining the optimal number of components to retain while minimizing information loss. The above table shows that four principal components can be extracted from the data, and their cumulative variance contribution rate reaches 59.748%.
However, from the scree plot (as shown in Fig. 1 ), the slope flattens starting from the fifth factor, indicating that no distinct factors can be extracted beyond that point. Therefore, retaining four factors seems more appropriate. The factor loading matrix is the core of factor analysis, and the values in the matrix represent the factor loading of each item on the common factors. Larger values indicate a stronger correlation between the item variable and the common factor. For ease of analysis, this study used the maximum variance method to rotate the initial factor loading matrix, redistributing the relationships between the factors and original variables and making the correlation coefficients range from 0 to 1, which facilitates interpretation. In this study, factor loadings with absolute values less than 0.4 were filtered out. According to the analysis results, the items of the HOTS assessment scale can be divided into four dimensions, which is consistent with theoretical expectations.
Gravel plot of factors.
Through the pretest of the scale and selection of measurement items, 66 measurement items were ultimately determined. On this basis, a formal scale for assessing HOTS in a blended learning environment was developed, and the reliability and validity of the scale were tested to ultimately confirm its usability.
Final test employed that AMOS (version 26.0), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the retested sample data to validate the stability of the HOTS structural model obtained through exploratory factor analysis. This analysis aimed to assess the fit between the measurement results and the actual data, confirming the robustness of the derived HOTS structure and its alignment with the empirical data. The relevant model was constructed based on the factor structure of each component obtained through EFA and the observed variables, as shown in the diagram. The model fit indices are presented in Fig. 2 (among them, A represents critical thinking skills, B represents problem-solving skills, C represents teamwork skills, and D represents practical innovation skills). The models strongly support the "4-dimensional" structure of the HOTS, which includes four first-order factors: critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and practical innovation skills. Critical thinking skills play a pivotal role in the blended learning environment of interior design, connecting problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and innovative practices. These four dimensions form the assessment structure of HOTS, with critical thinking skills serving as the core element, inspiring individuals to assess problems and propose innovative solutions. By providing appropriate learning resources, diverse learning activities, and learning tasks, as well as designing items for assessment scales, it is possible to delve into the measurement and development of HOTS in the field of interior design, providing guidance for educational and organizational practices. This comprehensive approach to learning and assessment helps cultivate students' HOTS and lays a solid foundation for their comprehensive abilities in the field of interior design. Thus, the CFA structural models provide strong support for the initial hypothesis of the proposed HOTS assessment structure in this study. As shown in Fig. 2 .
Confirmatory factor analysis based on 4 dimensions. *A represents the dimension of critical thinking. B represents the dimension of problem-solving skills. C represents the dimension of teamwork skills. D represents the dimension of practical innovation skills.
Additionally, χ2. The fitting values of RMSEA and SRMR are both below the threshold, whereas the fitting values of the other indicators are all above the threshold, indicating that the model fits well. As shown in Table 13 .
The reliability and validity of the scale need to be assessed after the model fit has been determined through validation factor analysis 57 . Based on the findings of Marsh et al. 57 , the following conclusions can be drawn. In terms of hierarchical and correlational model fit, the standardized factor loadings of each item range from 0.700 to 0.802, all of which are greater than or equal to 0.7. This indicates a strong correspondence between the observed items and each latent variable. Furthermore, the Cronbach's α coefficients, which are used to assess the internal consistency or reliability of the scale, ranged from 0.948 to 0.966 for each dimension, indicating a high level of data reliability and internal consistency. The composite reliabilities ranged from 0.948 to 0.967, exceeding the threshold of 0.6 and demonstrating a substantial level of consistency (as shown in Table 14 ).
Additionally, the diagonal bold font represents the square root of the AVE for each dimension. All the dimensions have average variance extracted (AVE) values ranging from 0.551 to 0.589, all of which are greater than 0.5, indicating that the latent variables have strong explanatory power for their corresponding items. These results suggest that the scale structure constructed in this study is reliable and effective. Furthermore, according to the results presented in Table 15 , the square roots of the AVE values for each dimension are greater than the absolute values of the correlations with other dimensions, indicating discriminant validity of the data. Therefore, these four subscales demonstrate good convergent and discriminant validity, indicating that they are both interrelated and independent. This implies that they can effectively capture the content required to complete the HOTS test scale.
