Ten Ways to Measure Deep Thinking in Students

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Deep thinking involves complex cognitive processes. Processes like analysis, synthesis, problem-solving, and critical thinking are at the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy. We sometimes refer to this as higher-order thinking and it represents a high degree of competence in a given subject. Further, deep thinking is a hallmark signature of rigor.

While it’s a crucial aspect of learning, it’s also somewhat abstract and can be challenging to measure directly in a scientific or statistical way. Moreover, assessing deep thinking carries a high cognitive load for educators both in construction as well as assessment. These are not insignificant deterrents to engaging students in material requiring complex cognition.

So, let’s dive into ten ways to measure deep thinking. I break the ten into two groups. The first group of six are methods we can use in assessing deep thinking through work. The second group of four methods are means to measure deep thinking scientifically or statistically.

1. Open-Ended Questions and Prompts: These require students to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, or create rather than just recall information. For example, instead of asking “How do we establish scope in Python?” (a recall question), you might ask “What are the consequences of not correctly establishing scope in a Python program?” (a question requiring…