The assessment scale for HOTS in interior design blended learning encompasses four dimensions: critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and practical innovation skills. The selection of these dimensions is based on the characteristics and requirements of the interior design discipline, which aims to comprehensively evaluate students' HOTS demonstrated in blended learning environments to better cultivate their ability to successfully address complex design projects in practice. Notably, multiple studies have shown that HOTSs include critical thinking, problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and decision-making skills, which are considered crucial in various fields, such as education, business, and engineering 20 , 59 , 60 , 61 . Compared with prior studies, these dimensions largely mirror previous research outcomes, with notable distinctions in the emphasis on teamwork skills and practical innovation skills 62 , 63 . Teamwork skills underscore the critical importance of collaboration in contemporary design endeavors, particularly within the realm of interior design 64 . Effective communication and coordination among team members are imperative for achieving collective design objectives.
Moreover, practical innovation skills aim to increase students' capacity for creatively applying theoretical knowledge in practical design settings. Innovation serves as a key driver of advancement in interior design, necessitating students to possess innovative acumen and adaptability to evolving design trends for industry success. Evaluating practical innovation skills aims to motivate students toward innovative thinking, exploration of novel concepts, and development of unique design solutions, which is consistent with the dynamic and evolving nature of the interior design sector. Prior research suggests a close interplay between critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, teamwork competencies, and creative thinking, with teamwork skills acting as a regulatory factor for critical and creative thought processes 7 , 65 . This interconnected nature of HOTS provides theoretical support for the construction and validation of a holistic assessment framework for HOTS.
After the examination by interior design expert members, one item needed to be split into two items. The results of the CR (construct validity) analysis of the scale items indicate that independent sample t tests were subsequently conducted on all the items. The t values were greater than 3, with p values less than 0.001, indicating significant differences between the top and bottom 27% of the samples and demonstrating the discriminant validity of each item. This discovery highlights the diversity and effectiveness of the scale's internal items, revealing the discriminatory power of the scale in assessing the study subjects. The high t values and significant p values reflect the substantiality of the internal items in distinguishing between different sample groups, further confirming the efficacy of these items in evaluating the target characteristics. These results provide a robust basis for further refinement and optimization of the scale and offer guidance for future research, emphasizing the importance of scale design in research and providing strong support for data interpretation and analysis.
This process involves evaluating measurement scales through EFA, and it was found that the explanatory variance of each subscale reached 59.748%, and the CR, AVE, Cronbach's alpha, and Pearson correlation coefficient values of the total scale and subscales were in a better state, which strongly demonstrates the structure, discrimination, and convergence effectiveness of the scale 57 .
The scale structure and items of this study are reliable and effective, which means that students in the field of interior design can use them to test their HOTS level and assess their qualities and abilities. In addition, scholars can use this scale to explore the relationships between students' HOTS and external factors, personal personalities, etc., to determine different methods and strategies for developing and improving HOTS.
The developed mixed learning HOTS assessment scale for interior design also has certain limitations that need to be addressed in future research. The first issue is that, owing to the requirement of practical innovation skills, students need to have certain practical experience and innovative abilities. First-grade students usually have not yet had sufficient opportunities for learning and practical experience, so it may not be possible to evaluate their abilities effectively in this dimension. Therefore, when this scale is used for assessment, it is necessary to consider students' grade level and learning experience to ensure the applicability and accuracy of the assessment tool. For first-grade students, it may be necessary to use other assessment tools that are suitable for their developmental stage and learning experience to evaluate other aspects of their HOTS 7 . Future research should focus on expanding the scope of this dimension to ensure greater applicability.
The second issue is that the sample comes from ordinary private undergraduate universities in central China and does not come from national public universities or key universities. Therefore, there may be regional characteristics in the obtained data. These findings suggest that the improved model should be validated with a wider range of regional origins, a more comprehensive school hierarchy, and a larger sample size. The thirdly issue is the findings of this study are derived from self-reported data collected from participants through surveys. However, it is important to note that the literature suggests caution in heavily relying on such self-reported data, as perception does not always equate to actions 66 . In addition, future research can draw on this scale to evaluate the HOTS of interior design students, explore the factors that affect their development, determine their training and improvement paths, and cultivate skilled talent for the twenty-first century.
This study adopts a mixed method research approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon 67 . By integrating qualitative and quantitative research methods, mixed methods research provides a comprehensive and detailed exploration of research questions, using multiple data sources and analytical methods to obtain accurate and meaningful answers 68 . To increase the quality of the research, the entire study followed the guidelines for scale development procedures outlined by Professor Li after the data were obtained. As shown in Fig. 3
Scale development program.
This study is guided by educational objectives such as 21st-century learning skills, the "5C" competency framework, and students' core abilities 4 . The construction process of the scale is based on theoretical foundations, including Bloom's taxonomy. Drawing from existing research, such as the CCTDI 41 , SPSI 69 , and TWKSAT scales, the dimensions and preliminary items of the scale were developed. Additionally, to enhance the validity and reliability of the scale, dimensions related to HOTS in interior design were obtained through semi-structured interviews, and the preliminary project adapted or directly cited existing research results. The preliminary items were primarily adapted or directly referenced from existing research findings. Based on existing research, such as the CCTDI, SPSI, TWKSAT, and twenty-first century skills frameworks, this study takes "critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork skills, and practical innovative skills" as the four basic dimensions of the scale.
This study is based on previous research and develops a HOTS assessment scale to measure the thinking levels of interior design students in blended learning. By investigating the challenges and opportunities students encounter in blended learning environments and exploring the complexity and diversity of their HOTS, this study aims to obtain comprehensive insights. For research question 1, via the purposive sampling method, 10 interior design experts are selected to investigate the dimensions and evaluation indicators of HOTS in blended learning of interior design. The researcher employed a semi structured interview method, and a random sampling technique was used to select 10 senior experts and teachers in the field of interior design, holding the rank of associate professor or above. This included 5 males and 5 females. As shown in Table 16 .
For research question 2 and 3, the research was conducted at an undergraduate university in China, in the field of interior design and within a blended learning environment. In addition, a statement confirms that all experimental plans have been approved by the authorized committee of Zhengzhou University of Finance and Economics. In the process of practice, the methods used were all in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. The Interior Design Blended Learning HOTS assessment scale was developed based on sample data from 350 students who underwent one pre-test and retest. The participants in the study consisted of second-, third-, and fourth-grade students who had participated in at least one blended learning course. The sample sizes were 115, 118, and 117 for the respective grade levels, totaling 350 individuals. Among the participants, there were 218 male students and 132 female students, all of whom were within the age range of 19–22 years. Through purposeful sampling, this study ensured the involvement of relevant participants and focused on a specific university environment with diverse demographic characteristics and rich educational resources.
This approach enhances the reliability and generalizability of the research and contributes to a deeper understanding of the research question (as shown in Table 17 ).
The tools used in this study include semi structured interview guidelines and the HOTS assessment scale developed by the researchers. For research question 1, the semi structured interview guidelines were reviewed by interior design experts to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of their content and questions. In addition, for research question 2 and 3, the HOTS assessment scale developed by the researchers will be checked via the consistency ratio (CR) method to assess the consistency and reliability of the scale items and validate their effectiveness.
For research question 1, the researcher will utilize the NVivo version 14 software tool to conduct thematic analysis on the data obtained through semi structured interviews. Thematic analysis is a commonly used qualitative research method that aims to identify and categorize themes, concepts, and perspectives that emerge within a dataset 70 . By employing NVivo software, researchers can effectively organize and manage large amounts of textual data and extract themes and patterns from them.
For research question 2, the critical ratio (CR) method was employed to conduct item analysis and homogeneity testing on the items of the pilot test questionnaire. The CR method allows for the assessment of each item's contribution to the total score and the evaluation of the interrelationships among the items within the questionnaire. These analytical techniques served to facilitate the evaluation and validation of the scale's reliability and validity.
For research question 3, this study used SPSS (version 26), in which confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the confirmatory sample data via maximum likelihood estimation. The purpose of this analysis was to verify whether the hypothesized factor structure model of the questionnaire aligned with the actual survey data. Finally, several indices, including composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (CR), average variance extracted (AVE), Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and the Pearson correlation coefficient, were computed to assess the reliability and validity of the developed scale and assess its reliability and validity.
In addition, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are commonly utilized techniques in questionnaire development and adaptation research 31 , 70 . The statistical software packages SPSS and AMOS are frequently employed for implementing these analytical techniques 71 , 72 , 73 . CFA is a data-driven approach to factor generation that does not require a predetermined number of factors or specific relationships with observed variables. Its focus lies in the numerical characteristics of the data. Therefore, prior to conducting CFA, survey questionnaires are typically constructed through EFA to reveal the underlying structure and relationships between observed variables and the latent structure.
In contrast, CFA tests the hypothesized model structure under specific theoretical assumptions or structural hypotheses, including the interrelationships among factors and the known number of factors. Its purpose is to validate the hypothesized model structure. Thus, the initial validity of the questionnaire structure, established through EFA, necessitates further confirmation through CFA 57 , 70 . Additionally, a sample size of at least 200 is recommended for conducting the validation factor analysis. In this study, confirmatory factor analysis was performed on a sample size of 317.
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. All the experimental protocols were approved by the Zhengzhou College of Finance and Economics licensing committee.
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Li, D., Fan, X. & Meng, L. Development and validation of a higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) scale for major students in the interior design discipline for blended learning. Sci Rep 14 , 20287 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70908-3
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Critical thinking is based on the observation and analysis of facts and evidences to return rational, skeptical and unbiased judgments.
This type of thinking involves a series of skills that can be created but also improved, as we will see throughout this article in which we will begin by defining the concept and end with tips to build and improve the skills related to critical thinking.
Critical thinking is a discipline based on the ability of people to observe, elucidate and analyze information, facts and evidences in order to judge or decide if it is right or wrong.
It goes beyond mere curiosity, simple knowledge or analysis of any kind of fact or information.
People who develop this type of outlook are able to logically connect ideas and defend them with weighty opinions that ultimately help them make better decisions.
Building and improving critical thinking skills involves focusing on a number of abilities and capacities .
To begin the critical thinking process all ideas must be open and all options must be understood as much as possible.
Even the dumbest or craziest idea can end up being the gateway to the most intelligent and successful conclusion.
The problem with having an open mind is that it is the most difficult path and often involves a greater challenge and effort. It is well known that the easy thing to do is to go with the obvious and the commonly accepted but this has no place in critical thinking.
By contrast, it is helpful not to make hasty decisions and to weigh the problem in its entirety after a first moment of awareness.
Finally, practicing active listening will help you to receive feedback from others and to understand other points of view that may help you as a reference.
An important point in the critical thinking process is the development of the ability to identify biases and maintain an impartial view in evaluations.
To improve this aspect it is advisable to have tools to be able to identify and recognize the prejudices and biases you have and try to leave them completely aside when thinking about the solution.
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Observation allows you to see each and every detail , no matter how small, subtle or inconsequential they may be or seem to be.
Behind the superficial information hides a universe of data, sources and experiences that help you make the best decision.
One of the pillars of critical thinking is objectivity. This forces you to base your value judgments on established facts that you will have gathered after a correct research process.
At this point in the process you should also be clear about the influencing factors to be taken into account and those that can be left out.
Remember that your research is not only about gathering a good amount of information that puts the maximum number of options, variables or situations on the table.
For the information to be of quality, it must be based on reliable and trustworthy sources.
If the information you have to collect is based on the comments and opinions of third parties, try to exercise quality control but without interference.
To do this, ask open-ended questions that bring all the nuances to the table and at the same time serve to sift out possible biases.
With the research process completed, it is time to analyze the sources and information gathered.
At this point, your analytical skills will help you to discard what does not conform to unconventional thinking, to prioritize among the information that is of value, to identify possible trends and to draw your own conclusions.
One of the skills that characterize a person with critical thinking is their ability to recognize patterns and connections between all the pieces of information they handle in their research.
This allows them to draw conclusions of great relevance on which to base their predictions with weighty foundations.
Analytical thinking is sometimes confused with critical thinking. The former only uses facts and data, while the latter incorporates other nuances such as emotions, experiences or opinions.
One of the problems with critical thinking is that it can be developed to infinity and beyond. You can always keep looking for new avenues of investigation and new lines of argument by stretching inference to limits that may not be necessary.
At this point it is important to clarify that inference is the process of drawing conclusions from initial premises or hypotheses.
Knowing when to stop the research and thinking process and move on to the next stage in which you put into practice the actions considered appropriate is necessary.
The information you collect in your research is not top secret material. On the contrary, your knowledge sharing with other people who are involved in the next steps of the process is so important.
Think that your analytical ability to extract the information and your conclusions can serve to guide others .
It is important to note at this point that critical thinking can be aimed at solving a problem but can also be used to simply answer questions or even to identify areas for improvement in certain situations.
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This chapter contains summaries of six articles that are machine generated. The summaries discuss the multitude ways in which the field of critical thinking has been understood and defined. Mostly the summaries included in the chapter project the view that critical thinking is all about certain cognitive abilities belonging to the higher order of thinking. The first summary explains the definition of critical thinking using a meta-level approach; it uses this approach because the problem of defining critical thinking is a meta-problem. The authors argue that the definitions proposed earlier were either subject-specific or skill-specific resulting in definitions that are neither universally applicable nor acceptable. The authors therefore have attempted to propose an approach that has three proper criteria that the definition should satisfy. They are: (1) rely on criteria, (2) self-correcting, and (3) sensitive to context. The summary of the second article on the skills required for the twenty-first-century education is based on the lists of skills proposed by various bodies that are broadly categorized as productive, critical, and creative thinking along with digital skills. The author proposes that the curriculum should incorporate skills that are required as per the current pace of change and the need of the hour.
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Reddy, K.V., Lakshmi, G.S. (2024). Introduction to Critical Thinking Skills. In: Reddy, K.V., Lakshmi, G.S. (eds) Critical Thinking for Professional and Language Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37951-2_1
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Globalization, quick technological advancement, and the necessity of individuals who can think critically, communicate clearly, collaborate effectively with others, and be creative (the 4Cs) define the demands of the twenty-first century. Our schools must adapt to these requirements. We must cease depending so much on inflexible, set-in-stone instructional approaches and replace them with more flexible, skill-based methods suitable for a future we have yet to learn about. The COVID-19 epidemic is driving more classes and examinations conducted online. This emphasizes the need for robust, flexible educational institutions to manage such issues. While some instructors need more training, some children perform well, and others do not. Local educational systems have to cope with these all-around issues. Regarding the instructors and the tools they use for learning, schools in the country and those in the city differ greatly. More major problems causing students to do poorly on their work include stress before examinations and online proctoring systems failing as they used to be. Problems in the neighborhood that aggravate these include socioeconomic ones influencing entrance into the justice system and the school. Furthermore, people dislike the unequal application of STEM education, which compromises the 21st-century competencies of pupils. Research on best teaching and assessing 21st-century skills in many environments still needs to be completed. This article will examine the 4Cs, teacher independence, and professional development today in light of one another. The aim is to uncover evidence capable of influencing educational policy and practice. Understanding this will help political leaders and educators create better classrooms for every child. Every child will do better in school, enabling them to prepare for difficult circumstances ahead. Researchers must understand how 21st-century abilities influence students' performance in various spheres, including math if they are to create decent educational strategies. Since they determine how well college students do in the classroom, 21st-century skills are applicable at all academic levels. People discuss many issues related to student performance in the twenty-first century, including student knowledge and performance, teacher performance and behavior, technology, and integrated learning approaches, curriculum development policies and plans, and the necessity of significant legislative reforms. Six distinct approaches to viewing and analyzing education assist us in grasping its current dynamics. DiBenedetto and Myers (2016) see things differently regarding preparing children for the year 2000. Williams (2021) explores how federal and state policies may help bridge the achievement disparity among early children by linking policy initiatives to school performance. Many authors have commented on the problems that result from applying contemporary education in various global locations. Voogt and Roblin published a study in 2010 on 21st-century talents. The two guys discussed the difficulties of teaching Latin American children more in 2007. People will consider the issues and opportunities schools worldwide have to handle.
Keywords: Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Teamwork, Student Performance
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COMMENTS
Summary. Most employers lack an effective way to objectively assess critical thinking skills and most managers don't know how to provide specific instruction to team members in need of becoming ...
The importance of critical thinking skills for success is evident in the improved decision-making abilities, enhanced creativity and innovation, increased efficiency and productivity, better communication and collaboration within teams, and adaptability and resilience in the face of challenges that it brings.
Critical thinking is an essential skill that enhances a team's ability to collaborate efficiently and effectively. By honing their critical thinking skills, team members can analyze information, solve problems, and make well-informed decisions. In the context of teamwork, critical thinking also plays a crucial role in improving communication ...
100 Questions that Build Your Team's Critical Thinking Skills. In what many at the time considered to be the omphalos - literally the center of the world - stood the most important shrine in all of Greece: the oracle at Delphi. People from all over the Greek empire and beyond would make the trek up Mount Parnassus near the Gulf of Corinth ...
Best ways for teams to approach critical thinking. 1. Question each other. Questioning what someone says enables you to think critically, so get your team to question each other. For example, if someone makes an assumption or says something you don't agree with, ask them why they think that way in a non-confrontational manner.
Learn More About Critical Thinking. Critical thinking is a valuable skill for all aspects of your life. It benefits problem solving, creativity, and teamwork. And it translates particularly well to the workplace, where it can distinguish you as a valuable employee and leader.
Fortunately, your critical thinking skills are learned competencies and not inherent gifts - and that means you can improve them. Here's how: Practice active listening: Active listening helps you process and understand what other people share. That's crucial as you aim to be open-minded and inquisitive.
By encouraging open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving, you create an environment that fosters the development of critical thinking skills in others. 7. Reflect and learn from the process. The seven-step critical thinking process yields a result—and you then need to put that solution into place.
Thinking skills are vital for team success, involving analyzing situations, devising strategies, and making informed decisions. These skills are instrumental in problem-solving and decision-making, where critical and creative thinking can lead to innovative solutions. ... The six critical teamwork skills are communication, conflict resolution ...
There are six main skills you can develop to successfully analyze facts and situations and come up with logical conclusions: 1. Analytical thinking. Being able to properly analyze information is the most important aspect of critical thinking. This implies gathering information and interpreting it, but also skeptically evaluating data.
Collaboration skills have to do with your ability to use all of your teamwork skills at the same time. Some ways to be a good collaborator are to contribute productively, communicate as well as you listen, and show that you are a reliable and fair teammate. With collaboration, you can build strong relationships, work through conflicts, develop ...
Beyond technical competence, employers consistently rank communication skills, teamwork, creative thinking, and problem solving as the primary skills that they seek in prospective employees1. Beyond employment, these traits could be defined as critical success skills for a rapidly changing world. Collaborative education is one approach that ...
Schedule a regular team stand-up to avoid siloed information your team. This is a short, dedicated huddle where you can discuss team goals, progress, and obstacles to keep everybody in the loop and aligned. 2. Collaboration. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. - Helen Keller.
The individual assessment of critical thinking skills presents a number of challenges, ... In the teamwork research literature, skills are commonly described across three classes most often labeled Knowledge, Behavior, and Attitudes (e.g., Cannon-Bowers et al. 1995). Knowledge competencies refer to the skills related to elaborating the ...
Also, talk about the importance of thinking critically and strategically under pressure. #5. Quick Brainstorming. In this activity, employees must quickly brainstorm ideas in order to come up with solutions. Time: 5 minutes. Materials: Problem and discussion prompts. Participants: 4-10 people per team. Instructions.
Skills: Communication, problem-solving. 6. A Shrinking Vessel. This game requires a good deal of strategy in addition to teamwork. Its rules are deceptively simple: The entire group must find a way to occupy a space that shrinks over time until they are packed creatively like sardines.
Section snippets Aim and research hypotheses. The present research was carried out with a view to addressing two basic research aims: (a) define an explanatory theoretical model and develop a multiple mediation model with two variables, examined in series, in order to relate educational motivation, teamwork, future work skills and critical thinking in students undertaking compulsory secondary ...
Here are seven examples of qualities that can help you improve your teamwork skills: 1. Communication. The ability to communicate in a clear, efficient way is a critical teamwork skill. When working with others, it is important that you share relevant thoughts, ideas and key information. There are many different types of communication skills ...
Critical thinking skills - definitions and examples. Critical thinking refers to the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. It involves avoiding assumptions, analyzing all the evidence in hand, and carefully arriving at unbiased conclusions. Critical thinkers are not only skilled at ...
Teamwork skills are abilities that help folks work well with others to achieve common goals. For example, these skills include effective communication and problem-solving abilities. ... Workers must use critical thinking and weigh the pros and cons of each option. By making informed choices, teams can handle challenges and take advantage of ...
Prior research suggests a close interplay between critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, teamwork competencies, and creative thinking, with teamwork skills acting as a regulatory factor for ...
Critical thinking is based on the observation and analysis of facts and evidences to return rational, skeptical and unbiased judgments. This type of thinking involves a series of skills that can be created but also improved, as we will see throughout this article in which we will begin by defining the concept and end with tips to build and improve the skills related to critical thinking.
"If the competences we seek to address in the twenty-first century involve learning to live together, and higher-order thinking skills such as critical thinking and creativity, as we will argue, and if we believe that lifelong learning is an attitude that the curriculum should nurture, then assessment, pedagogy, curriculum content and ...
Research on best teaching and assessing 21st-century skills in many environments still needs to be completed. This article will examine the 4Cs, teacher independence, and professional development today in light of one another. The aim is to uncover evidence capable of influencing educational policy and practice.